A lot of these stories aren't actually about a life smarter than us, but faster - the grey goo or paperclip maximizer doesn't need any particular intelligence to take over the world, and may in fact be shooting itself in the foot by doing so.[0]
But I don't see any irony or "you shouldn't be worried about it, you're already doing it" in there: the concern is themselves being destroyed, not the world being destroyed. It's only irrational if you assume the people concerned are selfless.
[0] Of course, humanity may also be shooting itself in the foot with many of its own initiatives here!
But I don't see any irony or "you shouldn't be worried about it, you're already doing it" in there: the concern is themselves being destroyed, not the world being destroyed. It's only irrational if you assume the people concerned are selfless.
[0] Of course, humanity may also be shooting itself in the foot with many of its own initiatives here!