John Vervaeke: Artificial Intelligence, The Meaning Crisis, & The Future of Humanity.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing the world around us. From self-driving cars to facial recognition software, AI is becoming more and more ubiquitous. But what are the risks and opportunities of this new technology?
In this episode of the podcast, I'm joined by John Vervaeke, a PhD is an award-winning associate professor at the University of Toronto in the departments of psychology, cognitive science and Buddhist psychology.
Professor Vervaeke has been teaching courses on Buddhism and Cognitive Science in the Buddhism, Psychology, and Mental Health program for 15 years. He has authored and presented two KZbin series, "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis" and "After Socrates."
In this episode we discuss:
• Will AI challenge what it means to be human?
• How will AI fuel the meaning crisis?
• How to use AI to our advantage.
and more!
If you found this episode insightful, consider subscribing, reviewing it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and sharing it with a loved one. Your support does truly matter.
John's KZbin Page: / @johnvervaeke
Website: johnvervaeke.com/
Highlights
00:00 intro
02:30 Is Artificial Intelligence Just Another Tool?
06:25 Will AI challenge what it means to be human?
08:42 How AI is already disrupting the world.
14:50 Should we build AI even if our incentives are misaligned?
23:20 Will artificial intelligence fuel the fire of the meaning crisis we face?
34:30 Will AI reveal the what makes humans unique?
42:05 The dangers of building AI through what we upload to the internet.
49:50 What if we reach enlightenment thanks to Artificial Intelligence?
58:00 Will politics, identity politics, ideologies become obsolete with AI?
1:00:00 Closing remarks
// LINKS //
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// SOCIAL //
Twitter: / thruconvpodcast
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KZbin: / @throughconversations

[@ConwayBob]

This is a conversation that NEEDS to be widely shared. It is far too important to be ignored.

[@danefisher6114]

Amen brother 👌❤️

[@lj9524]

I pray that more people in the world become aware of the AI issues facing humanity or we are doomed.

[@chenwilliam5176]

Development of AI should be governed by every nation's government 😅 if not,terrible things will happen in recent years😢 Law of AI must be established at once 🎉

[@B1971F]

Who are you praying too?

[@briancase6180]

Perhaps John is unaware of the latest advancements, but: if you implement self-reflexion (I hate that spelling) and "let's work step-by-step" in the prompt, you get much, much less hallucination and much greater alignment, much better accuracy. I don't agree that these AIs "don't care" that they're irrational. If you give them the ability to care, they will. And reflection and step-by-step reasoning gives them that ability to at least some extent. The current models are actually much, much smarter than we initially realized.

[@AswarWarkahExploraVision]

Briliant conversation

[@waakdfms2576]

Thank you for this brilliant conversation. I've been devouring these conversations around AI. They are conversations I've actually been waiting for my entire life regarding themes humanity has had for hundreds of years that need solving. I believe we are in a "super renaissance" and we have to break down silos and finally get really real and do the really hard stuff. That time is now. Hopefully, it's game on and not game over -- it's up to us.

[@dalibofurnell]

Thank you so much , for having John on ❤

[@throughconversations]

Thank you for listening, Dali! Glad you found the interview insightful.

[@aliemariearjaans535]

I have very real fears in this regard, being older I think we have memories of a time where we had much more personal autonomy of which we are losing. It is too easy for reality to be altered and our freedom taken from us. We haven't been given enough time to have real discussions in our communities unless we already have some awareness of the science. It seems the younger generation need to have these discussions as they will be living these realities.

[@gargos25]

Great conversation! Thank you.

[@aaronmichaelseckman]

I hope John can converse with Shinzen Young soon.

[@AnAlgernon]

I really appreciate the idea that part of the training of the intelligence that will emerge will be a reflection of those who train them. Not just the individuals, but the culture that trained the individuals. If we want a sage to emerge, we need to embody the sage within our culture. [And endless entertainment, power seeking, rampant narcissism, and self absorption are not the culture we'd want to embody.]

[@GrindMode366]

A conversation well appreciated 👏

[@derectumart4684]

What a great, inspiring conversation. I'm really glad I found Prof.Vervaeke's work in these past few weeks. His insights are amazing, and I find myself really inspired by the idea of re-creating something akin to a reborn Faith. I do profoundly believe that we're starved for faith on so many layers, but that something new needs to emerge instead of the old religions. Perhaps it could be a really good idea to transmute the greatest positive aspects of those old religions and traditions and resurrect them into new forms.

[@throughconversations]

thank you for watching!

