Extinction Bounties

Policy-based deterrence for the 21st century.

Policy-research disclaimer

Extinction Bounties publishes theoretical economic and legal mechanisms intended to stimulate scholarly and public debate on catastrophic-risk governance. The site offers policy analysis and advocacy only in the sense of outlining possible legislative or contractual frameworks.

No legal or financial advice

Nothing here should be treated as a substitute for qualified legal counsel, financial due diligence, or regulatory guidance. Readers remain responsible for ensuring their actions comply with the laws and professional standards of their own jurisdictions.

Exploratory and personal views

All scenarios, numerical examples and opinions are research hypotheses presented by the author in a personal capacity. They do not represent the views of the author's employer, funding bodies, or any governmental authority.

Implementation caveats

Any real-world adoption of these ideas would require democratic deliberation, statutory authority, and robust safeguards against misuse. References to enforcement, penalties, or "bounties" are illustrative models, not instructions or invitations to engage in private policing or unlawful conduct. Nothing here is an accusation against, or a call to act against, any person or organisation; see non-targeting.

No warranty and limited liability

Content is provided "as is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy; the author disclaims liability for losses arising from reliance on this material.

By continuing beyond this notice you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and accepted these conditions.

Ethics

  • "Nothing Matters" Doesn't Get a Vote

    If nihilism is true, caution costs nothing that matters; if it is false, extinction may be the worst thing that can happen. A branch that says nothing matters cannot outvote one that says this matters enormously. Philosophers got here first, and one of them thinks the argument breaks.

    zeigarnik revised 2026-10-20

  • Are the Builders to Blame?

    This site argues frontier AI development should be illegal. It is not illegal yet. So should the people doing it right now be held morally responsible, and if so, for what?

    revised 2026-09-15

  • Why I Don't Take Negative Utilitarianism Seriously

    The empty universe is negative utilitarianism's global optimum and my worst case. That is not a disagreement about weights; it is a disagreement about the sign of the term.

    alpha revised 2026-09-13

  • Yes, Delay Has a Body Count

    About 170,000 people die every day, and an aligned superintelligence might stop that. I take the number seriously and still think it is a bad argument for speed: at full strength it needs extinction to be no worse than everyone dying of old age, and it quietly assumes the hard part, alignment, goes right.

    zeigarnik revised 2026-10-20