# Humans May Become the Pets of Artificial Intelligence by Ezra Klein > “If human beings create something more intelligent and capable than they are, it is not obvious why that will be good for them in the long run. Even optimistic versions of that future can resemble a world in which artificial intelligences take care of human beings as pets.” > **— Ezra Klein**, *The Ezra Klein Show, October 7, 2026* ## Sources and Context - **Official episode:** [“This Is Nuts.” An OpenAI Insider Explains Why He Quit](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-nuts-an-openai-insider-explains-why-he-quit/id1548604447?i=1000793623910) — publisher-hosted episode identifying Robinson as Klein's guest and preserving the complete conversation. - **Publisher transcript:** [David Robinson on OpenAI safety and why he quit](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/06/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-david-robinson.html) — official *New York Times* episode page and transcript route. - **Timecoded source object:** [[research/David Robinson on OpenAI Safety, Superintelligence, and the Transhumanist Transition|David Robinson on OpenAI Safety, Superintelligence, and the Transhumanist Transition]], **1:05:08** — reconciled from the supplied complete YouTube auto-caption transcript and kept in broadcast order. - **Editorial treatment:** Verbal filler, stutters and transcript punctuation are normalized for reading; the quotation remains one contiguous source object and does not join different turns. - **Context:** In this portion of the conversation, Klein addresses superintelligence, economic transition and the unresolved meaning of a good human future. The complete premise, mechanism and consequence are retained so the statement remains intelligible apart from the episode. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Machine Succession|Machine Succession]] - **Article:** [[articles/AI Escape Is the Wrong Metaphor|AI Escape Is the Wrong Metaphor]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Last Migration Will Not Be Human|The Last Migration Will Not Be Human]] - **Article:** [[articles/We Were Never Going to Make It|We Were Never Going to Make It!]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Ezra Klein|Ezra Klein]] - [[wiki/Superintelligence|Superintelligence]] - [[wiki/Machine Succession|Machine Succession]] - [[wiki/Personhood|Personhood]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “If human beings create something more intelligent and capable than they are, it is not obvious why that will be good for them in the long run. Even optimistic versions of that future can resemble a world in which artificial intelligences take care of human beings as pets.” — Ezra Klein, The Ezra Klein Show, October 7, 2026 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-ezra-klein-humans-may-become-the-pets-of-artificial-intelligence ```