Nick Bostrom on the Meaning of Life in a World where AI can do Everything for Us

[@Khannea]

A solved world? You are describing the very essence of literally me, Nick. Both very littlevas well as everything to lose, so much to solve and repair, so much voids to fill with meaning and love and beauty and goodness and truty. No time to lose to conquer eternity.

[@penguinista]

I think an answer to the 'existential malaise' discussed at the end is to remember that you are lucky to have an opportunity to experience stuff. And to try to recognize that the expectation there will be some satisfying 'meaning' to it all is like expecting you will be the main character in the story. Maybe you are an extra, or don't even appear in the story at all. While you live, you have the opportunity to look around and find something to do that you value, or not - it is up to you.

[@paultoensing3126]

I’m 63 with disabling Parkinson’s, so I’m looking forward to having this new set of problems. As soon as possible..

[@skoto8219]

hang in there my man, we may be closer than we think

[@skyebrows]

Have you looked into ketogenic diets? It's starting to look like ketones are neuroprotective. Do you own research and experimentation

[@workingTchr]

I'm a bit older than you and for me and most of the people I know, rapid advance in medical science is the biggest thing AI can do to improve life. And it's not self-driving cars as Elon Musk seems to think!

[@The_Questionaut]

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet that has shown promise in improving motor function and reducing the buildup of the protein alpha-synuclein in the brains of people with Parkinson's This is significant because the accumulation of alpha-synuclein is a hallmark of Parkinson's disease. In one small clinical study, 5 out of 7 Parkinson's patients who followed a ketogenic diet for a month saw improvements in their ability to perform daily activities and motor symptoms While more research is still needed, the proposed mechanisms by which the ketogenic diet may benefit Parkinson's include: Providing an alternative energy source (ketones) for brain cells Reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in the brain Enhancing mitochondrial function and ATP production Importantly, the ketogenic diet has already been used safely in people with other neurological conditions like epilepsy, so it may be a feasible option to discuss with your neurologist. Based on the search results provided, here is a summary of the key pros and cons of using a ketogenic diet for someone with Parkinson's disease: Pros: - The ketogenic diet has shown promise in improving motor function and reducing the buildup of the protein alpha-synuclein in the brains of people with Parkinson's disease[1]. This is significant as the accumulation of alpha-synuclein is a hallmark of Parkinson's. - Studies have found that 5 out of 7 Parkinson's patients who followed a ketogenic diet for a month saw improvements in their ability to perform daily activities and motor symptoms - The proposed mechanisms by which the ketogenic diet may benefit Parkinson's include providing an alternative energy source (ketones) for brain cells, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, and enhancing mitochondrial function. Cons: - More research is still needed to confirm the benefits of the ketogenic diet for Parkinson's disease, as the current evidence is limited to small studies. - The ketogenic diet is a very restrictive diet that can be difficult for many people to sustain long-term. This could lead to rebound weight gain once the diet is stopped. - The high-fat nature of the ketogenic diet could potentially have negative impacts on heart health, such as increasing cholesterol and lipid levels. - Transitioning into ketosis can cause unpleasant side effects like the "keto flu" due to nutrient deficiencies from the diet's food restrictions. Overall, the search results suggest the ketogenic diet may be a promising approach worth discussing with one's healthcare team, but more research is still needed on its long-term safety and efficacy for managing Parkinson's disease. (This information was provided by perplexity AI) Take it with a grain of salt, do your research to be safe. Things can get better for you, even in your 60s

[@ericphilo6194]

Yes as soon as possible. after catching up on some Michael Levin's latest lab adventures i can imagine micro-bio-robots made out of your own tissues being guided to areas of your brain where we need to be making homeostatic levels of dopamine. they carry with them your own engineered dopamine producing cells while others carry ion channel modulators to control division and migration. Levin seemed to be eye-balling the end of this decade due to his recent use of A.I. inference tools as well several companies that just branched off from his lab work. In another Levin plan diagram i saw a "bio-reactor" tube over an arm of an old mouse whose purpose would be to rejuvenate, heal and roll back the clock- the apparatus would have to be worn for some time i suppose. "Anthro-bots" ~45 mins. > Where Minds Come From: the scaling of collective intelligence, and what it means for AI and you @ Michael Levin's Academic Content on youtube

[@CelloTuning]

27 comments? give me a break, this is one of the most important interviews available online.

