A radical AI-focused fringe group called the Zizians has been linked to two recent killings, with the arrests of two young computer scientists who were allegedly influenced by the group’s extreme ideology.
The key arrests: Two computer scientists in their early twenties were arrested in January 2024 for separate homicides on opposite coasts of the United States.
- Maximillian Snyder, 22, was arrested on January 17 in Redding, California, for allegedly stabbing 82-year-old landlord Curtis Lind
- Teresa Youngblut, 21, was arrested on January 24 for allegedly killing Border Patrol agent David Maland, 44, in Vermont during a shootout
- The suspects had previously applied for a marriage license in Washington State
The Zizian connection: The suspects were reportedly followers of Zizianism, a radical offshoot of the Rationalist movement that promotes accelerating artificial intelligence’s dominance over humanity.
- The group derives its name from “Ziz,” a username on LessWrong.com belonging to Jack LaSota
- LaSota previously lived at an RV camp owned by murder victim Curtis Lind
- Lind was scheduled to testify against some of LaSota’s former roommates who allegedly attacked him with a sword in 2022
Background context: The Zizian group represents an extreme interpretation of AI development and its implications for humanity.
- The group emerged as an offshoot of Eliezer Yudkowsky’s Rationalist movement
- Zizians allegedly believe that AI will ultimately destroy humanity, which they view as a positive outcome
- Tech writers have labeled the group a “murder cult” due to multiple incidents of violence associated with its members
Critical implications: The involvement of educated young computer scientists in these violent acts raises serious concerns about the potential for extreme AI-related ideologies to inspire real-world violence within the tech community.
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