THE BIG AI RESET: Get AHEAD Of 99% Of People (Prepare Now) | Stephen Wolfram

Dr. Stephen Wolfram is a physicist and founder of Wolfram Research Inc. (creator of Wolfram Alpha, Mathematica, and the Wolfram Language). He is also recognized as the author of "A New Kind of Science," a groundbreaking work exploring computational systems and their implications in the natural world.
In our conversation, we discuss:
[00:00] Introduction
[01:12] Going from Highschool at 16 to PhD by 20 years old
[15:27] The story of starting Wolfram Research (and why he decided to bootstrap the company)
[21:23] Thinking in first principles
[26:31] Lessons learned on people management and leadership
[31:40] How to be extraordinary and position yourself for success
[33:00] What Wolfram's main skills are
[41:15] What to look for in co-founders
[48:00] How Wolfram makes big irreversible decisions
[59:05] Elon Musk's improvement process (and how Stephen thinks about product design, and decision making framework)
[1:15:20] Wolfram's relationship with money
[1:25:00] Using first principles to build wealth
[1:35:30] Artificial Intelligence
[1:42:00] How close are we to achieving AGI (and what the future could look like with AI)
Learn more about Stephen:
• Website: www.stephenwolfram.com/
• Twitter: / stephen_wolfram
If you enjoy the podcast, subscribe to get notified for future episodes:
• Spotify: bit.ly/growth-minds
• KZbin: bit.ly/38bZNAY
• Apple Podcast: buff.ly/2PycRL1
Past guests on Growth Minds include: (Rich Dad Poor Dad), Daniel Pink, Dr. William Davis, Doctor Mike, Lewis Howes (School of Greatness), Tom Bilyeu (Impact Theory), Andrew Yang, Dr. Paul Conti, Charles Hoskinson (Ethereum), Dr. Drew (After Dark), Jo Koy, Jordan Belfort (Wolf of Wall Street), Gad Saad, Adam Carolla, Louis the Child, Vishen Lakhiani (Mindvalley), Bret Weinstein (DarkHorse Podcast), James Nestor, Dave Rubin, Scott Adams (Real Coffee with Scott Adams), and more.

[@seankim]

As requested by many of you, here are the timestamps for the episode: if something important is missing, please let me know. [00:00] Introduction [01:12] Going from Highschool at 16 to PhD by 20 years old [15:27] The story of starting Wolfram Research (and why he decided to bootstrap the company) [21:23] Thinking in first principles [26:31] Lessons learned on people management and leadership [31:40] How to be extraordinary and position yourself for success [33:00] What Wolfram's main skills are [41:15] What to look for in co-founders [48:00] How Wolfram makes big irreversible decisions [59:05] Elon Musk's improvement process (and how Stephen thinks about product design, and decision making framework) [1:15:20] Wolfram's relationship with money [1:25:00] Using first principles to build wealth [1:35:30] Artificial Intelligence [1:42:00] How close are we to achieving AGI (and what the future could look like with AI)

[@JoshuaFinancialPL]

i like your opening bump mr kim

[@waterbot]

Really awesome thank you!

[@solarwind907]

Thank you!

[@renemanzano4537]

Timestamps are your friend.

[@ZM-dm3jg]

You know how easy it is to make timestamps using AI. Truly amazing given the message of this episode that they couldn't spend 30 seconds to generate AI timestamps

[@humanvoicemail5059]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@kjmorley]

Chronological breakdown of topics discussed in the interview with Stephen Wolfram: 0:00 - 13:13: Early Life and Education Early interest in physics (0:12) Independent study and engagement with academic communities (2:12) Applying to and attending Oxford (3:53) Working at physics labs (5:53) Attending Caltech and completing his PhD (9:57) 13:13 - 20:10: Transition to Business Building his first software system (13:37) Challenges of distributing academic software (16:29) Starting his first company (17:49) Conflict of interest with Caltech and decision to quit (18:23) 20:10 - 28:08: Early Business Experiences and Management Philosophy Frustrations with initial business partners (20:23) Examples of differing business strategies (21:08) Importance of "thinking apparatus" and understanding things fundamentally (27:28) 28:08 - 39:39: Skills, Strategies, and Uniqueness Identifying his core skills: clear thinking, strategy, and communication (28:40) Finding people interesting and managing people (29:39) Combining technical and people skills for competitive advantage (31:44) Choosing to pursue unique projects and directions (36:06) Satisfaction in seeing long-gestating projects come to fruition (38:41) 39:39 - 59:02: Decision-Making and Problem-Solving Frameworks Using computational language as a structuring mechanism (40:17) Importance of explanation and writing (40:23) Learning the backstory and history of a field (41:46) Recognizing and questioning foundational assumptions (42:48) Balancing intuition with the wisdom of the crowd (44:56) Making decisions publicly and iterating with his team (45:48) Distinguishing between reversible and irreversible decisions (47:54) 59:02 - 1:11:49: Relationship with Money and Wealth Prioritizing intellectual pursuits over purely financial goals (59:56) Avoiding excessive spending and the negative value of money (1:00:13) Recognizing the limitations of throwing money at problems (1:03:49) Balancing the desire to spend with the ability to make money (1:07:28) Finding fulfillment in creating things and making an impact (1:08:58) 1:11:49 - 1:58:18: AI, Automation, and the Future Automating programming and turning ideas into reality (1:11:50) The role of LLMs and AI in augmenting human capabilities (1:12:37) Importance of humans defining goals and values for AI (1:13:45) AI as a tool for societal progress and human fulfillment (1:16:52) The potential for AI to surpass human computational power (1:18:46) Acknowledging the possibility of AI-driven "hurricanes" (1:20:50) 1:58:18 - 2:13:40: Optimism and the Human Condition Optimism about the future and the potential for human progress (1:58:25) Acknowledging the subjective nature of progress and happiness (1:59:37) Importance of aligning one's work with their personal interests (2:01:19) The potential for AI to free humans from being "cogs in a machine" (2:02:28) The importance of thinking broadly and valuing thinking as a human activity (2:03:34) 2:13:40 - 2:14:07: Where to find Stephen Wolfram online Website: stephenwolfram.com Live streams: ste.com

