Heuristics of fear

Definition

In The Imperative of Responsibility (1979), Jonas observes that we know better what we do not want than what we want. We discover the value of health in illness, of freedom in its absence. Facing technologies whose effects exceed our capacity to foresee them, he proposes that, for grave decisions, the bad prognosis should take precedence over the good one.

This is not a call to panic. Jonas speaks of a considered fear, one that gives responsibility its object. The notion is often invoked in debates on AI risk — and often criticised, since not every pessimism is wisdom.