A cascade of high-profile resignations and media coverage has shifted public and elite opinion on AI existential risk, with nearly two-thirds of Americans now saying AI poses at least moderate risk of destroying humanity. The article argues this momentum is real but insufficient—actual technical and policy work on AI safety must accelerate to match the growing concern.

• Public opinion has shifted dramatically: 65% of Americans now see moderate-to-high risk of AI destroying humanity (up ~15% from previous polling), and 93% of top executives disagreed with Trump's characterization of AI dangers as exaggerated.
• AI researchers themselves estimate an ~18% median chance of AI causing human extinction, with Asian researchers estimating even higher risks than Western counterparts.
• The preference cascade alone won't solve the problem—the article warns that without actual technical progress on alignment and safety, plus regulatory action like export controls and transparency rules, public concern will prove meaningless.