Are there any extremely strong arguments that Acausal extortion is ineffective?

• AI News Team
• January 10, 2026

​Published on January 10, 2026 1:37 PM GMTThe topic of acausal extortion (particularly variants of Roko’s basilisk) is sometimes mentioned and often dismissed with reference to something like the fact that an agent could simply precommit not to give in to blackmail. These responses themselves have responses, and it is not completely clear that at the end of the chain of responses there is a well defined, irrefutable reason not to worry about acausal extortion, or at least not to continue to do so once you have contemplated it. My question is if there is a single, reasonably clear reason, which does not depend much on the depth to which I may or may not have descended into the issue, which would be more persuasive than proposed reasons not to pay the ‘pascal’s mugger’. If there is one, what is it? Edit: If you answer this question and I engage with your answers here, I might effectively  need to  argue that a basilisk ‘works’ . It is therefore appropriate to be cautious about reading my replies if you are yourself in worried, or in a state in which you could be persuaded to respond to extortion.Discuss ​Read More