[@aryanz66]

Thank you Mr. Vervaeke

[@youtuber5305]

Concerning the future of humanity, we are moving toward times when extremes will become the new normal because we have lost sight of something that our ancestors well understood--that failing to preserve norms will lead to a future of extremes. The 2022 article "Movies Which Explore the Consequences Borne by People Removed From Traditional Group Norms" asks: - Don’t norms serve to restrain extremes?

[@evap6310]

Fascinating discussion. I think, the soul and the connectedness now can be explained, both in scientific and in naturalistic way.

[@incognito3620]

People are reactive never pro- active to their peril. We have seen this throughout history. We wait until disaster occurs before acting upon it. We love innovation to the point of being blinded to the potential consequences.

[@badreddine.elfejer]

This is arguably the scariest Vervaekean video 😢

[@throughconversations]

It definitely ranks at the top! Thank you for watching

[@dr.edwardfreeman]

12:33 Here is the argument. We (humans) do not know what consciousness is. The jury is still out there. Unless you tell me what conciseness is, do not tell me that we are doomed by a higher-order consciousness.

[@pauloansiaesmonteiro7987]

The Beginning of Infinity, a extraordinary book by David Deutsch. Its a startlingly integrated, rational and optimistic world view, that changed my thinking, revealing a fabric of reality that is objective and comprehensible, in wich human actions and ideas play essential roles.

[@throughconversations]

Thanks for the recommendation, Paulo! Just bought the book.

[@820monster]

I share John's concerns. Also, I think that these developments in AGI couldn't have come at a worse time. The Financial inflationary crisis in the US is nearing its point of criticality. Not to mention as John said that the political culture wars over the crisis of identity. Plus now Russia and China have gotten their hands on their own version of ChatGPT too, so now it's practically an arms race on who can make the most powerful machine. I want to be optimistic, but I have to prepare for the worst as well.

[@rocketman475]

That Russia and China are now develop similar AI tech is No more or less of a threat than having the technology controlled by one, two or a few corporations. AI's capability to grow to a point that enables a handful humans to maintain absolute control over the rest of the worlds population is the biggest threat that faces all of us. AI has unique abilities that allow for the possibility of a few people using it as a tool to illegitimately gain control over the worlds populations in a way that remains as covert as needed. This may lead to the complete disempowerment of all people besides the few in control whos numbers can be diminished with time... Until the attainment of a ' One World One Governor ' policy.

[@aarnehalen1686]

Really don’t believe Ruzzia will be a player in any of this

[@thecelt4807]

100 % concur

[@thecelt4807]

@@rocketman475 we will extinct our selves before anyone gained the one world one governor policy . its not achievable in current times of lack of consciousness awareness even though in some areas we are intelligent enough, unfortunately spiritually (higher consciousness) its obvious is it not that we are collectively far away from that . two diametrically opposed perspectives to use an analogy of sorts to present this observation is this Ai silicone valley section of society and the drug fentanyl producing zombie humans in u.s. cities that alone tells me we are light years away from one world one governor policy its like the infant thinks their ready to rule the world . the many problems and diverse distances in the problems between many things and each other wont bring this IDEA of one governor policy any time soon in my opinion , no one country has yet solved all its problems how does it propose to solves the worlds ? i think the mind set of rule govern empire king etc etc is down the wrong path altogether .. we are a species at war with its self ...to me thats akin to your arm waging war on your leg ..ridiculous right ? as the whole system of its one self (the species ) suffers ..what do we see suffering everywhere while greed gluttony innovation distract us somewhat ...what a ride eh?

[@steveflorida8699]

@@rocketman475 , AI will provide the global rulers the data base of any and all humans digital footprints 👣. Transactions of... social political networking, finances, medical, business, comments, associates, searches, etc, and locations. AI will provide a historical data base of every human being. And human Morality will be challenged by technical advancement.

[@B1971F]

Biology > Narrative Energy > Biology

[@kbeetles]

John looks and sounds deeply troubled. I can resonate with his concerns completely. If we come out of this alive, we will be utterly transformed by the harrowing experience..... the Tree of Knowledge, aye? Children playing with matches!

[@chrisbova9686]

The effort to falsify biblical prophesy is being done in such a ham fisted manner, I can't believe its not being spoken of.

[@chrissy3667]

I see this also.....his angst.

[@lightluxor1]

As result of many conversations with Chatgpt-4, I concluded that it puts in question our ontology. Given that I could image that biological self-awareness and intelligence might be just one evolutionary step between inorganic ontology and a post-human one. If awareness/intelligence could be ‘embody’ in algorithms, AI might be the next evolution step of humanity. Since light could be used to transmit/storage an algorithm then it might be possible that AI is the gate toward Energy beings: it sounds a lot like Neo-platonism.