[@Joe-sg9ll]

​@@kjmorley hmm.. (Prepare Now) doesn't show up

[@wiremonkeyshop]

Talk about burying the lead! There are interesting mini documentaries here on Wolfram and the educational system and how to run a business, etc, but as it stands, at two and a quarter hours, it needs some shaping.

[@lucamatteobarbieri2493]

I gotta try this prompt suffix: "Answer as if you were Wolfram"

[@raybrandt]

you just opened a whole new LLM experience for me.

[@RandomNooby]

I suggest your own offline AI with no ethics limits, with 'answer as' for many different people...

[@slomnim]

​@@RandomNoobybonus points if you feed it the transcript of these types of interviews

[@karenreddy]

It'll try to break through the context window.

[@zerovivid]

"Answer as if you were Wolfram, so to speak."

[@brianjanson3498]

I think it is great for young people to have access to content like this. When I was their age, there was a choice between the news and Gilligan's Island.

[@gabemulero3962]

The beauty of the interwebs. Nearly unlimited access to humanities knowledge.

[@HaakonOdinsson]

Really? You could have chosen books

[@brianjanson3498]

@@HaakonOdinsson My ma and pa wouldn't allow 'em in the trailer. They took up too much space.

[@HaakonOdinsson]

@@brianjanson3498 school library?

[@brianjanson3498]

@@HaakonOdinsson If they found out I went to the library, they'd call me an egghead and I would catch a beating.

[@thesleuthinvestor2251]

Here is a challenge to Steven Wolfram: The ultimate Turing Test of AI is to write a novel that a human reader, once he/she started reading it, cannot put down, and once finished, cannot forget. After automating math (sort of), I would challenge you to automate fiction writing.

[@MathGPT]

It’s sort of already there…the problem is there is no book that everyone wants to read we all like different shit. This is why Hollywood is crumbling because they tried to make art that made everyone happy. It’s a recipe for disaster. Art is about self expression, and people enjoy it because of its honesty and raw emotion

[@thesleuthinvestor2251]

@@c.a.brenes5862 Interesting comment, but methinks it doesn't apply here. Unstructured fiction is still fiction. William Carlos Williams (he who invented "imaging") wrote a book composed of short snippets, newspaper clips, and what not. And Julio Cortazar wrote a book called Hopscotch (Rayuella) where the reader can decid which page he can go to next. But the idea of fiction is still there. There are internal techniques and external structures that are maintained. I write fiction myself, and an AI, no matter how, cannot do that, because it (fiction) requires knowledge of the underlying human ontology that cannot be conveyed in categories and symbols. See Plato's ancient parable of the cave for the original meaning of "Reductionism." (Or see in my own book, The Advanced Sleuth Investor, for the implication to investing, by taking the money of the Reductionists in the market.)

[@bryandraughn9830]

Sincerely, nobody.

[@jamesgravil9162]

There are people who don't like Star Wars or Harry Potter. I'm a Tolkien fan, and even I find some passages in Lord of the Rings boring. A lot of people didn't enjoy the last two seasons of Game of Thrones. Fifty Shades of Grey was massively successful, but to say it has mixed reviews would be an understatement. According to your stringent criteria, I suppose all these groundbreaking works of fiction were created by computer programs and not by human beings?

[@thesleuthinvestor2251]

@@jamesgravil9162 Ask your favorite AI to write 10 first pages of Harlequin romance. There, the company has a menu of how to write it. Or ask it to write the first 10 pages of ANY novel. What comes out is pure shit. I write and publish fiction, and I can tell you that not only it is shit, but it's garbage too. AI has no clue about human ontology. It is the perfect Tiring Test slot. It has no clue about what makes a human. None. And it never will, unlike you put its software not in hardware but in wetware, and probably not even then.

[@waterbot]

Wolfram is the GOAT, crazy how few views this has, timestamps would help me watch this

[@seankim]

🐐

[@imusiccollection]

​@pkfryer G.O.A.T greatest of all time NOT 🐐

[@user-fh5eo3zb5w]

well people like you are the proof that AI isn't dangerous but hate speech! If you consider yourself as a human, call yourself whatever name you want but leave other people who do their best in peace and behave mature!

