Anna Chekhovich is the financial director of Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) from Russia. Targeted by Putin’s regime, the foundation has gradually lost access to financial institutions. FBK has been using Bitcoin since 2015 to help overcome financial repression. At that time the Russian government began blocking the bank accounts of various foundations, even those very loosely connected to the FBK. Navalny and his family have also had their personal accounts frozen as did many people who worked on the FBK team. Bitcoin has given them a financial tool away from the reach of Putin’s regime.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply to our virtual technical seminars 
• Join our in-person events and workshops 
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eric Drexler is a visionary scientist and engineer thought of as one of the “Founding fathers of nanotechnology”, the science of engineering on a molecular level. He is most known for being the driving force behind the concept of molecular nanotechnology (MNT) and its potential benefits for humans. His 1981 paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences established fundamental principles of molecular design, protein engineering, and productive nanosystems. Drexler’s research in this field has been the basis for numerous journal articles and for books including Engines of Creation: The Coming Era of Nanotechnology, 1986, which is written for a general audience, and Nanosystems: Molecular Machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation.

This talk discusses the potential of advanced nanotechnology's potential, focusing on:

• Atomic-level manipulation for diverse applications

• AI's role in accelerating molecular engineering

• Environmental and space exploration implications

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the technical programs alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply to our virtual technical seminars 
• Join our in-person events and workshops 
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston is a neuroscientist at Monash University, Australia, where he investigates methods for characterising the nature of conscious experiences. In 2019, he obtained his PhD from The University of Melbourne, where he researched how genetic and environmental factors affect cognition. His research interests range from the decline, preservation and rescue of cognitive function at different stages of the lifespan, through to comparing different people’s conscious experience of colour.

Session Summary

In this edition of the Hope Drop, we dive into a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, neuroscientist and author of The Future Loves You: How and Why We Should Abolish Death. Ariel explores the science and philosophy of brain preservation, questioning long-held beliefs about life, death, and personal identity. We explore how neuroscience might redefine what it means to truly live—and challenge assumptions around mortality.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Molly Mackinlay has extensive work experience in various roles at different companies. She is currently the Head of Engineering, Product, & Research Development at Protocol Labs, where they lead teams working on the IPFS Project. Prior to this, Molly worked at Google where they held multiple roles including Google Search PM II, Google Forms PM, Google Classroom PM, and Associate Product Manager for Chrome Native Client. Before joining Google, she obtained their Bachelor's degree in Computer Science with a concentration in Human Computer Interaction from Stanford University.

Key Highlights

• Explores decentralized mechanisms for funding public goods
• Presents three web3 experiments: Quadratic Funding, DAO treasuries, and Retroactive Public Goods Rewards
• Introduces Open Impact Foundation as a legal structure for public goods funding

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply to our virtual technical seminars 
• Join our in-person events and workshops 
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Anders Sandberg's research centres on estimating the capabilities and underlying science of future technologies, methods of reasoning about long-term futures, existential and global catastrophic risk, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), as well as societal and ethical issues surrounding human enhancement.

Topics of particular interest include management of systemic risk, reasoning under uncertainty, enhancement of cognition, neuroethics and public policy. He has worked on this within the EU project ENHANCE, where he was also responsible for public outreach and online presence, and the ERC UnPredict project.

Besides scientific publications in neuroscience, ethics and future studies he has also participated in the public debate about human enhancement, existential risk and SETI internationally.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply to our virtual technical seminars 
• Join our in-person events and workshops 
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barbara Diehl is a proven expert in entrepreneurship, innovation and education and has been facilitating partnerships with science and business at SPRIND since 2020. Prior to joining SPRIND, she had a successful career in the UK and Ireland for 10 years at the Oxford University Entrepreneurship Centre and the Innovation Academy at University College Dublin. In Oxford, she led early-stage investment programs and an executive education program for fast-growing small businesses (Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses growth program).

Key highlights:

• The work of SPRIND: an initiative by the German government to develop breakthrough innovations, priority areas being circular biome manufacturing, antivirals, long-duration energy storage, and tissue engineering.
• Plans to improve data availability and advocate for policy changes within universities.
• The importance of mutual discovery between the US and European innovation ecosystems.
• The need for flexible and agile funding mechanisms and people funding rather than project funding.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply to our virtual technical seminars 
• Join our in-person events and workshops 
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eli Dourado is the Chief Economist at the Abundance Institute. He is a former Senior Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and he has studied and written about a wide range of technology policy issues, including Internet governance, intellectual property, cybersecurity, and cryptocurrency.