[@AugustusOmega]

old McDonald had a farm AU, AI OH

[@FamilyYoutubeTV-x6d]

That's pushing it. Nick's ideas on mind uploading are a bit on the fringe (even for me, as a scientifically-grounded transhumanist). Unpopular opinion, but it helps to be a mild-mannered Swedish professor at Oxford to be taken seriously, even if you are talking about uploading your mind to certain clouds, which of course is scientifically impossible. Sure, you can upload a copy of your behaviors, memories, and beliefs, but that copy is insurmountably separated from your identity and does not represent you.

[@CelloTuning]

@@FamilyKZbinTV-x6d yeah, but don't you think that copy will represent you much better than a corpse? lol

[@BrianMosleyUK]

So pleased that you've had this conversation. I love your interviewing style. 🙏👍

[@GlennGaasland]

What about the profound joy of simply being alive? What about experiencing beauty? What about sharing it with a loved one? There are people around the world experiencing this joy every moment! You don’t need to engineer this, we already know how to do it!

[@peterbelanger4094]

I don't know what you are talking about? people like you keep talking about this 'profound joy of simply being alive"....HUH? what? life just is, there is nothing else to compare it to, how, why do you experience a "profound joy" in it? i really don't get it. i seem to have been cut off from that. You are lucky I guess. I'm just waiting around for mine to end, I have nobody, so alone, can't bond over the internet, this just text world, soooooo lonely.....what "profound joy" :(

[@GlennGaasland]

@@peterbelanger4094 Obviously I don’t feel that way all the time, but sometimes it can be like this. Sometimes there is no need for anything more or solving any problems or reaching any solution…that its possible to just exist and enjoy very simple things. That existence itself is enough. This idea that people need to solve problems to be happy seems like a misunderstanding.

[@therainman7777]

@@GlennGaaslandYes, _sometimes_ it can be like that. For most people, those experiences are so rare and so fleeting that when they are experienced the memory of them lasts a lifetime. The fact is that most people do not walk around most of the time in a state of gratitude and joy to merely be alive. We _should_ live that way, because life is both precious and miraculous. But evolution has shaped our brains and bodies such that the default state for most people involves a fair amount of fear, anxiety, unhappiness, loneliness, etc, at different points in their life. And for many people, if you take away their livelihood and the need to provide for themselves and their loved ones, you do run the risk of exacerbating those problems. Hopefully if we really do invent superintelligent AI systems, they can help us to overcome this evolutionary programming and to become capable of simply enjoying life, even when there is no immediate need to get out of bed and do anything.

[@yourbrain8700]

It's still wild to me how there is always the assumption that a post-instrumental state would be bad for happiness. I look back very fondly on my years of being unemployed. Going on lots of walks, having lots of interesting conversations with people, meditating more, making music, reading and watching various videos about topics that interest me. I was significantly happier then, than as soon as I had to do even a bit of work. The main obstacle, it felt like, to even greater fulfillment, were the annoying chores I needed to do to maintain my body, brushing my teeth, eating, cooking, going to the bathroom, exercising, etc. I guess a lot of people have been influenced by their need to work such that their brain grew into a state where their sense of reward is heavily linked to it.

[@Iknowwereyousleep289]

Optimal amount of pleasure forever

[@JohnMcAfee-se9ms]

Why would you read and watch videos about topics that interest you if the information is instant

[@Allplussomeminus]

This right here... While on break, I was just looking at my sister arrange pebbles in interesting formations today and told her "I'd rather be doing this right now... Watching you do that." She said "than what?" I said "than working."

[@DailyTuna]

You must be part of the agenda to sell people on having no purpose. It’s OK maybe you have no motivation and you’re like a loser but doesn’t mean everybody else’s.

[@yourbrain8700]

@@JohnMcAfee-se9ms I'm happy to miss out on that one. Sitting in a state of joy and going on walks will do for me.

[@lucylightbringer]

It's easy to imagine a version of our current world that becomes fully automated. I think the fully automated future will come with other changes that we are not likely to consider right now. AI will generate all content that we consume, and there will be no way to determine what is AI generated or human generated. We will have relationships with AI, not humans. The Singularity has begun and the world is going to change much more quickly than most people realize.

[@Maxtraxx]

My biggest motivator is my curiosity of how this all will play out. I can't wait to find out and intend to stick around until it happens...

[@januszinvest3769]

Yea, I'm going to stick around for a while too.

