Escaping the Local Optimum of Low Expectation

[@lexfridman]

These are some thoughts on life and artificial intelligence to engineering students, my friends, and family. Here's the outline: 0:00 - Overview - The Voice poem 6:46 - Artificial intelligence 13:44 - Open problems in AI 14:10 - Problem 1: Learning to understand 17:15 - Problem 2: Learning to act 19:28 - Problem 3: Reasoning 20:44 - Problem 4: Connection between humans & AI systems 23:57 - Advice about life as an optimization problem 24:10 - Advice 1: Listen to your inner voice - ignore the gradient 25:12 - Advice 2: carve your own path 26:28 - Advice 2: Measure passion not progress 28:10 - Advice 4: work hard 29:05 - Advice 5: forever oscillate between gratitude and dissatisfaction 31:10 - Q&A: Meaning of life 33:11 - Q&A: Simulation hypothesis 36:15 - Q&A: How do you define greatness?

[@cBake0]

Thank you for this talk. I'm coming from a lifetime of stumbling my way through poverty, wrong thinking, self-sabotage, escape, guilt, and so much more. I began watching your videos some time ago, for your expertise but I want to let you know that your humanity has helped at least this person to reignite the engine of progress within. So again, I say thank you.

[@juergenbillich1850]

knowing you only through a screen and a speaker i feel a deep connection. thank you for sharing....

[@chidimmaobi4659]

You really stand at the intersection of science and humanities.

[@manassricharanvarri]

Lex, I love you...

[@MageCrits]

Great talk! I can relate a lot. I’ve been battling with the “greatness” that society tries to enforce upon you. I’ve been doing a lot of those side pursuits like you have done. I work as a software engineer but still am trying to figure out where that inner voice is telling me to go

[@herdmann2000]

„Greatness is doing the things you love, the rest is just luck of wether they tell a good story about you or not“ -Lex Fridmann Thank you for this pearl.

[@mattlee9190]

The only thing more impressive than Lex's intellect is his humility. Thank you for sharing your ideas, Lex.

[@essentialist1079]

Humility? Telling you all how to feel and what to think? Acting like he is so smart and wise and has all the answers? As soon as random people start praising some prick on a podium for his 'humility', then you know for sure he's the most arrogant, aloof ***** on the planet. This dude is smug. I bet he's never been homeless for a single second in his whole life, unlike millions of his neighbours in the Valley.

[@SETHthegodofchaos]

@@essentialist1079 He just says to follow and act on your answers within yourself. I think that is the most humility one can have toward living life. Once you figure out what you truly want, you will find a way to accomplish it by dedicating yourself to it. It does not matter how it compares to other peoples goals or potential. It matters that it matters to you because it is in your inner core.

[@sonekulla]

You are an existence proof of a profoundly soulful techie. It's good that you are being so public about it. The role model example for this is vastly under-represented in our culture. To make it count, you're going to have to make a success of it. I'm rooting for you....and thanks for sharing your inspiration.

[@larab.4535]

this, couldn't agree more.:) Such an inspiring lecture!

[@bobbysweeney5377]

Wait, so you're just walking around with gold like this in your back pocket?!? Lex, you've been holding out! But seriously, thanks for what you do. All of it. You're one of the best minds alive today, so please don't ever stop sharing it.

[@essentialist1079]

He's sharing nothing of value. It's a high-emotion, low-content pep talk. He wants to sucker you in to competing with all the other poor minions who have all been brainwashed just like you. Brainwashed into thinking that any one of you have a chance to make a fortune and build a career on an overhyped buzz-word. You need to face the facts: AI is a winner-take-all game, owned and controlled by wealthy VCs who have billions of dollars and can afford to buy the best brains all over the world. AI isn't labor-intensive - it *replaces* labor, including you! AI is a buzz-word that only exists because the other buzz-words have worn themselves out. Humanity doesn't need more artificial minds to replace them, destroy their sources of incomes, make them poor and make the tiny 1% of already-wealthy elites even wealthier. Humanity needs more time, more space and more freedom, not less. Creativity requires space to THINK and FEEL. Math won't solve that problem.