Session Summary

This episode covers topics including Dourado’s efforts to accelerate economic growth in the U.S., his views on policy reforms in key sectors such as health, housing, energy, and transportation, and the challenges of regulatory complacency. We also explore the potential of new technologies such as AI and biotechnology. Dourado shares his vision of a future with scalable healthcare solutions, more efficient housing, rapid deployment of energy technologies, and advancements in transportation like supersonic flights and electric vehicles. The conversation concludes on the importance of broad literacy and continuous writing in supporting progress.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gustavs Zilgalvis is a technology and security policy fellow within RAND's Global and Emerging Risks Division, a Ford Dorsey Master's in International Policy candidate at Stanford's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, and a founding Director at the Center for Space Governance. At RAND, he is specializing in the geopolitical and economic implications of the development of artificial intelligence. Previously, Zilgalvis has written about the interface of space and artificial intelligence in Frontiers of Space Technology, held a Summer Research Fellowship on artificial intelligence at Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, and his research in computational high-energy physics has appeared in SciPost Physics and SciPost Physics Core. Zilgalvis holds a Bachelor of Science with First-Class Honors in Theoretical Physics from University College London, and graduated first in his class from the European School Brussels II.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply to our virtual technical seminars 
• Join our in-person events and workshops 
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Amanda Ngo is a 2024 Foresight Fellow. Recently, she has built Elicit.org from inception to 100k+ monthly users, leading a team of 5 engineers and designers, presented on forecasting, safe AI systems, and LLM research tools at conferences (EAG, Foresight Institute), ran a 60-person hackathon with FiftyYears using LLMs to improve our wellbeing (event, write up), analyzed Ideal Parent Figure transcripts and built an automated IPF chatbot (demo), and co-organized a 400-person retreat for Interact, a technology for social good fellowship.

Session Summary

“Imagine waking up every day in a state of flow, where all the knots and fears are replaced with a deep sense of ease and joy.”

This week we are dropping another special episode of the Existential Hope podcast, featuring Amanda Ngo, a Foresight Institute Existential Hope fellow specializing in AI innovation for wellbeing. Amanda speaks about her work on leveraging AI to enhance human flourishing, sharing insights on the latest advancements and their potential impacts. Her app: https://www.mysunrise.app/

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeffrey Ladish

Before starting Palisade, Jeffrey helped build out the information security program at Anthropic through his security consulting company, Gordian. Jeffrey has also helped dozens of tech companies, philanthropic organizations, and existential-risk-focused projects get started with secure infrastructure.

Summary

Ladish discusses the increasing sophistication and proliferation of deepfake technology, which allows AI to mimic human voices and faces, and its potential for widespread deception. He argues that this increasingly capable technology is and will be used to spread fake information, manipulate elections or markets, create deepfake pornography, and generate fake endorsements from actors or organizations.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Kristian Rönn is the CEO and co-founder of Normative. He has a background in mathematics, philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence. Before he started Normative he worked at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute on issues related to global catastrophic risks.

Session Summary

When people talk about today’s biggest challenges they tend to frame the conversation around “bad people” doing “bad things.” But is there more to the story?

In this month’s Hope Drop we speak to Kristian Rönn, an entrepreneur formerly affiliated with the Future of Humanity Institute. Kristian calls these deeply rooted impulses “Darwinian demons.” These forces, a by-product of natural selection, can lead us to act in shortsighted ways that harm others—and even imperil our survival as a species. In our latest episode, Kristian explains how we can escape these evolutionary traps through cooperation and innovative thinking. Kristian's new book, The Darwinian Trap, is being published on September 24th. Be sure to preorder it today!

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker 

Divya is the co-founder of the Collective Intelligence Project, which advances collective intelligence capabilities for the democratic and effective governance of transformative technologies. She serves as Associate Political Economist and Social Technologist at Microsoft’s Office of the CTO. She also holds positions as a research director at Metagov and a researcher in residence at the RadicalXChange Foundation.

Key Highlights

In today’s rapidly evolving world, where technology is at the forefront of progress, the need for effective collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence is more crucial than ever. In this engaging and thought-provoking talk, we will explore the concept of collective intelligence and discuss how it can be harnessed to drive collective progress in various domains, including science, technology, and social innovation.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Siméon Campos is president and founder of SaferAI, an organization working on developing the infrastructure for general-purpose AI auditing and risk management. He worked on large language models for the last two years and is highly committed to making AI safer.

Session Summary

“I think safe AGI can both prevent a catastrophe and offer a very promising pathway into a eucatastrophe.”

This week we are dropping a special episode of the Existential Hope podcast, where we sit down with Siméon Campos, president and founder of Safer AI, and a Foresight Institute fellow in the Existential Hope track. Siméon shares his experience working on AI governance, discusses the current state and future of large language models, and explores crucial measures needed to guide AI for the greater good.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker 

Dean Woodley Ball is a Research Fellow at George Mason University’s Mercatus Center and author of the Substack Hyperdimensional. His work focuses on artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and the future of governance. Previously, he was Senior Program Manager for the Hoover Institution's State and Local Governance Initiative. 

Key Highlights

Based on engagement with the neuroscience and machine learning literatures, this talk will focus on how technologies such as virtual reality, large language models, AI agents, neurostimulation, and neuromonitoring may converge in the coming decade into the first widespread consumer neural technology. The talk will focus on technical feasibility, public policy, and broader societal implications. 

