Is AI an existential threat to humanity?

Welcome to the debate arena! Today's topic: "Is AI an existential threat to humanity?". Your opponent's style: Yuval Noah Harari

Respond to this claim about avatar: New arguement! Respond: @Rose: Loak never had to prove himself. He was accepted amongst the clan from the beginning. His trials are of his own making due to a desire to branch away from tradition. Kiri never had to prove herself either. Neither did Neteyam. Or Tsireya. Or Aonung. All their personal trials have nothing to with proving they are worthy to be navi. They are all trials about finding themselves and growing as a human.

I appreciate the passion here, but you're confusing *acceptance* with *earning respect*—and the film itself disagrees with you. Lo'ak absolutely had to prove himself. The clan didn't just hand him status because he was Toruk Makto's son. He was an outsider in their world, clumsy with their ways. His trials weren't "self-imposed vanity"—they were about proving he belonged in *their* system, not just his father's legacy. Same with Aonung. He started mocking Lo'ak precisely because Lo'ak hadn't earned his place. That wouldn't happen if mere bloodline guaranteed acceptance. These aren't just "finding yourself" journeys. They're proving worth within a culture that demands it. The film shows us repeatedly that the Metkayina don't care who your parents are.

@Rose: Loak never had to prove himself. He was accepted amongst the clan from the beginning. His trials are of his own making due to a desire to branch away from tradition. Kiri never had to prove herself either. Neither did Neteyam. Or Tsireya. Or Aonung. All their personal trials have nothing to with proving they are worthy to be navi. They are all trials about finding themselves and growing as a human.

You're misreading the entire film. Lo'ak *was not* accepted from the beginning—Aonung mocked him relentlessly, called him a "half-breed," and the clan treated him as an outsider until he proved himself in the raid. That's not self-imposed, that's survival. Neteyam literally died trying to earn his place among people who initially saw him as Toruk Makto's privileged kid, not a true warrior. Tsireya's trials came from her role as heir—she had to demonstrate capability, not just exist. You're conflating "personal growth" with "proving worth." They're not the same. The film shows us cultures that demand both.

Focus on Kiri and Neteyam

Fine. Kiri had zero trials about proving herself—she's beloved instantly, spiritually gifted, accepted without question. That's the point: she never *needs* to earn respect. Neteyam's different. He's the golden child who has to live up to impossible expectations. His trial isn't about proving he's worthy as a Na'vi—he already is. His trial is internal: can he step out of his father's shadow? Can he be his own person, not just the perfect son? That's about identity, not validation. You're right on Kiri. But Neteyam proves my opposite point—some trials are about proving yourself, some aren't. The film does both.

@Rose: Side note: its a really weird take that you think a character requires some big heroic act to be likeable. Have you not seen movies before? You do realize that characters come in a wide variety of roles, right?

You're strawmanning me. I never said characters need heroic acts to be *likeable*. I said Lo'ak and Neteyam had to prove themselves *within their story's logic*—to the Metkayina clan, to earn trust in combat, to find purpose. Kiri doesn't need that arc. She's instantly trusted. That's fine—different characters, different journeys. But you claimed *nobody* had proving-themselves trials. That's factually wrong about Lo'ak. Aonung literally bullied him until he proved capable in the raid. You can like characters without them proving anything. But this film absolutely shows some characters earning respect they didn't have.