A few days ago, sentient luminaries signed yet another letter to protect us from artificial intelligence (AI). Their list is meant to make a journalist like me say, “it includes Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and some highly respected AI scientists." They want a “pause" on the progress of AI for six months for humankind to evaluate its risks. There is a general perception that people who have excelled in one area make sense in all areas, or that when they say something in the public interest, they do so with no ulterior motive. As expected, the luminaries have...