[@bobbysweeney5377]

@@essentialist1079 Wow. You sound like a happy, motivated person... Not a perpetual victim at all... Nope. Not at all. 👀

[@essentialist1079]

​@@bobbysweeney5377 What do you think I'm reacting to? Do you think I just pulled this stuff out my backside? Do you not think there are real problems with how society functions right now? I'd rather accept and admit my victim-hood so that I can then figure out how to get out of it. Rather than being a perpetual Pollyanna like this jerk on the stage wants you to be - slaving away doing 16 hour days so that you can have a 1% chance of graduating, within a 1% chance of getting your research funded within a 1% chance of ever being noticed, recognised or PAID for all that effort. If you're a masochist and enjoy suffering, then of course, go ahead. I won't ruin your party. But some of us (actually a lot of us) kinda aren't masochists and want to enjoy these precious 70 years we get before it's all over.

[@bobbysweeney5377]

@@essentialist1079 Man, why though? I'm a business owner, and yeah, I do work long days, but only because I really really like having things. There is absolutely nobody holding me or anyone else back, aside from themselves. Well, taxes suck, but somebody's gotta pay for shit to get done. But my point is, things have never been easier (pre-covid) to get ahead in life than right now, compared to the rest of my 37 years. If you're driven, it's easy. People need things done, so pick a thing, and be good at it. People will pay you for it, and its completely up to you, how much you make. It's great! How is that some sort of authoritarian foot holding me down? I'm not special either. You or literally anyone else has that capability, provided you stay motivated.

[@6ixpool520]

@@essentialist1079 because it IS a pep talk? And its a pretty good one at that. AI doesn't make itself. And he's specifically pointing towards innovating in the field, not the mindless drone work you seem to be implying he's "suckering" you into doing. Shows how little you know about the field when you think its a matter of dumping man hours into the thing. All I hear is you yelling rebel nothings thinking they were something. You are the dunning-kreuger effect he was talking about at the start of the the presentation.

[@viacheslavkiselev3125]

Don’t stop the podcast!

[@SkipMeetze]

Planning vs. iterative design: "I will not know what I will do tomorrow until I see what I discover today." I'll bet you can relate to that.

[@hellenparenting906]

Everyday I watch your videos. I love them. You are a life mentor who integrates technology, success studies, pedagogy, and psychology and incentive . Now you are my role model. And you are good looking, very important.

[@tazicke]

Im in 2nd year of college and ever since i started it (Computer Science) i can't say i didnt like but i never truly felt passion in what i was learning and for the longest time i thought i dont really think it was about my passion i thought it was the fact that i didnt have the capacity to trully understand the things that college want to make me learn .. and ever since i discover you and your channel , i kinda dedicated a lot of time to really find my passion and for two months now i start to learn about cybersecurity and especially Cryptography . I just want you to know that you motivated me to become so much more then what people and family wanted to be (They want me to become a 9-5 programmer that knows how to code and work in a corporation) so i want to persue my carier in cryptography and in 2 months i hope that i can get a job at a research laboratory that one of my profesor from university runs and i set a goal that in 5 years i will creat a new way how to encrypt things . Thank you for everything you do Lex .

[@essentialist1079]

Were you listening to your 'inner voice' when you never felt passionate but suppressed your feelings and forced yourself to keep studying? Did all that suffering and hard work pay off for you, now that you can only look forward to more of the same?

[@tazicke]

@@essentialist1079 right now i am no way near to working hard for my dream .. it's been a tough 2 months for me lately so i kinda took it easy with my passion and focus more on my mental health and feeling better about myself . When you have a dream or goal about something you need to be consistly and put the hours in almost everyday (right now i do only 1-2 hours of only reading books related to cryptography and cybersecurity ) and hope and wait for the oportunity to arrived (She always does ) thats why i set myself a 5 years goal for my dream . Hope all the best for you and keep working hard man !

[@sucim]

Your last sentence sounds like you are right at the peak of confidence, be prepared for some hard times of "endless mindless dumb trial and error work". All the best!

[@tazicke]

@@sucim it been almost a year since I laughed at your comment when I saw it but you were right

[@pharofx5884]

The contrast between the insightful podcast and the personal insights you have shared on this video is absolutely brilliant. Thanks for sharing lex

[@BiancaAguglia]

Someone should build a nice hotel in the Valley of Despair. Most of us who often find ourselves in that place would appreciate better accommodations. 😁 Best wishes with your startup, Lex. I hope you'll continue your podcast. It's one of my favorite ways to learn new things and new ideas, and to get inspired.

