The shape and origin of the Earth are central questions of the relevant scientific fields. They've received centuries of extensive debate.
By contrast, the questions that this book explores haven't received nearly as much expert attention. And if you poll the experts on whether those questions should receive more attention, they mostly say yes!
>69% of [ML researcher] respondents believe society should prioritize AI safety research “more” or “much more” than it is currently prioritized, up from 49% in 2016.
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/H6hMugfY3tDQGfqYL/what-do-ml...