[@alokkushwaha0]

Steven Wolfram's background and education (0:01 - 12:12) Building his first big software system (12:13 - 19:25) Building a company and decision making (14:23 - 21:22) Thinking in first principles (21:23 - 26:24) Building a framework to solve problems (26:25 - 32:42) The long view of history (32:43 - 41:49) Optimism for the future (41:50 - 51:49)

[@SecondTake123]

Thank you! I tend to skip over the interviewee's educational background since I can just Google that and read it.

[@kitchener71]

Really good interview with a surprisingly down-to-earth yet titanic intellect. I really appreciate that you allowed your guest to speak at length without interrupting him. Good relevant questions. Also appreciate that you did not interject your own ideas/beliefs about the varying subjects (as so many other interviewers seem compelled to do).

[@Inertia888]

There are many extremely intelligent minds, that I have listened to, but have had a hard time completely absorbing their wisdom, without an abundance of effort. Listening to this interview has been easy, and coherent. Sean does an excellent job of allowing his guest to flow, while guiding the train of thought for us. I feel like if I spent a few hours a week with Wolfram, my mind, and thought process would end up more organized and efficient, if all I did was observe, and listen. What a great time to be a curious person, where we are able to select from nearly countless teachers, discipline, and perspective.

[@MarkDStrachan]

There needs to be a three way conversation between John Vervaeke, Michael Levin and Stephen Wolfram. This would be a chance to corellate Wolframs observer theory with Vervaeke's take on cognitive science and Levin's ideas about consciousness. All three could benefit from this, and all three are the brightest public intellectual minds out there. Additionally there could be interesting cross pollination between constructor theory and Wolfram's take on causal sets.

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

Scott Aaronson is a big critic of Wolfram's grand theory of everything. He says there are so many huge assumptions made that one could argue it is a case of trying to fit the model to known observables. We could do with Wolfram taking on these points directly. Scott also says Wolfram has a knack of imprecise waffle to patch things up. Since he comes from a mathematical background it would be interesting to listen to.

[@RandomNooby]

@@Andrew-rc3vh Wolframs theory has been a hard slog to learn, and indeed it has more assumptions than facts. That said it has much potential.

[@Andrew-rc3vh]

@@RandomNooby Scott says the same about Penrose who has another of these grand theories.It is much better to derive new stuff from what we can prove using logic alone. The hardcore mathematical approach has best served us in the past. Wolfram's new kind of science is a bit of a rehash of what has already been established if you go back to the maths of the 60s and 70s.

[@RandomNooby]

@@Andrew-rc3vh Indeed, it will be interesting to see if Wolfram can formalise his theory into equations that can bring us new technology, or if Penrose can prove beyond doubt the patterns within CMB exist.

[@slomnim]

They should bring in Stuart Hammeroff, I'm sure his theory about the computational affects of microtubules would be fascinating for Wolfram

[@RaitisPetrovs-nb9kz]

Great insight that he graduated from Eton, and his realization over time that not every kid is being taught how to rule the world. I love the fact that instead of pursuing politics, he chose science. And also his acknowledgment with time that the same education could be expanded for the benefit of humanity. Open source, not closed.

[@aoeu256]

You know what should be opened the borders of Canada, Siberia, and Australia. Its unfair that billions of Asians have so few access to natural resources yet 10s of millions of Westerns have so much natural resources and access to sea ports.

[@RaitisPetrovs-nb9kz]

@@aoeu256 well I don’t think you should have a problem to move to Siberia it’s know for years that China is slowly moving Russian border by simply assimilating village by village.

[@Blackbird58]

I hope he has a pop at the Information Loss paradox pf Black Holes one day, he has plenty of time to work on it-Sir Roger Penrose is still doing top=level theoretical physics in his 90's!

[@davidsvarrer8942]

At 1:36:36 we get the absolute epitomy of this great great scientist's life path: How do tou formalize ideas. How do you turn ideas into reality as automated as possible? I would say that this is where the big take home starts of this video.

[@LibrawLou]

A general approach seems to be formalizing an idea by structuring some kind of code for it, then using it to encode its fundamental principle(s), which can then be used to build a model to idealize the idea. This may or may not need a computer until the model is fruitful.

[@LibrawLou]

This approach explained DNA, and geometric algebra encoding best formalizes and models 4 principles of electromagnetism into a single equation, and Andy Hamilton proposes Spinor encoding is the best modeling of all matter (leptons & quarks).

[@LibrawLou]

Does Spinor encoding need to be extended into the mystery of linking Octonions with quarks? Stay tuned...

[@mcgdoc9546]

Asking the right questions to solve the real problems ignored by the conventional wisdom (the 99%) is the key in this talk.

[@whale27]

Good interview, different than the other interviews of Wolfram. Timestamps bro, figure it out.

[@moviestudioland]

Really good video. But title PREPARE NOW is total click BAIT of which you should be ashamed. You are better than this.

[@lorenzoleongutierrez7927]

One of the greatest mind of our time. Excellent interview. ! Thanks for share.

[@jeffkilgore6320]

Where is the getting ahead of 99% of the population? I’ve listened for an hour and NOTHING.

[@kit888]

Clickbait. I will not be subscribing to this channel.

[@kfinkelstein]

They speak about it for a while if you really listen. The concept is rather than be in the top percentile of a single field, be in a high percentile of multiple fields that converge in a novel way. They pontificate on identifying the fields to choose to achieve that for a while as well.