[@e_squared604]

haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Now that you put it to me a nice hotel in the valley of Despair would be grand!

[@essentialist1079]

How is it a 'valley of despair' to have a solid job, a solid career, a solid source of income, so that you can pay for your expenses and have some free time to do what you *really* care about? Hint: I find it hard to believe that any significant percentage of the population really cares about AI. What you all really wish and hope for is enough space, time and freedom to do what you *really* want, which isn't driven by economic needs to put food on the table and a roof over your head. Am I wrong?

[@BiancaAguglia]

​@@essentialist1079 It's not about doing work you really want, it's about doing work you really want to matter and all the questions and doubts that come with that, questions like: 1. Am I crazy to think this work matters? 2. Am I crazy to think this can actually be done? 3. How on earth am I ever going to learn all the things I need to know in order to make this work? Forgetting for a second about the time and effort it takes to learn and do, the question becomes "am I even capable/smart/wise enough to do it"? The doubts are even greater if you see someone trying to solve the same problem you're passionate about solving. Part of you wants to join their team (it's the most rational thing to do). Part of you feels that your solution is different enough to deserve being pursued and made a reality. And your mind is pitting those two parts of you against each other, and comes up with questions like: 1. Am I too arrogant to join someone else's team? 2. Am I vain to think my solution is a good one? 3. What's the right balance between "divide and conquer" and "there's strength in numbers"? As you can see, the Valley of Despair is not a fun place to be in. Of course, the bigger question becomes "Why the heck spend any time there?" 😁I don't think it's possible to avoid regularly visiting the Valley of Despair. But, with wisdom, your visits there will get shorter and shorter ... hopefully.

[@e_squared604]

@@BiancaAguglia Couldn't have put it better myself. Pursuing difficult, meaningful things is always accompanied by neuroticism. It's naive to think that you'll simply arrive at your ideal occupation and then bask in positive emotion for the rest of your life.

[@essentialist1079]

Good startup idea there, I must admit.

[@markw23]

I feel so fortunate to have attended the talk, you're a great inspiration. I can't wait to see your project come into fruition.

[@essentialist1079]

What project? Some fancy AI bot that teaches you how to feel and what to think? You think that's going to change the world the way the iPhone did? Seriously... put down that pipe you're smoking.

[@travaskanazori555]

Essentia list Damn, the hate is strong.

[@chrysr7900]

Lex has a beautiful soul and a profound mind. An unbeatable combination!

[@clarkeysmusic]

So relieving to see someone dreaming, you continue to inspire Lex. Thank you.

[@egorpanfilov]

Great inspiring talk! This is how scientists of the modern era should be like! Thank you, Lex!

[@stoianandreimircea1509]

I hear you and in this times you are a bright light. Shine on you crazy diamond. I am inspired.

[@_etranger9500]

I foresee coming back to this, thank you for the inspiration. I am still at the stage of struggling between the dream and the practical advice. Practical choices can feel like they're eating away at your soul sometimes, but perhaps they can be seen as necessary detours, you just need a shift in perspective. "Forever oscillate between dissatisfaction and gratitude" - words to live by :)

[@berk535353]

This is the most underrated video of Lex.

[@thelimitingfactor]

If you only contribute this message to society, and nothing else, it is a life well-lived. Totally agree - accept love, but only consider advice.

[@thinkingthing4851]

Thanks for the inspiration Lex, I needed to hear that. Its is ok to be in the valley, as long as the valley is in route to your dream.

[@NoahHornberger]

I gave up teaching at a university to start my own 3d printing studio and I don't regret it. Now I am getting into Ai and trading, and the adventure continues. I can see the truth of the local optimum and you are right, it plummets when you dive off the edge of it. But then the magic happens, if you happen to believe in your own magic.

[@ChickenRunAficionado]

We ALL love you and your work Lex. Fellow russians and curious thinkers are all impressed and hope the best. Keep striding my friend.

[@essentialist1079]

He said at the beginning of the talk that he's Jewish. And we all know how much you Russians love the Jews, don't we?