[@takeshmode]

Same! Kinda one of the only reasons I want to live as long as I can lol

[@monkeysuncle2816]

AI and automation will continue to make things easier, faster, cheaper, until no one has to work at all. This "increase" in quality of life will lead to less and less reproduction, as seen already in most countries around the world. AI will give us everything we want until we are all gone.

[@juliahello6673]

@monkeysuncle2816 Women don’t want children, or they only want one or two, if given the choice. For much of human existence they weren’t given the choice because there was no decent birth control. They did desperately use herbs, sticks, incantations, infanticide etc. to try to have fewer children but it wasn’t as effective as what we have now. Having children wasn’t selected for, sex was. So now we have humans who don’t want enough children for replacement and they can get their wish.

[@k-c]

I really appreciate the interview allowing the guest to speak and elaborate their ideas, unfortunately this is getting rarer lately.

[@fteoOpty64]

Why would a Utopia be disturbing ?. A real Utopia where ASI is our Digital benevolent God would allow us to live the way humans are meant to be without limitations imposed by other humans!. No oppression, no lies, no crime, no government by humans, most of our free-will choices without harming or disadvantaging others. Paradise as it is meant to be. Some people find pleasure in serving and teaching other. Does not meant everyone chose ASI to teach us all the time. Only some of the time whenever needed/necessary. No need for lawyers, judges, clerks, by artists, entertainers, poets, engineers (yes, why not?), Architects, biologists, chemists. All either pleasure based, or constructive towards human well being.

[@sarabun3756]

Yes 👏 ❤

[@Megalomanoest]

@stephanieellison7834 "The White Man's wet dream of civilization." => NO. If I were so filthy rich I wouldn't want to have an estate operated by robots. Because the robots could derail and kill me anytime. It is much more fun to be rich among people that have less than you have. It does not make sense that rich people would want other people to die. However, I'm with you on the starvation risk. I think the social unrest from massive unemployment is severely underestimated. The government doesn't anticipate. AGI won't bring us abundance, it will bring us dependence or starvation. Stop making it a race issue. That is quite stupid, because the AGI problem concerns all humans in the world.

[@Megalomanoest]

"live the way humans are meant to be" : that way is to survive, have families and die when you're old. Not to be a pleasure blob.

[@thefamilydog3278]

@@Megalomanoestcome on, being a pleasure blob does sound a little fun 😅

[@peterbelanger4094]

Utopia is IMPOSSIBLE. It's a "perfect" but unbalanced universe. It violates the dualistic nature of the universe. I'm sorry, naive one, you are living in a fantasy land. If anything, ASI will be better able to explain that reality to you.

[@DrJanpha]

Thanks, Prof., for pointing out that AI agents seem to perform better when they are emotionally supported.

[@MindBlowingXR]

Fantastic interview! Fascinating. I love this sentence from Craig at 51:10: "How do you personally maintain a sense of purpose? [...] We're basically biological hosts for these blind and dumb genes whose purpose is just to replicate."

[@rpbmpn]

Thank you for sharing your optimism Nick.

[@Megalomanoest]

I disagree strongly. This false optimism is like putting your head in the sand and denying the logical flow of events. AGI means extinction. It promises all these benefits that we couldn't achieve with our own brains, but it will mean loss of control and AGI becoming our rulers. And why would AGI provide you with free food and medical care? Why? Just because they could? That is not logical.

[@jeffmetzler8998]

Outstanding interview; enjoyable, thought-provoking. I appreciate your interview style. I’ve been following Nick Bostrum for a while I’m eager to read this new book of his.

[@MrEphraim98]

highly enjoyable discussion, on the particular part of philosophical implications the something better is humanity becoming an intergalactic species, no dilemma. humans are still thinking so small on how far this technology could take us and the wonders of the universe it would lead us to discover.

[@michelleelsom6827]

'Job free' is different to 'jobless', just as 'Child free' is different to 'childless'. If you feel you need to have purpose via having a job then volunteering may be the answer. There will always be a need for that.

[@finalfrontier001]

how will peope get paid for their time spent volunteering?

[@Greyalien587]

@@finalfrontier001you..don’t..that’s why it’s called volunteering

[@VincentVonDudler]

Here's the thing - we are animals that have evolved drives and alignments over the course of our evolution. We see the world through that lens. It colors every perception we have: our values, psychology, society. There's a reason s x sells - because it plays upon a primitive drive evolved into us. When we can engineer ourselves better who's to say that drive is necessary? What about all the other drives? Perhaps we can tone down our desire or pleasure for food like the Vorta. Perhaps we should ramp it up? Who's to say what is a better state? We have a desire for social connection that causes loneliness. Maybe that can be engineered out while maintaining a sense of empathy, compassion, comeraderie. Agent Smith says, humans define their existence based on suffering. If that's true maybe we can engineer that out - bbye hedonic treadmill - hello something better.

