Tobacco CEO Says Cigarettes Aren't Causing Cancer, Just Uncovering Lung Vulnerabilities You Were Born With

(This was a REAL argument Big Tobacco paid scientists to push)

In the 1950s, studies showed that smoking caused cancer. So Big Tobacco paid scientists to say that some people are born with genes that make them both 1) want to smoke and 2) are prone to lung cancer, so the *cigarettes* themselves weren’t the cause

Its most famous backer, Ronald Fisher, was paid by the British tobacco makers (and didn't disclose it)

The theory fell apart because people who quit smoking saw their cancer risk drop, which genes can't explain. And because risk rose with every extra cigarette

The Surgeon General declared smoking a cause of cancer in 1964, but the industry kept selling doubt for decades. This is why they were called the "Merchants of Doubt")

Altman's argument is obvious self-interested bullshit because these vulnerabilities were manageable before AI. He's selling the solution to the problem HE created.