> slow the hell down

I'm afraid this isn't a car that you can stop, it's a freefall without a parachute. You're welcome to try flapping your arms, for all the good it will do.

And yes, the ground may or may not be approaching at an alarming rate.

What if we're flying up and not down?

Into cold and empty space ?

Towards endless stars, bound to be pulled in by another

Yes it’s not really up to us anymore. Viewing corporations as a non-human actors under capitalism, they will do it out of profit motive. Individuals may resign or shape the style of results but the progression is inevitable barring collapse or radical alteration in the structure of modern society.

Honestly: What are you scared of?

What is it about this technology that isn't already done bigger / better / faster / more by TV and video games, or by alternate technology like LiDAR or even a Kinect?

You're question about this technology mistakes the fear for the thing prompting the fear. Picture someone saying that you need to slow down while driving toward an area. The request to slow down isn't mitigated just because there are examples of things which go faster or which go the same speed. It's not the speed that causes the fear, but the potential things ahead.

There are extremely good arguments for caution in the development of artificial intelligence. It's reasonable to suppose it will be society altering at a minimum, but in not so improbably extremes it threatens extinction and immortality.

As for what makes this advance notable to someone cautioning speed? It's explicitly an example of a removed limiter, data collection and labeling. As such, it represents a potential acceleration of progress.

Given speed being seen as in conflict with caution, increase in speed can be thought of, potentially, especially when fearful, as a reduction in caution.

Why is it different now, though? People have been lying, manipulating, watching, and killing each other since forever. What is it about abuses of AI that makes it so unmanageable compared to all the other evils that humans manage?

I'm not saying it is different than other evils we manage. Caution isn't a new thing for managing evils. Prudence was recommended even farther back than Proverbs, I'm sure.

And, as an example of a technology with less inherent danger, we exercise an abundance of caution in the field of nuclear weapons/chemical weapons, to the point of military attacks to prevent their development.

Speed and scale.

Also differential in rate of roll-out. "The future's already here, it's just not evenly distributed." ~W. Gibson

Old people are already being attacked by automated systems they cannot understand. It will happen to you sooner or later. It may have already happened and you didn't notice.