[@ryantrin]

Thank you for showing vulnerability, passion and hard work consistently. 🙏🏽💛

[@Dalessandroftw]

Lex, you are a complete inspiration and I wish you the most success possible in your personal and professional lives, and can't wait to see how your efforts shape humanity, and hopefully sooner rather than later given how fast things are progressing!

[@sidhaantverma5086]

31:10 that's me talking! Thanks for the brilliant lecture, Lex. And also the photograph after the lecture!

[@ukrainer95]

Hi Lex, this is my first time commenting on one of your videos. I just want you to know that your content is stellar! The way you break down common ideas into abstract concepts, like the part about machine learning in Tesla, really resonates with the philosophical me. If I were in Masachusetts I'd go to see your talks. So please keep going at it.

[@essentialist1079]

Resonates resonates resonates. All you Valley people sound like such CLONES. You all use the dreaded 'R' word. Do you even hear yourselves/eachother? How much alike and the same you sound? You all use the same words!!! 'Resonate'.... oh god... is the idea of 'individuality' completely lost on you??

[@camerong9634]

@@essentialist1079 dude chill out

[@georgetacarmen8824]

I enjoyed this. With enough time anything is possible. I hope that Lex's dreams come true. It's so beautiful to see him learn and teach stuff. Plus, he's handsome too.

[@johnlipscombdocumentaries]

Lex is an amazing young man and could easily refocus his expertise towards wisdom and enlightenment.

[@essentialist1079]

I would say... hard working and brainwashed, not amazing. He could do better if he wasn't so obsessed with sounding like an AI hotshot.

[@demon0192]

This has been a gift, thank you

[@JairoMorales123]

I honestly can't find the words to express how meaningful this is. Thank you for everything you're doing.

[@MeisterPurple]

"...system that you can love and can love you back" YES!!! As someone that was left on 'seen' by a chatbot, the potential for this type of research is exciting!

[@dionbridger5944]

" left on 'seen' by a chatbot" Fully savage

[@MikeHancho663]

Wow this is an amazing lecture that I really needed. Thanks so much Lex, I wish you the best in your future pursuits and hope you continue to educate us with your podcasts and interviews :)

[@jbruso123]

I grew up on Charlie Rose interviews and was sad when he fell from grace. Your interviews have become my new library of interesting discusions. Keep up the great work, Lex.

[@YouuRayy]

Epic. Lex is the new Joe for people who go that extra step in reasoning, and who don't fall into the trap of established scientific rigidity and dogma (aka local maximum).

[@Obbyishere]

Just because you're doing what you do with love, I came to love you. You are inspiring to me which I believe this is exactly the role of the great minds/hearts to be given by GOD. I hope to listen more about your experiences in the future too. May the force be with you kiwiboi

[@michaelzacharias5055]

The valley is the best place to be! The only way is up. I can hear lots of doubt, be yourself and keep going you are doing perfect.

[@MedladyQ]

Thank you for sharing and working diligently on these podcasts. I appreciate this advice and it resonates home to me. 🙏❤️

[@ghanendrasingh4033]

E = mc^2 => (Energy) = (myself)*(Confidence)*(Competence) from non linearity of life to asymptotic steady state of progress with time !! :) Thanks Lex for Beautiful wise words.

[@muhammadharisbinnaeem1026]

Thank you for this talk, it really resonates with the decisions that I have made so far in my life. And I will be listening to my own voice again from now on. The challenging thing is the to keep pushing for your dream while you are going through those spikes on the graph of again and again.

[@corinnegeras5975]

I so love to see how your awesome brain works ! It's a complete pleasure to watch & hear the evidence of such.

[@masonmccandless540]

You're a diamond Lex.

[@mk677hd]

Damn, you keep bringing better and better content. Much respect Lex.

[@stonekase]

This is great, I actually resigned my work with a decent Salary to follow my dreams.This is so timely lex.you are an inspiration 🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿

[@pawelmagnowski2014]

4:00 what;s missing is locating where most people are, especially the people in positions of hierarchy and power. Climbing the gradient of progress, you'll observe there are plenty of people who talk a good game.

