Silicon Valley's AI safety movement traces back to a 1996 internet subculture called the Extropians, whose rationalist ideology now dominates major AI labs like OpenAI and Anthropic. These leaders push for AI regulation and slowdowns while simultaneously racing to build more powerful systems—a contradiction that critics say masks a self-serving monopoly play, not genuine concern about existential risks. The rationalist and effective altruist communities, originating in 1996 online forums, directly shaped major AI companies including DeepMind, OpenAI, and Anthropic through ideological influence and financial backing from investors like Peter Thiel.