Saturday Night Live turned its attention to the AI industry's existential-risk messaging, with a Weekend Update sketch parodying Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. The segment, covered by TechCrunch, came after Amodei's press tour in which he appeared to agree with a former employee's claim that artificial intelligence could destroy humanity.
Cast member Jane Wickline played Amodei, wearing a wig and delivering halting answers that sometimes shifted into a Gollum-style dialogue with a dark side. The fictional Amodei declared, "AI is the devil and I its maker," and assured the audience that AI executives "are all on the same page here: We do not condone what we are doing." The sketch also poked at the industry's promised benefits, with the character saying there is "about a 10% chance" that cancer won't be a problem in 10 years.
Host Michael Che sounded uncertain about the correct pronunciation of Amodei's last name, according to the report. The sketch is a sign that the AI safety debate has become fodder for late-night comedy, highlighting the public's skepticism toward tech leaders who warn of catastrophic risks while continuing to build the technology.