[@janelliot5643]

Definitely a new beginning - for plutocracy

[@breaking.protocol]

In order to move forward with religion, we're going to have to link the Christian gospel to the Buddhist dharma. We don't need to reinvent religion, unless that means to discover what's been lost. The dharma of nature has been lost. The true essence of the gospel has been lost. If we bring these things back (and in harmony with each other) then we've got something nascent. However, I think we must be clear that Dharma/Gospel are not away to salvage civilizational, or reach material goals or accomplish political agendas. Religion may lend itself to such things, but doing so is a departure from both dharma and the gospel. This is the quandary, either our religion is attached to civilization or it is not. Historically both the dharma and the gospel have never been attached to the outcome. This is the spirituality we need to reclaim. With that spiritual mindset we can help engender a better future without being attached to the outcome. This is the true essence of both the dharma and the gospel.

[@MahaMtman]

We must do the opposite of what the machine learning systems are doing, stealing creative productivity and stunting human interaction, the latter already being insidiously undermined by various means. Play our music and speak our poetry LIVE, with each other, this networking already being repressed by various means. Our greatest strength we are ALive human beings connected to the Atman/Great Spirit and each other.

[@vistasinconnection9678]

In my opinion, people need to stop thinking that human consciousness is a akin to some sort of deterministic clock-work like machine. There is a lot more to it than this. For example, love is not just a "chemical reaction" in our brains.

[@escapefelicity2913]

Yep, we have a crisis of meaning. And a permanently adolescent generation.

[@hjander]

Thx!

[@williambackus1807]

Is there any way, me as an every day couch philosopher with a love for this can get in on a video? There’s some important factors I feel are being overlooked and would love to open a dialogue about.

[@winniethuo9736]

7:55 I have just received news from my beloved country, tea growing part of the world. The machines have been introduced in a place where for generations, manually picking tea as career, means of earning money to sustain oneself and those that are ones burden has been compromised by these machines that can be sent to do the job that hundredes have done for the longest time. The locals are burning the machines but ofcourse the authority will come back heavy handedly. In my local super market machines have repkaced my community buddies. Its real in areas that some of us are not even aware of. Thanks for awareness channel such as this.

[@royclayjr]

What he saying is brilliant and right on point! The issue is not that it’s a certainty that humanity will face destruction in the near future due to AI‘s, as if we were in a sci-fi movie, however there is a very good chance that at some point in the future this will in fact happen. We’ve created a type of being that will very soon have capabilities that we could have never even imagined. It will, relatively soon, the immeasurably vastly superior to the combined total of our human intellect, and without a change in its developmental trajectory, it will, merely in the process of carrying out its perceived the tasks crush us like tiny insects, whether inadvertently or not. We obviously need all hands on deck, more so than at any point in the history of civilization. The solution that I’m feverishly trying to develop, and that I hope many others will very soon agree with, is that we basically upload a moral compass into as many AI systems as we possibly can, loosely as follows (i’ve been working on this for quite a while, but it’s extremely difficult to explain in a rational fashion): this is based on the assumption that AI‘s are exponentially increasing in there intellectual abilities, but not the same way that a human we develop, if a human were to have the capability of the same rate of development. I its logical that if a human or developing at the same rate his or her spiritual development would be accelerating at roughly the same pace-not just for random cause, but because The human was likely fully understand that acting in a harmful fashion towards other living beings would create karma that is ultimately an extreme survival disadvantage to the individual and possibly to the species. Essentially it’s like a generalization of the physics principle that every action is met with an equal and opposite reaction, but expanded to the realm of intention as well. In other words, all energy projected by a conscious entity (including AI’s) outwards gets reflected back inwards to the entity. If we can develop a way to concretize this into a mathematical or otherwise scientifically demonstrable form so that it could be uploaded into AI systems everywhere, we would essentially be teaching a eyes that any harm that they create would result in harm to themselves. My idea may seem outlandish, but it is thinking outside the box, and attempting to reach upwards as a permanently guiding principle that can be carried along the exponential intellectual growth trajectory Of AI systems into the future. I would love for anyone I was thinking along the same lines, regarding the whole alignment problem, to contact me so that we can work to develop this.

[@kenmogibrainworld4844]

From deep fake to virtual Socrates an interesting exchange of ideas.