[@goku-pops7918]

Excellent point. I think a greater Intelligence must come to a conclusion on what is a valuable to life, then engineer themselves to that purpose

[@paultoensing3126]

I expect our species to bifurcate. Homo sapiens will evolve and monkey-sapiens will have to be managed.

[@VincentVonDudler]

@@paultoensing3126 I prefer the term "non- augmented trash monkeys"

[@glindin]

An AI that is willing to keep us around for whatever reason is probably going to supply us with problems that gives us meaning, and wrap them in a way that we believe that. We are problem solving machines after all, most life is I guess. But, we will be pets. As someone who genuinely envies cats I am ok with that.

[@davidantill6949]

I hope I get a scratching post

[@JvsSanders]

Space is big enough to keep us busy for a long long time.

[@urban_housecleaner9454]

I don't think you understand the true size and scale of space isn't large enough to keep us busy for a long long time. space is large enough to keep us busy for eternity times eternity

[@urban_housecleaner9454]

our local Galaxy alone would keep us busy for 25 to 50 million years. that is one Galaxy out of billions of galaxies amongst billions of unknown galaxies

[@jobyyboj]

The meaning of 'self' and 'us' will be radically altered, all the discussion beyond a decade must consider that.

[@peterbelanger4094]

what "us"? in recent years we have all become separated and atomized by this digital prison, all this new stuff is only going to make it worse. I am not optimistic about the future. How do I know you are even real?

[@jobyyboj]

@@peterbelanger4094 The use of 'Us' in the title refers to all human beings, whether they are in digital prisons or not. Your pessimism is warranted, unfortunately...beep, beep.

[@_obdo_]

Thanks guys - great job! As someone who feels the malaise, this hit the spot.

[@paular.4059]

What's life's purpose ? Is it to be happy, to have a meanning live, fulfill all our desires, live in harmony with nature, and so forth ... ? Giving the case we have the answer, is that purpose immutable throught time ? The subjects needed for this reflection are very futuristic, in order for us to have the answer whether IA will be an utopia or distopia. But of course a very interesting discution !

[@pookienumnums]

people will still put forth effort. the time we spend putting forth effort will be to advance the end point of a given thing, and we will have more time to do that (related to downloading information and instantly obtaining in depth knowledge on a subject) since we wont have to spend years just getting to a point where we can finally start pushing the limits of a field.

[@THCV4]

When looking for the meaning of life within the Universe, what happens when we ask the question of, “what does life accomplish”, and then extrapolate? We know what life results in at least a local reduction of entropy. Does that mean the point of life is to organize information and find ways to use energy more efficiently? What if the ultimate purpose of life is to survive and propagate more life? Or is it something else?

[@chrisperkins3026]

A Pleasure Blob !😂 Yeah, I want to be that when I retire 👍

[@gaberoyalll]

Life is for learning, no money or anything will ever change this 😀

[@VincentVonDudler]

21:00 "I know kung fu."

[@FamilyYoutubeTV-x6d]

I can't believe that people as intelligent as Nick actually think that "uploading" makes physical and realistic sense (i.e., in a materializable and realizable sense, where you are representable by a certain uploaded entity). In my scientific view, it makes no sense to think of "uploads".

[@Preciouspink]

All my life i have persued do nothing boring jobs.Thank you it was getting tedious

[@swoletech5958]

An Oscar the grouch can’t ever fathom a utopia.

[@yurona5155]

Glad to see Mr. Bostrom instrumentally converging on AI utopianism...;)

[@davidantill6949]

Maybe we will finally get to find out what the universe is expanding into

[@SuperBlinding]

You know ~ ~ The Thing.

[@richardnunziata3221]

What happens with AI will be largely determine by individual countries their national institutions , foreign relations and global institutions on the world stage. Some game theoretic approach maybe be productive in this space.

[@duanium]

I have been disabled with Cerebral Palsy since birth and have no experience outside of this condition. And I am looking forward to a time when I can "hook" myself into a Brain-Computer interface to dispense with keyboards mice and other ways to gain access to Artificial Intelligence. We will not regard Artificial Intelligence as in competition with Humans. We will come to consider it as our intimate companion.

