2026-03-07

# About me - Samuel Shadrach

![Samuel Headshot Casual](../non_text_non_video/self_solo_pics/samuel_photo_headshot_casual.png "Samuel Headshot Casual")

**I am an independent full-time activist who is figuring out how to prevent AI companies from creating superintelligence in the next 5-10 years, as I am worried the result could be human extinction or permanent dictatorship.**

<details name="1"><summary>Connect with me</summary>

 - [Contact me](./connect_with_me/contact_me.md) - Email: samuel.da.shadrach@gmail.com, Signal: samueldashadrach.02, [Youtube: samuel.da.shadrach](https://www.youtube.com/@samuel.da.shadrach), [Twitter: samuel_sha13010](https://x.com/samuel_sha13010), [Lesswrong: samuelshadrach](https://www.lesswrong.com/users/samuelshadrach)
 - [Contact me (pgp-encrypted)](./connect_with_me/contact_me_secure.md)
 - [Donate to me (crypto, wire transfer)](./connect_with_me/donate_to_me.md)
 - <details name="2"><summary>Should you trust me?</summary>

   - **Summary:** If you are working at or investing >$100M at an AI company building ASI, you are my enemy and you should not trust me. If you are some random unimportant and powerless person, you probably don't have to worry about me being violent or violating your consent or similar. I am seriously looking into plans that break US law, so there could be risks to you if you closely associate with me.
   - [Risk disclaimer for having discussions with me on cyberattacking US govt](./my_research/risk_disclaimer_for_having_discussions_with_me_on_cyberattacking_us_govt.md)
   - [Should you trust me?](./connect_with_me/trust_me.md)
   </details><br>
</details><br>

<details name="1" open><summary>My CV</summary>

 - [Completed 18 day Hunger Strike on livestream](./my_research/hunger_strike_ai_risk.md) in protest of AI companies building superintelligence. Featured by [ThePrint](https://theprint.in/feature/an-iit-berkeley-graduate-is-fasting-to-stop-ai-takeover-a-protest-with-us-uk-links/2751744/) and others. Interviewed by [Guido Reichstader](https://youtu.be/xIvReK3bYxY) and others.
 - [Published US govt whistleblower database and guide](./my_research/us_govt_whistleblower_guide_index.md). Written for employees of AI companies building superintelligence.
 - [Completed ML Safety Scholars under Dan Hendrycks, UC Berkeley](https://forum.effectivealtruism.org/posts/9RYvJu2iNJMXgWCBn/introducing-the-ml-safety-scholars-program)
 - [Managed risk for Rari Capital](https://www.linkedin.com/company/rari-capital), cryptocurrency startup managing $1B peak AUM
 - [Graduated IIT Delhi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IIT_Delhi) Biochem engg BTech+MTech 2023. (Among top 3 engg colleges in India)
 - DOB 2001-01-03, Male
</details><br>

<details name="1"><summary>Important work - Start reading from here</summary>

 - For everyone: [**Discussion forums for AI extinction risk**](./my_research/discussion_forums_for_ai_extinction_risk.md)

 - <details name="2"><summary>If you work at an AI company building superintelligence</summary>

   - **Summary:** I recommend that you whistleblow against your company. My guide might help, depending on your situation. Unless you are seriously considering either resigning or becoming a whistleblower, I am probably not interested in any conversation with you.
   - [US govt whistleblower database and guide](./my_research/us_govt_whistleblower_guide_index.md)
   - [Letter to AI lab heads](./my_research/letter_to_ai_lab_heads.md)
   </details><br>

 - <details name="2"><summary>If you agree with me that there are significant risks from superintelligence in the next few years</summary>