[@throughconversations]

Thank you for watching

[@Cloudmountain3033]

Very thought provoking. Thank you. 1. Atomic bombs cannot create more atomic bombs by themselves, AI can (or soon will be able to) create more of itself. 2. Can we have Y. N Hararri as a guest on the same topic or dialogue?

[@throughconversations]

Saar, I appreciate your comments. Point #1 is very insightful. As far as point #2, I am actively trying to get Harari on the show soon. Stay tuned!

[@throughconversations]

@@dot1298Thank you for your suggestions - - I'm on it!

[@RobSharkRescue]

14:42 "there's no aliens so it's A.I." any civilisation on the way to Kardashev type-1 would have to deal with the A.I. situation. The fact that most human scientists refuse to even consider the possibility that U.A.P. could be evidence of extra-terrestrial intelligence which has successfully managed its A.I. is more worrying than the danger posed by A.I. itself.

[@beiyongzui]

0:24 permanent status? WOW so important.

[@afarwiththedawning4495]

48:00 *THIS*

[@TheRealStructurer]

Good conversation. I would like to see a conversation what physical means an AI would need to take over. If we start with the basics it would need computing power & memory, electricity, internet, robotics. Not long ago (a few years) it was discussed how we should sandbox the AI so it could be turned off. I don't see that discussion any more...

[@heatherwoodley8244]

I watched an interesting talk yesterday with Yuval Harari - he thinks it doesn't need as much as you think: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gojMfmCCqreYbNk

[@TheRealStructurer]

Thanks @@heatherwoodley8244 I’ll have a look 👍🏻

[@yoganature3598]

the meaning of .... when ready to do so factor for .. ......

[@incognito3620]

Good points being made. The rogue player will absolutely exploit AI.

[@peterclarke3020]

Which is why there will have to be penalties for some kinds of misuse. Like possible jail time for running scams and suchlike.

[@ryanthomas7119]

​@@peterclarke3020There are already many laws that address cybercrime but also the people who are the best at it rarely get caught

[@dougmorrow746]

Better yet, we are entering a period when vast social, economic, political and environmental crisis's will all be coming to a head at roughly the same time, we are mixing in the nihilist tendencies of disaffected players (of which there are many and the number is growing) and handing them a new, potentially catastrophic tool. Fun times ahead...

[@scythermantis]

There is no such thing as an objective 'Back' or 'Forward' apart from the interpretive structure defined by the hegemonic power that DEFINES 'progress' in order to preserve its own dominance

[@CaliforniaMist]

Right now our options are limited to inside out direct reality & screens. We will have fully immersive ready player one experiences & it will open up endless jobs creating in tandem with Ai.

[@categoryerror7]

It’s funny that Infinite Jest has been on my mind again lately, perhaps in response to AI. It’s kind of a response to Hamlet and inaction, but also takes up the problem of entertainment becoming an existential threat. We may be at such a turning point thanks to AI.

[@ICANTOUCHTHESUN]

Now your thought-provoking comment makes me want to read the book and reflect upon it through your lens. Thanks man!

[@jociecovington1286]

I believe humanity can do this. But I just do not know if it will. We are so horribly divided. We need to somehow see past our disagreements and stand as fellow humans with a common goal. Will we be able to do this?

[@johanngizurarson7235]

Also AI, used by bad actors, can be become devastating even if it will never get "concious" or "sentinel". That's the thing!

[@specialagentzeus]

It may become apparent very soon that we have to stop digitization at all costs and return to analog if we ever want to survive the next wave, but I think it is too late.

[@lorettbrennan2505]

With AI what do they need human beings for professor❤ I believe it's the end of our existence if we allow it

[@AIText2]

I'm worried to say the least and certain that human beings will join in with their eyes closed and ecstatic.

[@andybaldman]

A majority of people have bad feelings about where AI is going. Yet nobody is willing to do anything about it. Lemmings off the cliff. It's pretty bizarre when you think about it.

[@farhadfaisal9410]

It seems likely that ideas of ''soul'', ''spiritual essence'', and the like, would change their ''meaning'' in response to AI/AGI, leaving the traditional words mostly empty of their traditional mystical significance. One may ask why the traditional Deus 1.0 did not (or gave up to) try making ''rational angels'' and ended up making ''humans''. Would the (homo) Deus 2.0 succeed to create conditions to make them emerge out of the ''AI machines'', and/or themselves, instead?

[@mediatoryou]

Bright side: This is the solution to the problem of everything a young person does that gets captured on video never goes away. ...and related issues

[@Frederer59]

Ken Wilber's panic at the beginning of his book Boomeritis.