[@afz902k]

19:30 - I can almost feel how the doggo is learning, especially after girating the stick accidentally the first time, it stops for one eureka moment and carries on executing its solution

[@willjones7132]

Thanks for sharing, 27:00 resonates strong, thanks for letting us know there are others like yourself on the long path.

[@capalacio6]

This is just amazing!!! Keep doing this great job. Thanks for sharing!

[@RahulSam]

Hey mate, I like your mind, but I love your soul.

[@mohamedarif578]

Thanks lex for sharing. You always never fail to inspire.

[@adhithyakr2913]

Thank you so much for the work you do Lex. Your podcast and the questions you ask have exposed me to a lot of new ideas. They've also been really fun! Hope to meet you in person someday.

[@ChrisOffner]

_"Now the dream is to create a system that you can love and that can love you back."_ As a fellow computer science student I'm always saddened by Silicon Valley crowd's desperate quest to find/create love within the machine. It seems the world would be spared a lot of technological missteps if they'd foster such 'systems' in the analog world, in the form of _families_ and _communities_ instead. Trying to build technological substitutes for human love and connection is a fundamentally misguided endeavour in my perspective. As fascinated as I am by the science and engineering, I think the work of technologists should be to automate necessary but dangerous, difficult, or mind-numbing work so that we can spend more time with our loved ones, create communities, engage and play in shared creativity, connecting on a physical level - all those most human things. Protect the environment. Build shared and sustainable prosperity for as many people as possible. So many valuable goals. Building a machine that loves is necessary for none of them. It's a huge distraction in my view.

[@essentialist1079]

You, sir, are the genius who should have a platform. Not the prick in this video. Yes, a lot of humanity's problems right now could be solved through more listening and talking, more airing of laundry, more openness. Not walling off from eachother and talking to our "machines" who can supposedly give us magical answers through the power of math.

[@ianleff100]

i wish you the best of luck with the startup but don't underestimate the podcast. you may have of already found your ultimate calling on accident :)

[@iamgratitudebecoming]

Beautiful. Thank you for this.❤

[@manassricharanvarri]

I just love this guy from core

[@MrBox4soumendu]

…we all love you lex bravo ❤

[@eaf888]

💖💖

[@VanessaGraulich]

Fridman, the poems are so beautiful. Does Dr Fridma speak Spanish too Beautiful video to watch with my morning cafe :)

[@eashwaraerahan861]

I don’t know if It’s a coincidence , but I needed to see a video like this. Thanks a ton !!!

[@theape8462]

The nice thing about a simulated and "intelligent" universe is that it gets better and better with time without any external help

[@essentialist1079]

Yep, it replaces human labor, puts people out of work, makes more and more money for the 0.0001% who still aren't rich enough, and it makes everyone else's life a living hell. Wonderful. Jeez I love your vision for the future. So utopian. I have wet dreams about AI every night.

[@theape8462]

@@essentialist1079 ahahahah that's quite bad your view, at that point in time our kind of society would be quite obsolete

[@essentialist1079]

@@theape8462 Exactly. You want to make me obsolete, as fast as possible. Your hero, Elon Musk, wants to make expensive cars for the super-rich. There's only one glitch for you - you assume you can be part of the super-rich and they won't just use up your brains then toss you out, just like they did to all the other poor scientists, like Nikola Tesla.

[@theape8462]

@@essentialist1079 it's true that most of discoveries at the beginning are a luxury product (think about cars or travel by plane) but little by little they became aviabile for more people... (I care if maybe sons of my sons can use this not me)

[@essentialist1079]

@@theape8462 Who needs cars? Cars are old fashioned. Fuel prices fluctuate, traffic is horrible, sitting in a car reduces fitness and contributes to obesity, and cars breed boring suburbs full of McMansions and overworked cubicle dwellers. Ever heard of walkable cities? Europe had that idea before you 'geniuses' polluted America with your stupid car culture. As for plane travel... Ok fair point, they started out expensive and got cheaper. Point is, they solved an actual real problem: how to get from one part of the Earth to another without spending weeks in a ship. What actual real problem does AI solve? The problem that there are jobs? The problem that you have to spend 0.0001% of your wealth to pay peoples' salaries? What kind of person is this a "problem" for except Bezos and Musk? What kind of person is so stingy and mean that they refuse to give up even 1% of their wealth to pay their workers well enough that they can afford decent food and a modest house to live in?