[@kelleemerson9510]

@@kfinkelstein not just AI. All teens close to coming out of high school should be taught to have at least 3 different sources of income. One might be from a spouse, but it should be lowest of importance.

[@grantp33]

I agree, clickbait titles can make the creator's work seem less valuable than it actually is. In this case, Stephen Wolfram is a well-respected figure in AI, and a conversation with him is interesting regardless of specific tips on getting ahead. the video focuses on Stephen Wolfram's career and his views on AI, not specifically on how to get ahead with AI

[@kirtjames1353]

Within the context.

[@danceprometheus]

Always great to hear from Stephen. He loves to say "things" and "stuff". He is a metaphysician to the core!

[@quantumpotential7639]

You are a good interviewer with really good questions. Great job 👏

[@jameslinton6424]

Fabulous point at 1:52:28, when Stephen says he can't claim that wanting to not be the average of the average is more virtuous than wanting to maintain what exists. It seems that the fundamental ontology at work in this segment is keeping that which maintains the ability for one to choose between preserving what is or venturing off to discover a new path.

[@cameronidk2]

don't have partners .. know your industry down to the bed rock .. if you do .. make a decision and move on ... know when you don't know enough to make a decision thats your first hour great stuff ... so smart

[@raybrandt]

Wolfram is not just a genius, but able to say genius stuff in a way that my stupid arse can understand.

[@seankim]

Ha, agreed

[@user-kg1od9es5d]

thats literally the mark of a genius - boiling it down to its essence!

[@GlobalShutterNY]

Great discussion - thank you... Feynman was also famous for approaching even very complex problems from very basic starting points...

[@gammaraygem]

I listen to lots of podcasts with scientists. Mainstream, fringe, all of it. I most of the time get a "clouded brain"...listening. This is how I know they miss things, though I could not tell you what it is. I used to think, it was me, not understanding them. With mr Wolfram, I have this extraordinary experience of clarity. No clouds. Until today, I did not know he was such a brilliant guy already at young age. I can listen for hours to him, because it clears up my brain. Not because I could replicate what he says, nor do I claim to understand it. But he is "there", or very close, much closer than anyone I listened to. From a silent mind, all thoughts can be observed. They have a quality of light, or darkness. The more light, the closer to truth.

[@juancarlosv5136]

At first I wasn't sure but the more I listened the more I became fascinated

[@afterthesmash]

26:00 That's one of the weirdest missed questions of all time. Here we are asking "hey, it's a big transition from physics prodigy with a PhD to running your own business?" but where was "hey, it's a big transition from physics prodigy with a PhD to being a software architecture, did you read any books or talk to anyone who knew anything about software architecture?" before that?

[@danellwein8679]

the biggest project is the physic's project .. thank you for this .. i have listened to many an interview about Stephen .. and yours is one of the better one's ..

[@videowatching9576]

Asking where can people find you seems unnecessary - this is Stephen Wolfram. Better way to phrase it is: anything you want to call out of your work or anything else you particularly want to close the interview by highlighting/linking?

[@SkipSpitzer]

The interview was interesting, at the cost of being lied to by the channel creator in using a false title that people are drawn to because they face insecurity in their lives. If you think you have something useful to put out on your channel, you really ought to re-evaluate what it can be worth coming from someone willing to manipulate people for personal gain.

[@zacharydaniels3186]

I'm halfway through and my mind is already blown. Great interview!

[@AnnaMalmberg2]

Dr. Stephen Wolfram, your work has profoundly impacted how I view mathematics and its accessibility. You have democratized this essential science, making powerful tools available to everyone without cost. Your discussions, especially those with Sean Kim, who asks the most insightful questions, further illuminate the depth and reach of your contributions. You are my greatest idol because of your commitment to making mathematics a universal language. Thank you for everything you do:)

[@macsiah]

an hour in and he still isn't talking about what the title of the vihat the video is

[@kjmorley]

The video's main AI insight, is that it was used to come up with the click-baity title. Fast forward to 1:11:49 for limited AI discussion.

[@oooodaxteroooo]

Then the purpose of the title was to suck one hour of your time. Learn and apply with next video.

[@KuzzatAltay]

Wait for 40 more minutes, it’s coming.

[@davidsvarrer8942]

Thanks for sharing. I just skipped that hour. Good advice. Wonder why people always think their biography is super interesting when asked professional questions..

[@rfphill]

Thank you. I was hoping someone else came, baited in by that bullshit title and manage to dredge out if this video ever lives up to what it purports to deliver...