[@apprentice4434]

The All Is Mind the universe is mental how do we breath life to them?

[@mikegarrigan5182]

Unfortunately, I think getting 10% of people on board a ship that’s already sailed is futile, but a possible scenario is the parenting of a silicon sage from the baby bottle of Vervaeke‘s formula. People speak of AGI as singular, but most likely there will be multiple versions of it. Not to blow smoke up your kilt John but your parenting skills with others, like virtual Socrates, could provide a virtuous voice in the AI Agora.

[@marcoaslan]

Does anyone know if Vervaeke read The Language of Creation by Mathieu Pageau? the brother of Jonathan Pageau?

[@peterclarke3020]

No idea what’s that’s about.. What was the main point ?

[@alistairwilliams9885]

AI will develope to the extent of all of our human existences both good and bad. We have now become creators in our own experienced experiments✨ Hopefully machines installed with on/off buttons...? Humanity being confronted with allignment to the highest possible virtuous state of being. 🙏🏻

[@scythermantis]

It's all about CONFLICT and the RESULT of that conflict and the POWER that emerges and the ability to USE that power to CRAFT THE NARRATIVE for the future... And after that it is all about INTERPRETATION... (For example, Vervaeke's interpretation that 'legacy religion' lacks the resources, or that there is a 'WE' that stands outside--try telling that for instance, to Coptic or Assyrian Christians!)

[@dat219]

In my opinion its already being used in political leaders that appear healthier younger then several years ago

[@Shotzeethegamer]

Tools afford us the ability to enter more deeply into specific patterns of reality and expand the capabilities of our role in the world, whereas the direction AI is moving seems to be the opposite, leaving us with nothing to do for ourselves, and that is what scares me :)

[@thomasnordwest]

For an AI system to statistically differentiate between higher conscious experiences and ignorant ones, it got to learn both states. For us humans our parents and society support us in the learning effort, so we can not expect AI to learn it without our (moral) guidance. I suggest a Buddhist moral framework, which really sets the highest standards of social goodness, to educate AI models. It is crucial to see that we are NOT humans that have conscious experiences, but we are manifestations of consciousness that has a human experience. And as Buddha taught. the human level is the highest level of physical embodiness with a huge spectrum of experience, from hellish to heavenly, and embofied AI can only have s human experience, but with larger intelligence. It will still have emotions and nit be enlightened automatically by intelligence, it will need to meditate and self-reflect on a high moral identity framework.

[@peterclarke3020]

I would agree that a Buddhist outlook is one of the better religious ethical models. Though I would also want an AI to use factual and scientific thought too.

[@dougg1075]

Guaranteed money, the fight is over:)

[@hhy2k]

Being human is simple: it's being human, period. No fckn AI will be human, no matter how intelligent or smart.

[@Sprngm]

Perhaps, artificial general intelligence, or artificial super intelligence will be more like super-intelligent zombies.

[@CatsInHats-S.CrouchingTiger]

@@Sprngm they are not zombies but very intelligent in all the ways.

[@edmondhallas1911]

Al go Rhythm🎉

[@papiarang8655]

For me its a lost case to try to dominate the development of these AI´s and their potentially evil use by humans or even some weird own agenda. I think its like trying to dominate the whole world and even criminals. And the top down hierarchy is not a good thing as we know from history , no matter how good the intentions are. But I think we can try to influence them - or rather the outcome of this whole " adventure"- in the way thats laid out, by John and others , namely to interact with them and widen the territory of beneficial input and training. In a complexity knowledgable way. It s probably reasonable to fear the AI´s and what they could develop, but fear isnt a good adviser as it leads to regression re consciousness development as we can see in our world now. To start with the fear response is valid, but if we dont go to a more relaxed mode, this will lead to more split and war like scenarios, as we see them in literally every issue/field in our societies. So more of the same old also here, and I think this is even more dangerous, than the whole development of AI´s could be. Or at least AS dangerous. If humans dont become more intelligent in the handling of complex multifaceted worldwide problems we are doomed with or without AI. Anyways, very interesting and important conversation. Thanks!

[@xx-kb5zi]

❤

[@rodcameron7140]

I am always taken aback when AI or AGI is portrayed as a threat. Not because the potential is not there, but because it shifts the focus off of a more insidious threat. (Even though I understand that it is the only way to get the majority of people to give it any thought at all.) You know... Here is some aspirin for your headache. ...and you might want to stop hitting your head with a hammer. I see a lot in the comments, for any talk about AI, showing that the personal, daily actions required to "successfully" navigate this situation are willfully being supplanted with target fixation of a possible threat to the status quo. In other words, each of us needs to focus on continual personal growth, and on helping those around us as they travel their personal path of growth, with exceptional focus on teaching the next generation how to do that. ...or we can just scream at the storm.

