I raised a similar point on the IEET existential risk mailing list in a reply to James J. Hughes:

Michael

For the record, I have no problem with probability estimates. I am less and less willing to offer them myself however since we have the collapse of the Soviet Union etc. as evidence of a chaotic and unpredictable nature of history, Ray’s charts not-with-standing.

What I find a continuing source of amazement is that there is a subculture of people half of whom believe that AI will lead to the solving of all mankind’s problems (which me might call Kurzweilian S^) and the other half of which is more or less certain (75% certain) that it will lead to annihilation. Lets call the latter the SIAI S^.

Yet you SIAI S^ invite these proponents of global suicide by AI, K-type S^, to your conferences and give them standing ovations.

And instead of waging desperate politico-military struggle to stop all this suicidal AI research you cheerlead for it, and focus your efforts on risk mitigation on discussions of how a friendly god-like AI could save us from annihilation.

You are a deeply schizophrenic little culture, which for a sociologist like me is just fascinating.

But as someone deeply concerned about these issues I find the irrationality of the S^ approach to a-life and AI threats deeply troubling.

— James J. Hughes (existential.ieet.org mailing list, 2010-07-11)

I replied:

Keep your friends close...maybe they just want to keep the AI crowd as close together as possible. Making enemies wouldn't be a smart idea either, as the 'K-type S^' subgroup would likely retreat from further information disclosure. Making friends with them might be the best idea.

An explanation of the rather calm stance regarding a potential giga-death or living hell event would be to keep a low profile until acquiring more power.