   - **Summary:** The most impactful thing you can do is to persuade the entire US public to vote against and protest against the frontier AI companies and the US govt. You can start a social media channel or run for politics. Do not work under the frontier AI companies, or the US govt, or EA / LW orgs that want to collaborate with them. Seek knowledge and power, more than you seek relationships. If you don't reward your allies with wealth or status, someone you don't like might do that and poach your allies.
   - If you are organising protests around ASI risk
     - [Completed 18 day Hunger Strike on livestream](./my_research/hunger_strike_ai_risk.md) in protest of AI companies building superintelligence. Featured by [ThePrint](https://theprint.in/feature/an-iit-berkeley-graduate-is-fasting-to-stop-ai-takeover-a-protest-with-us-uk-links/2751744/) and others. Interviewed by [Guido Reichstader](https://youtu.be/xIvReK3bYxY) and others.
     - [I organised a protest against superintelligence at India AI Impact Summit 2026](./my_research/my_protest_at_india_ai_impact_summit_2026_qr_code_landing_page.md)
     - [I am not a member of Pause AI](./my_research/I_am_not_a_member_of_pause_ai.md)
   - If you are attempting to persuade the public about ASI risk
     - [Prolific.com survey on AI pause](./my_research/prolific_survey_ai_pause.md)
     - [Four hypotheses for how persuasion works](./my_research/four_hypotheses_for_how_persuasion_works.md)
     - [Please do a youtube scriptwriting course](./my_research/please_do_a_youtube_scriptwriting_course.md)
     - [Run billboard ads on ASI risk outside San Francisco](./my_research/run_billboard_ads_on_asi_risk_outside_san_francisco.md)
     - [Laundry list of ideas on public persuasion around ASI risk](./my_research/laundry_list_of_ideas_on_public_persuasion_around_asi_risk.md)
     - [Draft youtube script on Snowden and drone war](./my_research/draft_youtube_script_on_snowden_and_drone_war.md)
     - [Draft youtube script on ASI takeover and astronomical suffering](./my_research/draft_youtube_script_on_asi_takeover_and_astronomical_suffering.md)
     - [Why is persuasion on ASI risk failing?](./my_research/why_is_persuasion_on_asi_risk_failing.md)
   - If you are a technical alignment/safety researcher
     - [I want data on theoretical limits of distributed training runs](./my_research/I_want_data_on_theoretical_limits_of_distributed_training_runs.md)
     - [Why I am pessimistic on ASI alignment being solved by 2030](./my_research/why_I_am_pessimistic_on_asi_alignment_being_solved_by_2030.md)
   - If you are considering assassinations as a way to stop ASI (Contains politically sensitive info)
     - [My actual views on assassinations to prevent ASI](./my_research/my_actual_views_on_assassinations_to_prevent_asi.md)
   - My work on political strategy of the AI pause movement (Work in progress)
     - [**Support the political movement against risks from ASI**](./my_research/support_the_movement.md)
     - [Why have hope about fixing risks from ASI?](./my_research/why_have_hope_about_fixing_asi_risk.md)
     - [Who do I respect for trying to fix risks from ASI?](./my_research/who_do_I_respect_for_trying_to_fix_risks_from_asi.md)
     - [Who should you trust when fixing risks from ASI?](./my_research/who_should_you_trust_when_fixing_asi_risk.md)
     - [Should you trust me?](./connect_with_me/trust_me.md)
     - [I was not cancelled for posting about ASI risk](./my_research/I_was_not_cancelled_for_posting_about_asi_risk.md)
     - [Why am I not currently starting a religion around AI or similar topics?](./my_research/why_no_religion.md)
     - [Duncan Sabien's MtG colour wheel applied to Politics](./my_research/duncan_sabien_politics.md)
     - [Superintelligence can cause permanent dictatorship](./my_research/superintelligence_can_cause_permanent_dictatorship.md)
     - [How to enforce an AI ban](./my_research/enforcing_ai_ban.md)
     - [Statistics for cancel culture are useful](./my_research/stats_for_cancel_culture_are_useful.md)
     - [How to predict if groupthink is happening](./my_research/how_to_predict_if_groupthink_is_happening.md)
     - [Maybe I should not ally with communists](./my_research/maybe_I_should_not_ally_with_communists.md)
     - [Deliberate status engineering is hard](./my_research/deliberate_status_engineering_is_hard.md)
     - [Levels of disagreement in political discussions](./my_research/levels_of_disagreement_in_political_discussions.md)
     - [I seem to increasingly not trust base rates](./my_research/I_seem_to_increasingly_not_trust_base_rates.md)
     - [Minimise lines of code to avoid being controlled, not to increase maintainability](./my_research/minimise_lines_of_code_to_avoid_being_controlled_not_to_increase_maintainability.md)
     - [Does Silicon Valley have higher base rate for bad childhoods?](./my_research/does_silicon_valley_have_higher_base_rate_for_bad_childhoods.md)
   - Political meta
     - [My target audience](./website_meta/my_target_audience.md)
     - [My failed attempt at using taboo words](./website_meta/taboo_words.md)
     - [Explain your mind simulations](./website_meta/explain_your_mind_simulations.md)
   - Read the origins of these discussions
     - [cypherpunks mailing list](https://mailing-list-archive.cryptoanarchy.wiki), predecessor to blockchain/Tor/Signal
     - [extropians mailing list](http://extropians.weidai.com), predecessor to the AI companies, and EA/lesswrong.
     - lesswrong.com with year filter 2008
   </details><br>