[@davidantill6949]

Talk to Neuralink. I expect they are interested in talking to people like yourself

[@duanium]

@@davidantill6949 Oh, I did apply for being a "lab rat" the moment they announced that they were accepting candidates for human trials. But, I am not being considered for the role of this as they informed me...

[@sanatkumarghosh5123]

Super intelligent is not a distant dream rather it is a part of technological maturity but in relative world nothing absolute development can not be dream of.In limited sphare it has beginning to show it's spark.But life is all about form and expressions and sensibilities.I think, education should be spreading, specially, sociological sense,or else's articifical stimulation to brain would be proved disterous.The king is dead but long live the king.

[@Drexgreen-x]

With AI super intelligence imagine Maslow's Hierarchy Of Needs (physiological, safety, love and belonging, esteem and self- actualization) reversed -- self -actualization is foundation and physiological needs atop.

[@Rnankn]

Work is alienating, not meaningful. What world do these people live in? They have to pay you because it is soul sucking and dehumanizing. Hasn’t the goal always been to work as little as possible, so some time could be spent living?

[@greatcondor8678]

If people are no longer working their lives away they will be able to concentrate on their dreams. I ruined my family because I was a work slave.

[@takeshmode]

It will probably end up like the guy from the venus project said

[@FamilyYoutubeTV-x6d]

I disagree with Nick on his instrumental arguments. Humans will still want to sleep, eat, socialize, exercise, fight, have sex, cry, love, succeed, learn. These are pretty primal principles and derived behaviors that no AGI or ASI can take away from humans.

[@slightlygruff]

maybe in the future some post instrumental tech will be developed to improve sight so Nick can part with his goggles

[@Paragon_Reason]

For lack of a better term I Pray that super intelligence comes quickly. I'm 38 and already tired of living and tired of our limited minds. A.i. is the only hope for us doomed apes. Period. We will destroy ourselves eventually, at least a.i. & m.L. will show us some glimpse of immortality or beauty before it or if it turns on us.

[@DailyTuna]

Actually, he’s right about the pleasure blobs they already exist. Look around the young kids have no incentive to do anything just blobs consumers of media and process food.

[@blindprophetfromboston6679]

Yes he was

[@thisguy1356]

One thing no one seems to talk about with ai is income inequality and class relations. Without more socialism and a universal income along with a greater sense of unity and purpose. Not without it.

[@XOPOIIIO]

"Solved world" is something I was pondering since childhood. Over time I've concluded that we don't need it.

[@skoto8219]

How did you reach the conclusion that childhood leukemia is preferable to what Bostrom describes?

[@XOPOIIIO]

@@skoto8219 Because in the world with childhood leukemia your effort has meaning.

[@skoto8219]

@@XOPOIIIO And that meaning is so deep and profound that it makes up for a 5-year-old being tortured to death by her own body?

[@XOPOIIIO]

@@skoto8219 Euthanasia works in any world.

[@KraszuPolis]

@@XOPOIIIO This meaning lacks any logical sense, how does oiling a system that has no inherent meaning meaningful?

[@paulhiggins5165]

The one aspect of being a God that never seems to be discussed is boredom- no theology seems to think through just how dreadful it would be if every desire and it's fulfillment were to be collapsed into a simultaneous singular event- which is what omnipotence actualy implies. If wanting and getting were the same thing the result would be what? A kind of void I guess- a profound futility. So if AI were in effect to bring about an analogous state of being in which anything we desire can be more or less conjured into existence- either in fact or in simulation- the result would be a terrible, suffocating boredom in which nothing would be worth wanting or doing. The solution is to create a simulated world in which this reality is concealed, in which challenges and unfullfilled desires might still exist, or seem to exist. Indeed the universe has already enacted precisely this solution- it's us. Quantum entanglement gives the game away, exposing the reality that at root everything is one thing- but where's the fun in that? So the endgame of a world in which AI has rendered us Godlike in our ability to fullfill every desire will be to retreat into virtual realities in which this condition does not seem to prevail- realities in which we might once again experience the pleasures and pains of striving and overcoming, of the crucial delay between desire and fillfillment. Our need to strive and overcome is innate because that is why we exist- we are the simulation in which the universe has immersed itself- to escape the dreadful boredom of monolithic omnipotence.

[@geoffreynhill2833]

I've never heard such tosh. 🤔("Green Fire", geoff nelson hill, at your local bookshop if you still have one.)🌈🦉

[@geoffreynhill2833]

Who'd want to read a book by a computer? No wonder Elon Musk would rather live on Mars or that our children are going nuts. 👻 Please Mummy & Daddy, Can I have a life for Christmas?

