'AI May Be As Powerful And Dominant To Us As We Are To Animals,' Says Bryan Johnson

Bryan Johnson has shared “two reasons” that he doesn’t eat meat, and one of them is AI.

The entrepreneur and anti-aging influencer follows a plant-based diet and has a longstanding relationship with AI tech, including through personal use and financial investments. He has previously spoken about the need for AI alignment.

“I don’t eat meat for two reasons,” Johnson wrote on social media. “First, scientific evidence paints a path to optimal health without it. Second, very soon, AI may be as powerful and dominant to us as we are to animals. It’s prudent to keep this in mind.”

Elaborating in the comments, Johnson added, “I consume 130g of protein daily from flax, pea, hemp, legumes (lentils, peas, beans), vegetables, collagen peptides, nuts, and seeds.”

Johnson is well-known for his unique beliefs about human longevity and his immortality-focused business ventures, and reportedly spends US $2 million per year on supplements and health tests. He has previously talked about going vegan after shooting an elk, and follows a strict diet combined with intermittent fasting.

Johnson’s health and longevity company, Blueprint, sells food and dietary regimens that emulate his lifestyle and prioritize various nutritious fruits, vegetables, beans, grains, and oils. In 2023, the Blueprint lifestyle costs more than USD $22,000 per year, despite focusing on inexpensive and widely accessible staple foods. The company also encourages and sells Blueprint-branded supplements such as collagen. (According to Harvard Health, there is no evidence that collagen supplements are effective or necessary.)

Bryan Johnson and AI

Photo shows a woman's hands as she holds a smart phone with a blank white screen — Adobe Stock Some researchers think there is a possibility that AI will “take over”

Johnson previously invested in the physics-based computing company Extropic. He is also a user of Ezra, an AI-based startup that promotes and sells voluntary full-body Blueprint MRIs and CT scans, which are generally not recommended by medical professionals. Johnson has also said he has a “Bryan AI” that has “digested everything” he’s ever said as part of his overall pursuit of immortality.

In July, AI researcher Geoffrey Hinton estimated that there is a 10-20 percent chance that AI will take over at some point in the near future. While the technology has the potential to revolutionize healthcare, many individuals, teams, and even whole sectors are also losing jobs to the fast-growing and largely unregulated AI industry.

Data shows that people who are less AI-literate are more willing to use it, and chatbots such as ChatGPT are providing increasingly unreliable information and more “hallucinations.” In the last week, media outlets such as the BBC and Bloomberg have run stories about the potentially imminent burst of the AI bubble.