 - <details name="2"><summary>If you don't know about or disagree with me regarding risks from superintelligence in the next few years. For technical audience</summary>

   - **Summary:** AI is a black box. Since 2012, most progress in AI research is based on heuristics that nobody understands. Extrapolating the trendline of last 5 years into next 5 years seems like a good way of forecasting the future. Also, AI understands human language, and is hence closer to human intelligence than ape intelligence IMO.
   - My work
     - [Try AI models from 2019 to 2025](https://2019to2025.samuelshadrach.com)
     - [My AI timelines as of 2025-12](./my_research/ai_timelines_20251214.md)
     - [ASI still matters if timelines are long](./my_research/asi_still_matters_if_timelines_are_long.md)
     - [As of 2026, AI is disrupting many industries, simultaneously](./my_research/as_of_2026_ai_is_disrupting_many_industries_simultaneously.md)
   - Other people's work
     - [Experts sign Dan Hendrycks' letter](https://safe.ai/work/statement-on-ai-risk)
     - [Yudkowsky's interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QmDcQIvSDc)
     - [Yudkowsky's TIME article](https://time.com/6266923/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-open-letter-not-enough/)
     - [Game: Universal Paperclips](https://www.decisionproblem.com/paperclips/index2.html)
   </details><br>

 - <details name="2"><summary>My views on other people's work</summary>

   - [I am not a member of Pause AI](./my_research/I_am_not_a_member_of_pause_ai.md)
   - [Why I am pessimistic on ASI alignment being solved by 2030](./my_research/why_I_am_pessimistic_on_asi_alignment_being_solved_by_2030.md)
   - [My personal apology to Eliezer Yudkowsky for not working on ASI risk in 2022 itself](./my_research/my_personal_apology_to_eliezer_yudkowsky.md)
   - [My views on Lesswrong](./my_research/my_views_on_lesswrong.md)
   - [My views on EA](./my_research/my_views_on_ea.md)
   - [My views on e/acc by Nick Land](./my_research/my_views_on_eacc_by_nick_land.md)
   - [Why I love Julian Assange](./my_research/why_I_love_julian_assange.md)
   - [I seem to be half a unilateralist](./my_research/I_seem_to_be_half_a_unilateralist.md)
   - [My views on d/acc by Vitalik Buterin](./my_research/my_views_on_vitalik_dacc.md)
   - [My views on crypto](./my_research/my_views_on_crypto.md)
   - [My views on Naval Ravikant on ASI risk](./my_research/my_views_on_naval_ravikant_on_asi_risk.md)
   - [My views on Peter Thiel](./my_research/my_views_on_peter_thiel.md)
   - [I will only persuade or criticise the powerful](./my_research/I_will_only_persuade_or_criticise_the_powerful.md)
   </details><br>

 - <details name="2"><summary>If you don't know about risks from superintelligence. For non-technical audience</summary>

   - **Summary:** I still find it difficult to convince non-technical people this problem is real and extremely urgent. Some resources are given below.
   - Search what your favourite social media influencers have said about superintelligence.
   - [John Sherman's youtube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@TheAIRiskNetwork/videos)
   - [Acharya Prashant's video on ASI from Hindu lens](https://youtu.be/IMXPqwdKLxk?si=cZwXAe2omMTU088u)
   - [Movie: Colossus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus:_The_Forbin_Project)
   - [My 2 hour course: Intro to AI](./my_research/ai_course_120min_202506.md)
   - Maybe spend a few months living in a country under dictatorship or at war, to get first-hand experience for what that is like.
   </details><br>

 - <details name="2"><summary>My views on cyberattacks, whistleblowers, leaking information, and a world with zero privacy (Work in progress, contains politically sensitive info)</summary>