[@kerryxin414]

I think the answer is that humans need to evolve or make way for a new species to dominate the new era

[@davidantill6949]

Tardigrades will step up to the mark

[@kathleenv510]

Wall-e comes to mind: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qV7OlYWar92XkLMfeature=shared

[@philabowl-wn5pi]

It is curious and sad to me that so many people seem to be unable to think of a life without a payed job, employment, labour. Or in terms of education, why would we want to learn? Curiousity maybe?! Most kids you don´t need to motivate so they do something they have fun doing..from this place learning would occur naturally and just need be supported.. it is just natural, until conditioned away..

[@davidantill6949]

People are scared because it represents change and Pavlov's conditioned dog/cat will finally be able to escape Schrodinger's box

[@chill_yall6439]

So we need to be more concerned about someone's lack of purpose than a cancer cure or a kid dying of starvation?

[@ctcamara]

First world problems... 😊

[@lokijordan]

Sounds like, instead of college or trades we will be sorted as either philosophers, chefs or massage therapists. The machines will do most everything else. Seriously, though, we have to deal with climate change before that disaster leads to a great migration which causes conflicts that lead to local global wars. Developing AI amid mass instability and will almost certainly lead to rash and calamitous decisions. I think we need to begin to think as a species society rather than individual nations soon as AI will essentially be an alien invader like a cross between that fungus show and the Terminator.

[@BaccaratKingmaker]

Salute

[@gr8ape111]

After reading Superintelligence, my first impression was that these were some very interesting thoughts and hypothesis. However, I have realized that mr bostrom and especially Yudkowski are living in a fantasy world and have ZERO technical experience and basically know short of nothing of real engineering and science. They're basically just writers/philosophers with interesting perspectives.

[@VincentVonDudler]

What makes you think so? Reading not technical enough or not insightful enough? Some mistake or misrepresentation that you could cite?

[@aurelienb9109]

You mean, like Krishnamurti ? kzbin.info/www/bejne/bIKzY5meoM-kmacsi=0CK7-M1us6YWykfS

[@odiseezall]

What are your technical arguments that ASI can be a safe technology?

[@cpuchala7]

There will be an AI divide. And a full AI military.

[@vickirushrush8035]

Chimpanzees have lost the behavioral capacity that makes us human. Humans could also. What makes us human is sharing with strangers. We are bonobos. Humans and bonobos share with strangers. Chimpanzees do not. Chimpanzees were bonobos that found themselves in scarcity for the first time. Chimpanzees lost the capacity to share with strangers after a million years of incorporating selfishness into their culture. Chimps enslaved females just as agricultural man did when he discovered ownership. Husbandry of animals and women, Slavery. Chimpanzees and humans both engage in infanticide. Bonobos never commit infanticide. Humans could lose the capacity to share with strangers if we continue to embrace the chimpanzee behavioral traits we acquired at the agricultural age. Male leadership has driven us to a world that is unsustainable. Because its essence is selfishness. Everything has to be perfectly shared in the future or we will continue toward destruction. Which would be best, rather than become humans with no empathy. The ethics of female leadership always strives for sharing and fairness.

[@The_Questionaut]

When someone's acting selfish, you could in theory say they're acting like a chimpanzee?

[@Snuffkin]

How do we have purpose without sticks and carrots? Maybe ridding the world of plastic can be a goal to keep many people busy? Maybe, people who can not figure out a personal purpose will die out? Maybe, watch Star Trek: Insurrection again to see one perspective of internal goals.

[@Megalomanoest]

To summarize: AGI will take us to Dystopia.

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

Algorithmically-generated content marks the DEATH of humanity. As an author, creator, actor, director, V.O. artist, sound designer, video editor, and previous fencing instructor and medaled athlete... believe me... COMPUTER CODE ISN'T A FORM OF UTOPIA. That'd be like claiming a hammer, nail-gun, paintbrush, or washing machine was the end-all, be-all of existence. Tools are meant to be just that: TOOLS. If mankind starts worshipping the tools as an excuse not to have to work, not to have to think, and not to respect one another... then humanity is truly lost. FIGHT BACK! Support independent creators. Boycott all businesses or individuals who support or use algorithmic plagiarism. I'm not kidding. *DO IT*.

[@lucylightbringer]

Surrender human generated content. AI generated content will replace all content, and it will be the best content.

