These are really legit researchers, and all the names I recognize, I respect.

But ...

All the researchers I recognize are in the habit of philosophizing, cranking, and prognosticating out their asses. It's their hobby. When they talk philosophy, they tend towards science fiction. So SSC cherry picks quotes from a few theoretical AI researchers who like waxing philosophical, adds in a smattering of AI salesmen in the middle of an overly aggressive pitch, and wraps up with an appeal to the authority of ancient computer scientists speaking back when A* search was still a really neat idea. Many of them are older folk who aren't really into the current trends and have therefore been more on the theoretical/philosophical end of AI for decades.

The prevailing view among academics, from my experience, is that we're nowhere close to general AI. A common metaphor given is that they're proud that they've climbed the highest mountain, and announce on their progress in getting to the moon. AI researchers really are less worried about malevolent AI than about losing funding when all this hype about malevolent AI falls through.