   - **Summary:**  I am looking for a cofounder to cyberattack the US govt and US AI companies
   - [Risk disclaimer for having discussions with me on cyberattacking US govt](./my_research/risk_disclaimer_for_having_discussions_with_me_on_cyberattacking_us_govt.md)
   - [I am looking for a cofounder to cyberattack the US govt and US AI companies](./my_research/I_am_looking_for_a_cofounder_to_cyberattack_the_us_govt_and_us_ai_companies.md)
   - [Morality behind my leaks is different from wikileaks](./my_research/morality_behind_my_leaks_is_different_from_wikileaks.md)
   - [Redaction policies as psychological damage](./my_research/redaction_policies_as_psychological_damage.md)
   - [Tight opsec feels bad](./my_research/tight_opsec_feels_bad.md)
   - [Petapixel camers won't exist soon](./my_research/petapixel_cameras_wont_exist_soon.md)
   - [The Pentagon Pizza index is not yet dead](./my_research/the_pentagon_pizza_index_is_not_yet_dead.md)
   - [Attack them move-by-move](./my_research/attack_them_move_by_move.md)
   - [Morality of cyberhacking versus espionage](./my_research/morality_of_cyberhacking_versus_espionage.md)
   - [List of cyberhackers leaking information for political reasons](./my_research/list_of_cyberhackers_leaking_information_for_political_reasons.md)
   - [Revolutionary courts for the privatisation of cyberwar](./my_research/revolutionary_courts_for_the_privatisation_of_cyberwar.md)
   - [Zero privacy world summary](./my_research/zero_privacy_world_summary.md)
   - [Cyberattack Big Tech?](./my_research/cyberattack_big_tech.md)
   - [Maybe all weapons are safe to open-source](./my_research/open_source_weaponry.md)
   - [Long-term view on information, tech and society](./my_research/longterm_view_on_info_tech_society.md)
   - [What happened to the rest of the Snowden files?](./my_research/what_happened_to_the_rest_of_the_snowden_files.md)
   - [Snowden's leak includes information not found in mainstream media](./my_research/snowdens_leak_includes_information_not_found_in_mainstream_media.md)
   - [SecureDrop review](./my_research/securedrop_review.md)
   - [Internet anonymity without Tor](./my_research/internet_anonymity_without_tor.md)
   - [Don't half-ass opsec](./my_research/dont_halfass_opsec.md)
   - [Why I don't usually recommend dead drops](./my_research/why_I_dont_usually_recommend_dead_drops.md)
   - [Paper backups for PGP-encrypted ciphertext](./my_research/paper_backups_for_pgp_encrypted_ciphertext.md)
   - [Portscan insecure printers](./my_research/portscan_insecure_printers.md)
   - [LLM generated passphrases aren't easier to memorise](./my_research/llm_generated_passphrases_arent_easier_to_memorise.md)
   - [Internet firewall built using radio components](./my_research/internet_firewall_built_using_radio_components.md)
   </details><br>

 - <details name="2"><summary>My views on human genetic engineering</summary>

   - **Summary:** I think working on human genetic engineering is probably extremely harmful for the world, but I am not yet sure. If we have a US-China arms race over human genetic engineering, the winners may have genetically removed their capacity for love and relationships completely.
   - [Politics of HGE](./my_research/politics_of_human_genetic_engg.md).
   </details><br>
</details><br>