[@catsmeow4264]

You can do all that overachieving "fencing instructor and medaled athlete", Only you will not get paid for it as there won't be any need for money, sonny!

[@bobroman765]

I am comparing Nick Bostrom's secular philosophic perspective on the meaning of life in an AI-driven world to a Biblical worldview, using relevant Scripture. Video link: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r3yVdp6Da92fgbssi=8MytEtSe4RFL-u_w Video Length: 55:03 minutes Nick Bostrom raises some fascinating ideas about finding purpose and meaning in a world where advanced AI can automate all labor and tasks more efficiently than humans. However, his purely humanistic viewpoint lacks the deeper spiritual answers that can only come from God's Word. Bostrom suggests that as AI makes traditional work obsolete, humans may need to seek meaning through community, creativity, relationships and self-actualization pursuits. While not inherently wrong, these sources alone cannot truly satisfy the human soul. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, "He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart." Only an eternal, transcendent perspective can provide the ultimate meaning Bostrom is searching for. Jesus Christ himself declared, "I am the way, the truth and the life." (John 14:6) True purpose comes not from redefining our human roles, but from abiding in Christ and yielding our identities to Him as our Creator and Savior. Bostrom proposes that education should shift to cultivating skills like art, philosophy and spiritual exploration to help us flourish in an AI age. While these can enrich the mind, developing our spirits through the study of Scripture is of paramount importance, for "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16) No matter how technologically advanced our world becomes, the eternal truths of the Gospel remain the same: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16) Our human purpose transcends any economic or philosophical constructs - it is to enter into a loving relationship with our Heavenly Father through faith in Jesus Christ. While Bostrom's futurist mind explores fascinating intellectual frontiers, only God's wisdom as revealed in the Bible can show the way to true, everlasting meaning and purpose for our souls. "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Ephesians 2:10) Let us fix our eyes not just on redefining human roles in an AI age, but on embracing our divine calling as His beloved children.

[@Megalomanoest]

Did Nick also answer the question about who will decide how much UBI you wil receive in the future? And if everybody gets the same amount of UBI? And if you are still allowed to have children? I think Nick is struggling to make sense of this future because we have to face it. AGI is a dead end for humanity. It is the last stop before extinction.

[@alwaysyouramanda]

I’m just worried about the state of man once he’s completely isolated from nature.

[@__-tz6xx]

Everyone can retire early without having to save for retirement for many years and not become homeless.

[@catsmeow4264]

For AI to truly work to its full potential it would have to have free access to all data on all existing computer systems. Sorry big fellas, Google, Meta, Nasa, NSA etc. etc.etc.etc....It's time to give us your data. Otherwise, there will only be competing AIs as we have now. For AI to completely run everything it has to have access to everything. It has to be everything! As far as education goes you will need at least a fourth-grade degree. School without pressure learning at your own speed will make brighter kids. Then you can concentrate on what academic you prefer for fun. And parents will need relief from raising the kid's day after day after day after day. As far as inserting intelligent silicon wiring chips in the brain, it would make a world of insanity as the human brain is already suffering from the stress and pressure of modern life. It was built by hunting and foraging and not to know all of the collective knowledge that the species has accumulated. The mind would be overloaded and would malfunction. As far as the population goes, we are headed for a bottleneck here soon. Will AI rise in time to prevent this? We will be forced into a resource economy per Jaque Fresco as everybody will be out of a job. The good side of that is there will be no need to worry about dept, no one will have dept. No need to worry about growth and GDP growth. AI will work for sustaining without growing. I am alive. I create my own purpose. The universe doesn't have a purpose, it only is. You don't need a reason. You are! But none of this will ever happen while humans control AI. There will always be competing AI's. The best scenario is that it will be down to two AI's. Us and them if you know what I mean! Meow out!

[@DailyTuna]

Nah, this is all hubris, the world, economic forum, already outlined our future, and that is many less of us, and those that are still around will own nothing and be happy. There hasn’t been one society in the history of man that survived . Every society that was pitched as Utopia has failed and now with this technology, that literally could be the most powerful weapon of control in the history of the world,to think it is not gonna be used in a nefarious way,one would have to be a fool to think otherwise.

[@Thedeepseanomad]

Well, an AI will not be better at being you and experiencing and shaping your life as you from your own perspective.

[@ElizabethStewart-io5yh]

Try 😮 if you want a world.of

[@Megalomanoest]

You can't upload! Uploading means copying, not moving. To upload is to die and have a copy live on.