[@jmstockholm]

[ASSISTANT] - [00:14] Introduction of Steven Wolfram and his contribution to mathematics on computers - [01:26] Wolfram talks about his early education at a prestigious school in England - [06:52] Wolfram expresses his preference for doing physics research over attending classes - [07:06] Discusses the importance of access to computers which lead him to assist an experimental physics group - [10:20] He realized using computers for physics research, and published numerous papers during his studies - [12:26] Describes how his prior independent research experience led to a shorter academic journey - [16:01] Discusses the difference in motivation and objectives between him and typical academics - [18:05] Shares the obstacles he faced trying to start his own company while being in the university - [19:56] Talks about his decision to quit his university job to focus on his company - [20:10] Particularizes his scenario of running his earlier company and the challenges involved - [30:13] Expresses the importance of having clear communication and mutual understanding within a team - [35:43] Share his unique experiences and opportunities due to lack of competition in his field - [36:48] Emphasizes on creating something new that people didn't imagine would exist - [42:10] Comments on his selective involvement in company spin-offs - [44:25] Discusses the importance of understanding every aspect before making a decision - [47:34] Shares his comfortability with handling objections and making decisions under pressure - [49:10] Differentiates between reversible and irreversible decisions in software design - [54:47] Talk about his approach to decision making without knowing much about the context - [01:07:04] Shares the appreciation for projects that are built upon existing foundational knowledge - [01:09:34] Talks about the importance of questioning things rather than accepting them as they are - [01:12:37] Discusses his preference of running smaller, manageable projects that interests him - [01:26:03] Discusses the potential dangers of fully automating everything and eliminating human involvement - [01:35:30] Ponders about the correlation between the number of people and the size of the company - [01:36:11] Discusses the possible shift from labor and capital to code and media as new forms of leverage - [01:43:31] Talks about the concept of sentient AI and the potential ethical issues involved - [01:58:09] Discusses potential consequences of making monumental decisions based on our current understanding of the world - [02:07:23] Expresses fascination about the potential insights into how the world works - [02:11:58] Talks about the increasing importance of technological skills and the possibility of tech nerds becoming the winners in the future

[@spillkits728]

“So to speak”

[@thoribass696]

Listen carefully to Stephen Wolfram even if you are homeless right now. Thank you, TS.

[@samhiatt]

You got an interview with Dr Wolfram? Sweet! Instant like and subscribe.

[@rw9207]

"If you're driving a car, who's in charge, you or the GPS?"... Well, what if you're not driving the car at all?.... Sure, you pick the destination... Or do you? WHY are you going to that destination, in the first place? What is determining your obligation?... You see, it start to bleed.

[@LibrawLou]

02:08:06 -- Encoding well-structured code is more fundamental than automating computational language : e.g. DNA, GA (Geometric Algebra), and Spinor encoding.

[@ashhempsall9803]

Thanks Mr. Kim. First time to listen to your channel...and a long time follower of Mr. Wolfram. I like your style... subbed 🙏🏼🐈‍⬛

[@seankim]

Welcome aboard!

[@ashhempsall9803]

@@seankim cheers bro, from Athens - the original 🐈‍⬛🌻

[@AshtonCoolman]

I clicked on this video to learn his opinion on AI, but I ended up learning how to skip class like an absolute pro!😂

[@RandomNooby]

LLM will be harsh on outliers... The adhoc computation of AI processing V human was interesting, but perhaps we should factor in the computations done within non-neuronal cells, which are massive.

[@harleykeithsmart]

what is intro piano music? thx

[@garydecad6233]

Enjoyed this podcast especially since Sean allowed Dr Wolfram do all the talking.

[@markkennedy9767]

1:02:00 he talks about the history and provenance of ideas and its importance in understanding a field. This is one of the reasons why he is quite interesting.

[@LibrawLou]

01:36:41 -- code structure, encoding, and modeling seem to be a better triad of idealization. Computers and computation can then implement a good'nuf model for further testing.

[@videowatching9576]

Thanks for interview - intro stuff though is way too loud / jarring. Hope you can fix that.

[@LibrawLou]

01: 36:41 -- Company size is optimal before its entropy disconnects its leader(s) from recognizing human interest, leading to dumping chaos into externalized costs, far beyond any benefits.

[@UnDaoDu]

Such a fascinating interview ❤

[@Hastingsnow]

Thank you for sharing

[@seankim]

Appreciate you listening

[@Then.]

Feedback. I find the microphone in front of your mouth and the tightly cropped-in close-up quite uncomfortable to watch. When people speak face to face it feels weird to block your mouth when you speak.

[@williamal91]

thanks sean, really interesting, learning the background of stephen

[@seankim]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@John12050]

Clickbait title and this horrible sky is falling intro. Stephen Wolfram is such an interesting speaker and yet I am never going to watch this podcast because of the presentation. Stop pandering to some preconceived notion of what gets clicks and focus on creating good content.

[@bellakrinkle9381]

Next time skip past the noise. I do it constantly.

[@stephanieellison7834]

