Let’s say doom is inevitable (this is true for all living humans, for we are mortal). Is it not nonetheless the case that working to make other’s lives better is a good thing? If your friend doesn’t think working on alignment will help, that’s fine, but they can still do a lot to make the world a better place in other ways. It just means maximizing your short-term rather than long-term impact.
Let’s say doom is inevitable (this is true for all living humans, for we are mortal). Is it not nonetheless the case that working to make other’s lives better is a good thing? If your friend doesn’t think working on alignment will help, that’s fine, but they can still do a lot to make the world a better place in other ways. It just means maximizing your short-term rather than long-term impact.