Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin proposed a universal kill switch for all artificial intelligence applications, drawing sharp pushback from Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun and tech critics. Buterin’s intervention on X framed a growing ideological rift between the “AI 2040” camp, which warns machines could surpass human cognitive abilities within two decades unless drastic measures are taken, and skeptics who argue existing engineering practices and coordinated oversight are sufficient. Buterin wrote, “If I was confident that superintelligence is coming in 2030 by default, I would be closer to the AI 2040 camp. But I am open to slowing or pausing AI development if the risks become significant.” LeCun dismissed near-term superintelligence fears as premature, likening AI safety to an engineering discipline refined through iterative design, and characterized current large language models as sophisticated “autocomplete machines.” AI commentator Harry Hawk argued future AI systems will be engineered for reliability. Buterin countered by raising the specter of Artificial Superintelligence (ASI). The debate was further fueled by the release of the “AI 2040: Plan A” report from Daniel Kokotajlo’s AI Futures Project, which advocates for cooperation between the United States and China, including “mutually assured compute destruction.” AI researcher Richard Ngo criticized the report for overstating the speed at which powerful AI systems could emerge.