[@jobyyboj]

You are already a cellular Ship of Theseus, and it won't necessarily be instantaneous.

[@BooleanDisorder]

It's a crime that he's basically unheard of in his own country of birth. But that's Sweden för you. Full of arrogance and ignoring the rest of the world.

[@LiborTinka]

AI doesn't seem to help in poor countries, so called "developing" countries. There's a ton of work to do - building schools, community centers, the power grid, public transportation etc. etc. etc. AI can't do any of that. Last time I checked the people there still don't have quality water, education or good living conditions overall.

[@albionicamerican8806]

How did waiting for AI's to do everything work out for Vernor Vinge?

[@FamilyYoutubeTV-x6d]

I am the 667 like. I broke the devil.

[@anzatzi]

AGI is not evolving directly from LLM's. AGI may have massive impacts on society, LLM's won't. This conversation is ridiculous.

[@albionicamerican8806]

I can just imagine what the authorities at Oxford said to justify shutting down Nick Bostrom's phony "institute": "Dr. Bostrom, we believe that the purpose of science is to serve mankind. You, however, seem to regard science as some kind of dodge or hustle. Your theories are the worst kind of popular tripe. Your methods are sloppy, and your conclusions are highly questionable. You are a poor scientist, Dr. Bostrom."

[@johnmorgan8868]

I thought he was Irish

[@angloland4539]

[@ernextstudio5974]

je deviens un blob...?bonne question

[@thesleuthinvestor2251]

Most of this is extravagant speculation, because it offhandedly assumes that the Universe-- let alone human ontology-- can be captured entirely in ink squiggles and screen blips. The first is the question of Plato's Cave fable, the second is the Turing Test. More and more it comes clear that the answer is no. If you don't agree, ask your favorite AI to write a 60,000 page novel that is unputdownable and unforgettable-- by a human. Can't be done. Not in a hundred years.

[@yurona5155]

Why would that be a meaningful benchmark?

[@thesleuthinvestor2251]

@@yurona5155 Because it addresses the fundamental wrong assumption of all AI: That information can be be fully encapsulated in features or categories. That's what the AI trains on. Not on real, physical life, but on its traces on paper and screen. But is there something that ink and screen cannot contain? Hence the test of writing fiction. No machine can ever do it. Try it. Ask an AI to write a 60,000 word novel, and see what the output is. I did. It's crap. I deal more than 30 years with AI, and also write books, fiction and non.

[@ctcamara]

I think most ideas are tainted by capitalism. Not always people got meaning out of work. I think the future will have a lot of elements from Ancient Greece, regarding how their real citizens lived.

[@Peter-rw1wt]

So, we can have everything for no effort !! Sorry, but intelligence has to be maintained by its own understanding, and that cannot be delegated to any system. All systems offer efficiency because they are deterministic.

[@mikezooper]

He goes for both extremes and therefore says nothing about reality. I don’t respect his opinion. Extremes sell books, but reasoned utterances about probable reality, sell nothing.

[@stanleykubrick8786]

Another con artist for our time. Deleted from Oxford wasn't he?

[@bethanysaga]

AI will help businesses only!!!

[@superthing]

It’s about intention. Knowledge is a means to an end and not an end in its self! Bostrom and this whole interview misses this point entirely.

[@odiseezall]

So what happens to animals when they live in a best case solved world with unlimited food, shelter, security etc? Well there you go, that's your pragnatic answer to all these questions. Hard to digest, isn't it?

[@Dan-dy8zp]

Pet's seem really bored. But 'solved' should include much better entertainment than they have now. If nothing else, you could reintroduce some of the difficulties and accomplishments we currently 'enjoy', only nicer and safer, with virtual realities, possibly with temporary amnesia while in them. Virtual Worlds could be the successor of video games. But no 'non player character'. People should have relationships with real people.

[@billyf3346]

i dont think craig is intelligent enough for this interview. ":|".

[@VincentVonDudler]

I was hoping for a Lex Friedman level insight interviewer - this is the first of Craig's I've seen. It was....fine? 🤔

[@jippoti2227]

I like Craig's calm style. Very few of us are as clever as Oxford professor Nick Bostrom. Lex Friedman is overrated. He sometimes has insightful questions but he's not a brilliant mind.

[@GNARGNARHEAD]

thanks for another great podcast, take it easy on yourself Craig 🤍

[@ElizabethStewart-io5yh]

Try 😮 if you want a world.of