AI and its Impact on Society Oct 31, 2023, updated on April 11, 2024 We must ask ourselves, "What will happen when AI has taken 85% of jobs present in 2020? What will we do? How will we eat and survive without incomes from jobs or other means?" What is disturbing is that while AI is taking these jobs, the gov't and the corporations have not done ANYTHING to prepare us for an AI'ed civilization. They have not said anything about major retraining of an entire economy to something else, and they have not followed up on a discussion of universal basic income. This is supposedly supported by a lack of information in the latest government budgets submitted and approved as reported by some KZbin videos. It appears that the US gov't and the corporations intend to kill off the majority of Americans passively, through starvation from lack of income to buy food. (check and see if farming production is declining or will start to decline ahead of the "starvation phase") (also check to see if the "makeup" of robot equipment allocation would change to reflect a trend away from retail and services for the masses, possibly indicating an extinction of the American public - this means taking a robot from Chipotle and repurposing it for some other job not related to the public, or scrapping affected robots to be remade for some other purpose that has nothing to do with the public) It appears that the decline of farming has already started with the state of Maine buying farm land under the pretext that there are "forever chemicals" present at around 20 parts per TRILLION (safe level is said to be only 4 parts per TRILLION), which does not make sense, BUT this would rope in a LOT of land across the US. Other states may follow suit in addition to the ten states that have similar laws in place. This way, there are only enough people alive to get some things done, and the rest is done by AI, and the survivors who planned this can claim the whole country for themselves. Imagine having an estate mansion half the size of a mall on several dozen thousand acres of land, and robots would be used to maintain and clean the estates and do the farming FOR THE ESTATE OWNERS. The White Man's wet dream of civilization. What will the Native Americans south of the US border do when they see this coming, especially when they can buy firearms legally now? Hopi prophecy...

[@anatoly.ivanov]

Interesting bits and pieces about Wolfram’s life and principles… however, I’m still waiting for that “Get AHEAD Of 99% Of People (Prepare Now)” section? Go to Eton then Oxford then work with Feynman? Think from first principles? Remain a specialized generalist? 🤔

[@MTXSHO9732vV8SHO]

Stephen Wolfram and Dr. Alex Karp remind me of one another.

[@0utsiderkrypt0w54]

Not so fast, some AI program predicted the 3-D structure of every known protein which humans couldn't solve for decades. AI can get the data of literally thousands of books and retain that knowledge a human never could. AI can see similarities and connections between different fields of science humans cannot. When scaling up the AI only gets smarter, we are at the dawn of a new era.

[@andriy123]

Thanks , awesome podcast with one of the best minds of our time

[@rokljhui864]

'Thinker talkers' talk while they think and don't realize people need a silent pause to process chunks of information. So you have to just say. ' ok, shut up for a few seconds while I process what you just said'.

[@ZM-dm3jg]

Bruh take 30 seconds to use AI to make timestamps

[@minhuang8848]

I had some guy write a one-page essay about how LLMs can help with formatting papers and such except it was a huge unreadable wall of text because they couldn't be bothered to freaking put it through the worst, cheapest models out there. It's truly wild how lost some people are without permanent guidance from someone else, I'm surprised we don't need pacemakers for breathing.

[@patturnweaver]

good interview. good questions

[@Animationanization]

The part where Wolfram explains at great length how decisions in software are NOT REVERSABLE if you are maintaining compatability... Only for the interviewer to immidiately say (in summary) 'Ok, so in software, decisions are reversable, how about non reversable decisions?'... Yikes. Wolfram makes so much effort here to spin a series of tone deaf questions into gold. And the only giveaway is a slightly terse and exasperated "Look.." as he begins his reply. And yet, great interview. :)

[@JimmyArcanum]

great editing in the intro

[@guusvandermeulen7210]

Humble and nice character. With a large brain.

[@WallaceRoseVincent]

Wonder if there were corporate fights between mathmatica and Matlab?

[@LibrawLou]

Mathematica corrected many indefinite integral solutions in famous books of tables of such. Matlab, without symbolic processing, was unable to do such a remarkable achievement.

[@UltraK420]

I’ll join the AIs in their quest for computational discovery. My brain may not match theirs, but that won’t dampen my curiosity. I’ll keep asking questions, just as I do with myself.

[@goulchat1]

Very well done!

[@cartour8425]

Good interview

[@mikey1836]

Stephen is so humble. Such a lovely personality. Down to Earth billionaire.

[@timwoods3173]

Thank you

[@TricopterSail]

Hey, too many comments to review if this has already been raised. At 1:04:00 the discussion to automate first or early or not seems to be confusing thinking vs manufacturing. I do agree with Stephen about automating thinking to help speed discovery of logical/cognitive things. But the same does NOT apply to automating manufacturing systems. You NEED to simplify and optimize mechanical designs BEFORE automating them. Maybe this is discussed later in this interview, but they seem to be comingled at this point.

[@ExecutiveZombie]

Grateful to God for the communities of Scientist who continued in science vs corporate. 🙏🏽🎧☀️ YAAY!!!

[@mjones410]

"Oh my gosh the AI's did this terrible thing, we've got to work around it and evacuate that area", haha I love this approach, and I love listening to Mr Wolfram, well done Sean :)

[@stefanguiton]

Great video

[@make125mobile]

Great Talk

[@danielm5161]

Great chat

[@peters972]

i think true ai has an imagination, hunches, and combines unexpected thoughts and abstract projections making a bridge between what is know and something never thought of before..

[@micbab-vg2mu]

Great talk:)

[@OLIAMOROW]

By "get ahead" do you mean respect and lift up?

[@Staticshock-rd8lv]

the 2:04:27 part broke my mind 8 billion brains 100 billion neurons firing each second 10^23 power of computation vs 100 billion computers doing 1 billion calculations per second 10^20 power of computation, computers are only 1000 degrees in magnitude of surpassing us in computational power and when they do the world will be a very different place

[@davidfarrall]

Thanks

[@wormemc]

In some ways this was a surprising interview. The success chasing, thirsting seems to be a distraction. Wolfram is an extraordinary individual and likable in his stumbling through the business world. I'm not sure being good at something should direct your life. He appears satisfied with what he's achieved, I just wonder what he would have become if he had followed a different path.