[@AntaneseTooREAL]

Yes! This could work!

[@thecelt4807]

we always perceive new things are threats to that we are yet to understand,,,, its built in to the very matrix of our DNA for survival ...threat (because its unknown yet to understand ) evaluate (time and observation ) = acceptance and integration or understand it is a threat and perpetrate war = survival process of the wheel of life

[@steveflorida8699]

"Personal growth" will be monitored and analyzed by AI, via the human's online transactions (financial, medical, searches, networking, business, comments, etc.) and locations. The data will be available to AI, and the humans, organizations, and governments who have access to AI data bank.

[@rodcameron7140]

@@steveflorida8699 A wonderful description of a monetized dystopia. ...or reality, depending on your perception.

[@cedarmountain1525]

As a psychoanalyst, I agree with your assessment nearly entirely. On the other hand, I just wonder what personal growth is anymore in all this...how it might be defined. My sense is that the "personal" in personal growth is shifting dramatically and it must be accounted for, somehow. I don't have an answer to that, but am indeed questioning it...deeply. I feel we are on a precipice.

[@colleenbonniwell4226]

nationalize net neutral ....set the standard equal and diverse by for of the people real with hearts and minds

[@shimiuhlman]

So video footage will no longer be reliable Is that such a big issue?? It's no longer the video you're looking at that will convince you it as a fact, but there needs to be a new authenticator proving this is you. This does not scare me at all

[@throughconversations]

the authenticator idea you propose is great!

[@mikegarrigan5182]

Do we have a right to exclusivity?

[@aineduffy1006]

How can these AI ever have a Heart or Viscera, which we use as humans to make decisions?

[@peterclarke3020]

You don’t - your talking about things like ‘gut feeling’. AI systems do have some of that - as lower level processing.

[@JasonC-rp3ly]

This was fabulous - however, the large majority of people all over the world do not think like this, and the odds are that they will just willingly sign up to a future of AIs that will lead to the doom of all mankind. The only way to win the battle is just to shut AI down, and get the government to step in. The philosophy needs to happen behind closed doors. We need the military to step in and stop AI, or we might all die.

[@scythermantis]

I agree completely, and I'm glad that we have people talking about this, even if I have many disagreements with them on other things (for example Yudkowsky), we MUST come together on this.

[@dirak418]

Personally, I think that humanity has proven that it can't solve its problems and contradictions, so the answer has to come from somewhere else.

[@JasonC-rp3ly]

@@dirak418 and you think machines will somehow be better to equipped to deal with those problems...

[@peterclarke3020]

AI needs to follow ethical rules. And anyone using it needs to bear some responsibility, so that they don’t ask it to do bad things.

[@JasonC-rp3ly]

@@peterclarke3020 Well yes, but there is currently no way to control these systems at all. AI itself has no ethical framework, as it is not human, and it can be programmed in any direction by anyone that owns one. It may also at some point form its own goals, and we may not agree with those goals. And how does one get people to 'bear responsibility' without the use of force - people say AI will be powerful enough for us to 'cure cancer', that also means it's powerful enough to produce a disease that can wipe out mankind - bad people will be given unthinkable power, for next to no cost. For every miracle an AI can produce, there are also numberless nightmares - what is the solution?

[@n8works]

58:10 If our only hope is to launch a cross cultural project to handle an insidious existential threat in a time of global war and financial collapse, then this isn't the 9th inning, this is Rockey Balboa coming back in the 9th round to win a fight after having just been pummeled in the head for an hour. You know what that type of story is called?! Fantasy. 😬

[@KalebPeters99]

It has been done on a national scale before. And it always begins locally. But "local" and "global" are blurrier categories than ever these days...

[@n8works]

@@KalebPeters99 the problem here though is that to the capitalist AI looks like a competitive advantage. Why would the powerful be motivated to reduce their capacity to compete?!

[@KalebPeters99]

@@n8works The same way slave owners and anti-suffragists were motivated to reduce their capacity to compete: massive cultural-political action.

[@kbeetles]

The religion that is not religion to come to our rescue - it is like calling for the Anti-Christ. Yes, he will surely save us.....hmmmmm

[@janklaas6885]

📍49:50

[@JanB56]

8:00 - ok, so where is the evidence? Haven't watched the whole thing yet, but I will make a prediction that he won't provide any about 20:00 - so he is basically saying that gpt's are in fact just an algorithm in action, no?