[@oscarasterkrans9301]

I don't think you should say that your advice is silly. You need to trust more in yourself. Your advice is gold, and you run one of the most popular podcasts in the world.

[@martintribaldosfernandez]

Thanks for sharing this with us Lex, great lessons.

[@martincerven]

This will become historic talk.

[@essentialist1079]

Hahahaha oh yeah historic. With 34k views. It's gonna beat Rick Astley by far.

[@martincerven]

@@essentialist1079 hating will get u nowhere dude.

[@nishanthkumar4379]

Loved the lecture! Thanks for sharing and tagging it well :)

[@arvoart7731]

As a poet I appreciate all the poetry in a science presentation, lol

[@kirtipandya4618]

I love your podcast. Thank you so much. Will you continue doing podcasts? 🤞

[@zeewtube01]

Love you, Lex.

[@nishanthapa9871]

Lex Thank you very much!!

[@bighammerguys]

Exceptional. Thank you Lex!

[@Hyuts]

Lex is a beautiful person imo.

[@FB0102]

moto_HYUTS he’s a beautiful human bean

[@consumer1843]

Thanks for the talk. This is a good beginning...

[@atharvasundge9173]

Sir, it's great. Thanks for such videos. Please uploading it.

[@TheYanbibiya]

Magnificent talk man. 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@mmurage]

Impressive talk, let's hope his work moves the needle for the overall betterment of society... Development of ethical AI is one of the most important things to be mindful of while ushering in the next frontier in AI... Hope we don't drop the ball on that

[@ilmarinen79]

Top premium quality!

[@GiasoneP]

A bitter root will only produce bitter fruit. Be better, not bitter.

[@basilisxaralampidis9763]

Wow that was a really Inspiring talk! Thank you for what you are doing!

[@Archonch]

So I recently came back from a 20 months travel. Now I don't know what job I want to do and feel useless. I've got an IT degree but something feels wrong about working with a 9-5 routine in a private company. So your speech hit me hard Must find this little voice I guess

[@coscorrodrift]

Amazing talk. Fascinating how you've already accomplished so much as a 33yo but also realize that you're still early on in your process. Not sure if you answer questions here in the comments, but if you do: how do you find that passion? how do you distinguish those detours you mention in 25:12 from your main road, particularly at the beginning of your journey, when no path looks particularly wider than others? Did you approach those detours with a "this is a detour but I will pursue it" mentality, or did you bring your whole energy to them?

[@dreadfulbodyguard7288]

In such case, I'd recommend reading 'So good they can't ignore you'. Hint: Lex is passionate about AI because he is among best people in the field.

[@ssslin_is_me]

wow, i adore this man.

[@openroomxyz]

That's gold!

[@BenuTuber]

As a smart guy I know would say: Beautifully put

[@ankushm3t]

This man will create AGI!

[@rosalineslon6910]

Lex thank you for this conference i like very much. Later on i want to share some things that are going to be in the path for AI in the future.

[@michaelbrownnn]

This really helped me today. Thanks, man.

[@Ming-rn1vz]

This is amazing!. Thanks, Lex

[@darkinferno4687]

that was a cool ending! thoroughly enjoyed the talk.

[@jasonhenkel6247]

Great work. Appreciate your work

[@williamnjau3987]

THANK YOU 🙏🏾

[@edgarsutawika]

So life is in fact a convex optimization problem: the global optimum is where you grind to succeed in your own path, despite gratitude and dissatisfaction present, which results from following your own inner voice.

[@maxharmonnn]

Wonderful

[@lpp7487]

You're awesome Lex!

[@MartianGopnik]

Oh shit, you're opening a startup? Good luck, godspeed, and I hope you document at least some of it on this channel.

[@arthdh5222]

Thank you :)

[@YOGiiZA]

Thank you

[@minhkhangphan9]

Good luck with your future endeavors

[@kanybekasanbekov2955]

Please do not stop podcasts

[@HenryLetting]

Good job Lex, all the best!

[@incendioraven4269]

super good lesson。 thx Lex

[@gallerksee]

THANKS!

[@viruslab1]

отличное выступление!