The sleight of hand here is implying that there are any forces smaller than nation states that can credibly reign in problematic technology. Relying on good intentions to win out against market forces isn't even naive, it's just stupid.
So many sleights here. Another sleight of hand in this subthread is suggesting that "the idea that technology advances autonomously, independent of human interactions, values, or ideas" is merely an idea, and not an actual observable fact at scale.
Society and culture are downstream of economics, and economics is mostly downstream of technological progress. Of course, the progress isn't autonomous in the sense of having a sentient mind of its own - it's "merely" gradient descent down the economic landscape. Just like the market itself.
There's no reining in of problematic technology unless, like you say, nation states get involved directly. And they don't stand much chance either unless they get serious.
People still laugh at Eliezer's comments from that news article of yesteryear, but he was and is spot-on: being serious about restricting technology actually does mean threatening to drop bombs on facilities developing it in violation of restrictions - if we're not ready to have our representatives make such threats, and then actually follow through and drop the bombs if someone decides to test our resolve, then we're not serious.