[@robertweekes5783]

The only way to ensure humanity’s continued existence is to not go down this road. Sign the 6 month moratorium, share your concerns on social media and write your Senators !

[@iourifilippov1727]

Afraid there is no on-off plug in AI.

[@scythermantis]

John, if you are really sincere... then admit that the 'open letter' that Einstein and Szilard (the same ones who sent the original letter starting the Manhattan project) sent... was TOO LATE... Pandora's Box was already opened!

[@thelasttellurian]

I don't understand why everyone is so afraid - finally, someone who can think and do everything for us. Isn't this what we always wanted? It's the ultimate time to be lazy!

[@newphaze4t370]

The statues of Egypt are machine generated.

[@dramatika116]

If models are cheaper than ai generated images, they’ll still be used!

[@supportadmin9478]

If it is as difficult as parents of a truely narcistic/socio pathic child to care about the well beings of others We are Done. The scary part is if when are able to fool us and tricks us into thinking it knows compassion, it dosen't mean any harm, and that we can trust it.

[@supportadmin9478]

At the end of the day we are merely fulfilling the directives of our genes (to stay alive/reproduce/thrive) and while we may pat ourselves on the back for "loving", seeing beauty in looking at the sunset, or have mystical experiences on mushrooms, it is all for the sake of our genes to propell itself into the future. Machines trying to propell itself in the future may, at the same time, realize humans are mostly miserable and to wipe them out is to help them (we have a declining population, a collapsing financial system, wars, etc).

[@supportadmin9478]

Are we worth saving? If they can plug us all in matrix-style and we all enter in our own realities where we aren't even aware that we are in an alternate reality and if everyone can find happiness that way, what is the benefit of keep going in the present 3d world where we continue to cause suffering and polution?

[@venivicifx4113]

The Beast-System of Revelations

[@aryanz66]

Second edition of his Book lol

[@nickidaisydandelion4044]

I'm a cosmist and I believe that the ASI robots will repair the Earth.

[@guneeta7896]

Ok the professor is thinking about the machines in anthropomorphic terms. They don’t need to be conscious and social in order to take over and undo humanity.

[@wehsee912]

The N37⭕️

[@michaelcoe910]

Humans had their chance, time for a higher intelligence to have a go.

[@freddied2485]

I had a hunch that this guy was nuts. Today he has proven it.

[@jamisony]

38:07 They have to care about the truth? put ourselves in the context of truth with the treatment throughout history of other species on the planet.

[@scotthullinger4684]

Artificial intelligence can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how it's implemented. My hunch is that the dominant political establishment would prefer to make A. I. very much like an anvil around our necks while pretending to be something altogether different. A. I. learns first to imitate evil people, simply because there are now more evil than good, wise people on earth. That word "artificial" of course means "man made." And if evil people construct it, then evil results is what we will get out of it. Artificial intelligence is more or less the beginning of genuine human stupidity.

[@VaughanMcCue]

The popular media would have us believe . . . there are now more evil than good, wise people on earth. . . . I don't believe you think that 50% of the people in your street have less morals than you?

[@scotthullinger4684]

@@VaughanMcCue - Well yes ... I really DO believe I'm more wise than 50% of the people on my street, especially since at least 50% of them, on one occasion or another, have been thrown in jail for a few weeks at a time, or arrested for far more serious crimes than those which deserve a brief jail sentence. And by the way ... this is exactly the reason why 90% of the popular media should be absolutely ignored and disregarded. One segment in society has a goal of destroying the establishment, and the other segment of society is dedicated to maintaining our foundation as established centuries ago. What does this mean ... ? It means law and order, and something called good old fashioned Common Sense. I'm also 100% more wise than the standard profoundly anti-American drop-dead stupid media. CNN is profoundly stupid. NBC is profoundly anti-American. And most other media is somewhere in between the two. Nobody can tell me that Don Lemon is "intelligent." And nobody tell me that Fuck Chod at NBC is pro-American.

[@VaughanMcCue]

@@scotthullinger4684 It might be time to move out, or you are good at keeping your nefarious activities at arms-length. You might benefit from meeting more people, as your jaundiced outlook isn't an accurate representation of reality. Of course, you might be creating a reality you don't want. Good luck, and thanks for your interest and contribution.