<details name="1"><summary>Current work</summary>

 - [More details](./my_research/current_project.md)
</details><br>

<details name="1"><summary>Unimportant / abandoned work</summary>

 - Built some AI-based apps for search and discovery
   - **Summary:** LLMs are obviously going to reshape search/discovery/recommendation algos for the internet. I built some apps for this and learned some things about it. I don't have product-market fit yet. I have made an intentional decision to not work on this further, and will not be re-evaluating my decision again.
   - [Hard numbers for the search pipeline](./my_research/hard_numbers_for_the_search_pipeline.md)
   - [Ads versus recommendations](./my_research/ads_versus_recommendations.md)
   - [Disagreements app retrospective](./my_research/disagreements_app_retrospective.md)
   - [App: Disagreements](https://disagreements.samuelshadrach.com)
   - [App: Books Search for Researchers](./my_research/search_engine_for_books.md)
   - [Open source search](./my_research/open_source_search_summary.md)
 - Created educational content on youtube on risks from superintelligence
   - [Youtube: @samuel.da.shadrach](https://www.youtube.com/@samuel.da.shadrach)
   - [Youtube retrospective](./my_research/youtube_retrospective.md)
 - A lot of the following posts discuss topics that are less important to me, than what happens to ASI. But if your priorities are different from mine, maybe you will like these. Mostly aimed at a technical audience.
   - Industries besides pure software
     - [My timelines for various deep tech](./my_research/all_deeptech_timelines.md)
     - [Industrial civilisation in numbers](./my_research/industrial_civ_numbers.md)
     - [Why is most biotech software low quality?](./my_research/why_is_most_biotech_software_low_quality.md)
     - [Measure economic metrics per capita](./my_research/measure_economic_metrics_per_capita.md)
     - [Quantum computing and fusion energy have similarities](./my_research/quantum_computing_and_fusion_energy_have_similarities.md)
     - [Some heuristics to understand a new scientific field quickly](./my_research/some_heuristics_to_understand_a_new_scientific_field_quickly.md)
     - [How to chemically reduce your sex drive?](./my_research/how_to_chemically_reduce_your_sex_drive.md)
   - Software and AI (not ASI)
     - generic audience: [Software course](./my_research/software_course.md)
     - [Death of Big Tech](./my_research/death_of_big_tech.md)
     - [All of Earth's data stored in RAM](./my_research/all_of_earths_data_stored_in_ram.md)
     - [Open source methods for handling internet spam](./my_research/open_source_methods_for_handling_internet_spam.md)
     - [ML is not geometry](./my_research/ml_is_not_geometry.md)
     - [Access time and throughput are not the same](./my_research/access_time_and_throughput_are_not_the_same.md)
     - [Software as hypothesis testing](./my_research/software_as_hypothesis_testing.md)
     - [Tokens per dollar from first principles](./my_research/tokens_per_dollar_from_first_principles.md)
     - [Why I am not buying IPv4 addresses as an investment](./my_research/why_I_am_not_buying_ipv4_addresses_as_an_investment.md)
     - [Why did progressive web apps (PWAs) die?](./my_research/why_did_progressive_web_apps_die.md)
     - [Why I love open source](./my_research/why_I_love_open_source.md)
     - [Python versus JS, for the web](./my_research/python_versus_js_for_the_web.md)
   - Finance
     - [Should you bet on prediction markets?](./my_research/should_you_bet_on_prediction_markets.md)
     - generic audience: [Finance course](./my_research/finance_course.md), [Advice for middle class (India-specific)](./my_research/advice_for_you_knowledge_india.md)
   - Politics
     - [Elite class social norms](./my_research/elite_class_social_norms.md)
     - [Fix geopolitics, not poverty](./my_research/fix_geopolitics_not_poverty.md)
     - [My long-term view on US geopolitics](./my_research/my_long_term_view_on_us_geopolitics.md)
     - [Determining health of a democracy is non-trivial because propaganda cuts both ways](./my_research/determining_health_of_a_democracy_is_nontrivial_because_propaganda_cuts_both_ways.md)
     - [Why I respect Hitler and Kaczynski](./my_research/why_I_respect_hitler_and_kaczynski.md)
     - [Geopolitical alliance matrix](./my_research/geopolitical_alliance_matrix.md)
     - [Some quotes from Inside the Aquarium by Viktor Suvorov](./my_research/quotes_inside_the_aquarium_viktor_suvorov.md)
     - [Self blackmail test](./my_research/self_blackmail_test.md)
     - [Attention beats capital](./my_research/attention_beats_capital.md)
     - [Collusion and control](./my_research/collusion_and_control.md)
     - [I want leverage](./my_research/I_want_leverage.md)
     - [When to escalate aggression](./my_research/when_to_escalate_aggression.md)
   - Generic advice
     - [Advice for upper class](./my_research/advice_for_you_elite.md)
     - [Advice for middle class](./my_research/advice_for_you_knowledge.md)
     - [Advice for middle class (India-specific)](./my_research/advice_for_you_knowledge_india.md)
     - [Advice for lower class (India-specific)](./my_research/advice_for_you_india_labour.md)
 - [**Exhaustive list of all my posts**](./my_research/)
</details>
</details><br>

<details name="1"><summary>Personal</summary>

 - [Personal website](./personal/about_me_personal.md)
</details><br>

<details name="1"><summary>Do you want free money?</summary>

 - **Get $1000** if you [help me find a cofounder](./my_research/I_can_pay_you_if_you_find_me_a_cofounder.md)
   - [I am looking for a cofounder to cyberattack the US govt and US AI companies](./my_research/I_am_looking_for_a_cofounder_to_cyberattack_the_us_govt_and_us_ai_companies.md)
 - **Get atleast 50% of the funds raised** if you help me [raise money for my non-profit](./connect_with_me/donate_to_me.md).
 - **Get atleast 50% of the ad revenue** if you help me gets lots of views or follows on social media.
 - **Get $3000** if you [help me find a long-term polyamorous girlfriend](./personal/main/date_me.md)
 - **Get free IBKR stock** if you [create International Brokers (IBKR) account using this referral link](https://ibkr.com/referral/samuel5908)
</details><br>