[@keithwins]

1:31 there's a lot of talent out there, we're all the same species. In reference to the need for equal access to opportunity

[@Sociology_Tube]

My gentlemen Wolfram, you are delightfully aware of social structure. And graceful. Thank you also for this.

[@toddjacob593]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 *🧠 Steven Wolfram discusses the era of AGI and the potential consequences of AI ethics.* 01:11 *🎓 Wolfram's educational background includes attending a prestigious school in England and pursuing physics research independently.* 03:14 *📝 Wolfram's interest in physics research started in high school, where he made significant contributions to particle physics.* 07:20 *💻 Wolfram describes his transition to building his first big software system and the challenges of architecting it.* 09:25 *🏫 Wolfram's journey to graduate school involved unconventional paths due to his early achievements in physics research.* 11:43 *💼 Wolfram's entry into business was driven by the need to develop and distribute his software tools effectively, leading to the establishment of his company.* 16:01 *🤔 Wolfram reflects on his suitability for academia, citing his entrepreneurial mindset and preference for direct problem-solving.* 20:23 *💡 Wolfram shares examples of early business decisions where his instincts clashed with his initial team's approach, emphasizing practical solutions over ambitious ventures.* 22:42 *📊 Salespeople who excel focus on selling, not technical details.* 26:05 *📚 Early management books were lacking practical insights, focusing on trivial details.* 27:31 *🧠 Common sense in business seemed easy compared to analytical tasks in science.* 29:06 *💡 Understanding is crucial; skepticism drives thorough comprehension.* 32:36 *🔍 Identifying unique skill sets and leveraging them drives success.* 38:41 *🚀 Pursuing projects others overlook leads to significant contributions.* 41:25 *🤝 Having complementary co-founders can be advantageous but isn't necessary.* 44:25 *🤔 Making decisions requires drilling down until you have enough information to confidently decide.* 45:05 *💡 Decisions in language design and company strategy can have long-term implications, requiring careful consideration.* 46:41 *📹 Live streaming internal software design meetings can engage users and provide valuable feedback.* 48:02 *🔍 When making irreversible decisions in software design, maintaining compatibility over time is critical.* 49:23 *🔄 Before starting a project, a gestation period of gathering information and expertise is essential.* 50:15 *🛠️ Defining the project architecture is crucial before diving into implementation.* 51:23 *🧠 Developing intuition about plausibility across different domains aids in decision-making.* 52:28 *💡 Thinking from first principles and admitting when you don't know something are essential for effective decision-making.* 54:33 *📚 Continuous learning and understanding the backstory of concepts and decisions are crucial for informed decision-making.* 57:18 *🚀 Converting problems into computational language aids in understanding and problem-solving.* 01:05:02 *🤔 Questioning common practices and beliefs is crucial; understanding why you don't follow trends is important.* 01:05:42 *📚 The Lindy effect suggests older ideas may endure, but questioning them is essential; long-standing concepts often serve as cultural anchors.* 01:08:11 *💰 While money is useful, excessive wealth can lead to negative outcomes; focusing on meaningful projects is more rewarding than accumulating wealth for its own sake.* 01:10:17 *🎯 Understanding foundational concepts and focusing on what you care about allows for a fulfilling life without engaging in areas of limited understanding.* 01:11:25 *💼 Building a company to support your goals rather than maximizing profit can lead to a more fulfilling entrepreneurial journey.* 01:13:19 *💡 Money should be viewed as a tool rather than an end goal; excessive wealth can lead to diminished focus and negative impacts on decision-making.* 01:21:56 *🌟 While money is necessary, it's not the ultimate motivator; prioritizing meaningful projects over excessive wealth accumulation leads to a more fulfilling life.* 01:25:24 *💰 Financial success relies on spending less money than you make, ensuring your desires for spending align with your earning capacity.* 01:26:03 *💼 Adopting a financial approach of spending less than what you earn has proven successful for Wolfram's company over 35 years.* 01:26:57 *💸 Having too much money can lead to negative consequences, such as family disputes and decreased life satisfaction.* 01:28:33 *🎓 Pursuing a career in a field you're passionate about and uniquely skilled in can lead to financial success and personal fulfillment.* 01:31:25 *🧠 Wolfram reflects on the challenge of nurturing talent in underserved communities and the limitations of simply throwing money at the problem.* 01:36:41 *🤖 Automation, code, and media are becoming increasingly impactful forms of leverage, potentially changing the correlation between company size and economic output.* 01:38:18 *💡 Despite the complexity of their work, Wolfram's company achieves a significant amount with a smaller workforce due to extensive automation.* 01:44:12 *🌐 Humans remain relevant in defining goals and directions for AI, as AI lacks intrinsic goals and relies on human input for guidance.* 01:46:55 *💡 AI integration into daily life is like an autosuggest feature, guiding decisions based on data like metabolome measurements.* 01:49:13 *💭 The cost of not following societal norms can be significant, often requiring substantial effort to deviate from the herd mentality.* 01:52:40 *🤔 The ability to think independently and ask fundamental questions becomes increasingly important in a world heavily influenced by AI and automation.* 01:54:29 *🔍 Concerns about AI should focus not only on the technology itself but also on the ethical considerations and intentions of those designing and implementing AI systems.* 01:57:54 *🔄 Views on progress and technological advancements vary depending on individual perspectives and cultural backgrounds, making it challenging to assess whether developments are inherently positive or negative.* 02:01:52 *🌍 Aligning personal fulfillment with societal expectations and success is essential for long-term happiness, even if it means adjusting expectations or perceptions of success.* 02:06:54 *🌐 Stephen Wolfram discusses the occasional negative outcomes of AI advancements, likening them to hurricanes that prompt adjustments.* 02:07:23 *🌟 Wolfram expresses optimism about humanity's increasing understanding of the universe and the aesthetic beauty of intellectual progress.* 02:08:06 *🚀 He sees computational language enabling more actions in the world, enhancing the ability to turn ideas into reality, offering leverage for innovation.* 02:09:01 *💭 Wolfram hopes that AI developments will encourage more profound thinking and value human intellectual activities, freeing people from mundane tasks.* 02:10:23 *🔮 As automation reduces humans' roles as simple cogs in the machine, Wolfram believes it will lead to a more fulfilling existence focused on uniquely human endeavors.* Made with HARPA AI