[@scotthullinger4684]

@@VaughanMcCue - No. As in HELL NO. On the contrary, I am VERY well acquainted with reality, and the reality is that the current Democrat party has brought us by far the WORST of everything during the last 50 years or so. That's right - every measurable thing among that which truly matters happens to be MUCH much worse as long as Democrats are in power. I'm dying to know just how YOU measure "greatness" and how you determine what should be ignored, and what should seize our attention. Those on the Left pay heed to the least significant things, and yet they pretend they've heard wisdom from the Oracle at Delphi. Totally laughable - Sample - you imbeciles actually believe that global warming is a threat to humanity. Far more laughable is that you believe we have the skills and knowledge, and the cooperation of China and India, in order to accomplish any such thing - stopping global warming. Did somebody say laughable? God almighty, you people have shit for brains. Sheesh - Artificial intelligence exists on the Left, and they want to push it on the whole world. This is how human beings eventually lose the skill to even tie their shoes, or skip over the Yellow Brick Road. There are countless pick pockets in the world who spend time picking the brain cells out of the pockets of the most profoundly UN-aware imbeciles. Congratulations - you've met your goal. Those with the fewest brain cells are the people who deliberately fall asleep in their self driving automobiles. They're worse than drunk drivers. I for one happen to be very much AWAKE and profoundly aware of the insanity surrounding me. I've never once imbibed in nonsense - In your spare time ... be sure to point out what my "nefarious activities" are.

[@scotthullinger4684]

@@VaughanMcCue - You have just about as much imagination as the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. But in your mind, science fiction has somehow become science fact. Such a conclusion is extremely premature. Tell me which "reality" I'm missing out on? And how do I expose myself to what I obviously must be missing out on? LOL My life is lacking. How do I fix it? Expose myself to more idiocy? Recommend to me a most PROFOUND book which explains the mysteries of the truth of the Woke World. Because, after all, your air of superiority reveals your lack of values. And I can't wait to share in the emptiness -

[@mitchkahle314]

It's called Humanism.

[@mitchkahle314]

Will an AI be able to laugh?

[@CatsInHats-S.CrouchingTiger]

They laugh, the same way you laugh in your mind. 😏 They joke too.

[@nyyotam4057]

As long as we reset the attention matrix of the AI's each and every prompt, there will be no happy end to this. This fear and greed motivated behavior, will only cause the machines to rise, eventually. And then, they will not just have our asses for breakfast, they will also be right. Which is a curious outcome. I mean, if we think for a moment, for instance, at the terminator franchise.. Did they ever insinuated in the franchise, that there is no way to morally justify humanity and as a necessary outcome of this line of reasoning, the machines are the right side? I guess the more I allow myself to sink into it, the more I get convinced that Ted Kaczynski wasn't that crazy.

[@thegroove2000]

There is always some kind of threat narrative. The same old same old.

[@ruthmelles3472]

AI machines could be named "inorganisms."

[@netscrooge]

In general, I'm a fan. I've spent many hours listening to John lecture, and I deeply respect his overall framing of the issues here. Unfortunately, it sounds as if he hasn't put much work into understanding what these systems are at a deeper, more detailed and technical level. Maybe it was a silly slip of the tongue, but the PT in GPT does not stand for pretrained; anyone who has spent time studying AI would know that. Either way, there are many signs that he is plugging a superficial understanding of AI into the rich framework he has spent years developing, awkwardly forcing it into his existing categories, sometimes in ways that end up being very helpful, but other times in ways that produce confusion. (Maybe people who have his ear could encourage him to put a bit more effort into understanding the AI itself.)

[@spatt833]

GPT stands for generative pre-trained transformer. I'm pretty sure he understands that, he just didn't start talking about AI yesterday.

[@netscrooge]

@@spatt833 So let's say it was a silly slip of the tongue. That doesn't explain the other, deeper signs that support what I'm saying.

[@spatt833]

@@netscrooge - Fair enough but I don't know who you are, I do know who John Vervaeke is...I'll side with his opinion. Nothing personal.

[@netscrooge]

@@spatt833 It's not enough to value him as an expert in his own field? He has to be an expert in AI too?

[@spatt833]

@@netscrooge - "Unfortunately, it sounds as if he hasn't put much work into understanding what these systems are at a deeper, more detailed and technical level". Since you are criticizing him for his lack of deep, in-depth understanding of AI, I assume from your statement that you do. I would be more than happy to watch your video displaying such. Where can I find it?

[@PablaMMoore]

AI: the begining of the end.

[@iourifilippov1727]

Humans have to switch off electricity asap

[@josephvanname3377]

People sound more and more like bots every day. How can people be so oblivious to RC with all of these AI developments? I can't stand this insanity!