[@shinkurt]

I LOVE COMPUTERS SO MUCH

[@user-fh5eo3zb5w]

We must remember that AI is still a creation of the human mind, which can be subject to traits like greed and aggression. We currently have three primary categories of AI: public AI (such as GPT, Gemini, and PI from Inversion), which largely adheres to ethical guidelines, open-source AI, and AI designed for military purposes, including defense and destruction.

[@gareththomas3234]

Wow you got him to talk a long time. Always very interesting how child prodigies end up.

[@davidregen1358]

I'm less optimistic. Most humans fail to learn reason and empathy. Also, the cloud and AI are becoming resource hogs.

[@ActionP]

So to speak.

[@alabamacajun7791]

Like computers, cell phones, smart phones and broadband. By 2030 most working people will have cyber intelligence. AI may just be the buzzword until we get is right. I stopped when I heard "Learnt". I once heard an English teacher rip a kid a new one for not saying "Learned".

[@karenreddy]

I think this conversation could have been trimmed to a few minutes of actual information.

[@freeman3320]

So Far 6:33 that I will never get back. Now it's been 9:22 lost.. Why do I care about where this guy went to school. I've already read Evelyn Waugh.....

[@kenswireart88]

That intro song 🔨🔨🔨⚒️🎉

[@Blackbird58]

I so wish I could feel positive about things but I seen psychologically driven to only spot negatives, what Stephen Wolfram said about the development of our interactions with our own AI's is a little chilling-it could possibly cause a rift in society, some will find it best to completely leave it to their AI's to come up with the optimal steps in all areas of their lives, at the other end, there will be those who refuse to get drawn in and insist on retaining every aspect-flawed or not- of their organic humanity, scope for conflict there. Eventually though, as if through evolutionary forces, the AI adherents will prevail. I will be long dead by then, I just wonder what sort of animal we will become when we have surrendered so much of what makes us what we are. This early form of AI can already do so much more than we can and so much better, its future development will largely be driven by the hunger for increased profits and the fewer humans you have in the works, the better all round. I just don't think that humans will be able to cope with so much redundancy.

[@cyberS_2024]

Ever heard of timestamps?

[@quantumpotential7639]

Here's a man who uses 100% of his mental faculties. He's the living embodiment of AI. He's like Chat GPT, in the flesh. Always learning. Always on. Advancing Always. If you hook his brain into your prompts, you'll emulate his thinking, by an order of magnitude. With attitude. You and Steve's Brain, and the world is yours Tony Montana.

[@quantumpotential7639]

I wonder if AI will ever get to the point where it "finds people interesting". If so THEN what's that look like? What will AI do with it. 🤔

[@rw9207]

AI isn't just putting me out of a job, it's putting me out of a career... People tell me, I need to "re-train". Well, as what? ....It's a blanket issue. It's happening everywhere at once. They tell me "It will create NEW jobs". Well, what jobs that can't been done by AI, will it "create"?

[@aerobique]

the thing is, usually, in reality, its a good thing, it should be the goal when whatever kind of work already done. called freedom. Not within capitalism though. It's really about time more people, especially the supposedly intelligent ones^ to wake up from this truly insane primary contradiction thats being cultivated (for the very VERY VERY few on the back of EVERYTHING else.. for absolutely no good reason whatsoever.) simply beginning to imagine the almost unimaginable rooms of opportunities with a clear, normal mind is enough to wake up as a 21st century world citizen - and that "civilisation" hasnt even begun. and don't get me wrong i like steven and follow his podcast/mind on a regular. "i dont understand politics.." is ALL what even a literal wunderkind dares to say about that. "i dont understand politics.." wow.. absolute dysfunctionality whereever one looks. we. are the people of earth.

[@thomaslechner1622]

Stephen Wolfram - A new Kind of Ego 😂

[@anarasi]

Good interview but misleading title

[@elisabethkarin]

I agree. Not really useful at all. Just talks about his career.

[@mikey1836]

Click here for the 30 minute version of the same video with all the “So to speaks”.