In terms of the challenge, I think the big one for me is probably building the datasets we’ll need for the foundational AI models undergirding all of this.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Watt is an investment associate at Ascension Ventures, an investment firm specializing in healthcare technology. She previously co-founded and served as CSO of Pro-Arc Diagnostics, a personalized medicine company operating in St. Louis.

Key Highlights

Watt discusses her career journey and insights into venture capital investing in neuroscience and neurotech companies. She explains her role as a VC, which involves making profitable investments, underwriting risk, and structuring deals. Dana highlights key attributes of venture-backable companies, such as exceptional teams, large addressable markets, defensibility, and differentiation. She also discusses challenges and biases in neuroscience investing, including the complexity of brain science, hardware difficulties, long clinical timelines, and subtle readouts.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Pethokoukis is a senior fellow and the DeWitt Wallace Chair at the American Enterprise Institute, where he analyzes US economic policy, writes and edits the AEIdeas blog, and hosts AEI’s Political Economy podcast. He is also a contributor to CNBC and writes the Faster, Please! newsletter on Substack. He is the author of The Conservative Futurist: How to Create the Sci-Fi World We Were Promised (Center Street, 2023). He has also written for many publications, including the Atlantic, Commentary, Financial Times, Investor’s Business Daily, National Review, New York Post, the New York Times, USA Today, and the Week. 

Session Summary

In this episode, James joins us to discuss his book, The Conservative Futurist, and his perspectives on technology and economic growth. James explores his background, the spectrum of 'upwing' (pro-progress) versus 'downwing' (anti-progress), and the role of technology in solving global challenges. He explains his reasoning for being pro-progress and pro-growth as well as highlighting the importance of positive storytelling and education in developing a more advanced and prosperous world.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Flourishing Foundation

In February 2024, we partnered with the Future of Life Institute on a hackathon to design institutions that can guide and govern the development of AI. The winner of the hackathon was the Flourishing Foundation, who are focused on our relationship with AI and other emerging technologies. They challenge innovators to envision and build life-centered products, services, and systems, specifcially, to enable TAI-enabled consumer technologies to promote human well-being by developing new norms, processes, and community-driven ecosystems.

At their core, they explore the question of "Can AI make us happier?"

Connect: https://www.flourishing.foundation/

Read about the hackathon: https://foresight.org/2024-xhope-hackathon/

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Roman Yampolskiy holds a PhD degree from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University at Buffalo. There he was a recipient of a four year National Science Foundation IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship) fellowship. His main areas of interest are behavioral biometrics, digital forensics, pattern recognition, genetic algorithms, neural networks, artificial intelligence and games, and he is an author of over 100 publications including multiple journal articles and books.

Session Summary

We discuss everything AI safety with Dr. Roman Yampolskiy. As AI technologies advance at a breakneck pace, the conversation highlights the pressing need to balance innovation with rigorous safety measures. Contrary to many other voices in the safety space, argues for the necessity of maintaining AI as narrow, task-oriented systems: “I'm arguing that it's impossible to indefinitely control superintelligent systems”. Nonetheless, Yampolskiy is optimistic about narrow AI future capabilities, from politics to longevity and health. 

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features an interview with the 1st place winners of our 2045 Worldbuilding challenge!

Why Worldbuilding?

We consider worldbuilding an essential tool for creating inspiring visions of the future that can help drive real-world change. Worldbuilding helps us explore crucial 'what if' questions for the future, by constructing detailed scenarios that prompt us to ask: What actionable steps can we take now to realize these desirable outcomes?

Cities of Orare – our 1st place winners

Cities of Orare imagines a future where AI-powered prediction markets called Orare amplify collective intelligence, enhancing liberal democracy, economic distribution, and policy-making. Its adoption across Africa and globally has fostered decentralized governance, democratizing decision-making, and spurring significant health and economic advancements.

Read more about the 2045 world of Cities of Orare: https://www.existentialhope.com/worlds/beyond-collective-intelligence-cities-of-orare

Access the Worldbuilding Course: https://www.existentialhope.com/existential-hope-worldbuilding

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Christian is a researcher in foundational AI, information security, and AI safety, with a current focus on the limits of undetectability. He is a pioneer in the field of Multi-Agent Security (masec.ai), which aims to overcome the safety and security issues inherent in contemporary approaches to multi-agent AI. His recent works include a breakthrough result on the 25+ year old problem of perfectly secure steganography (jointly with Sam Sokota), which was featured by Scientific American, Quanta Magazine, and Bruce Schneier’s Security Blog.

Key Highlights

How do we design autonomous systems and environments in which undetectable actions cannot cause unacceptable damages? He argues that the ability of advanced AI agents to use perfect stealth will soon be AI Safety’s biggest concern. In this talk, he focuses on the matter of steganographic collusion among generative AI agents.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features an interview with the 2nd place winners of our 2045 Worldbuilding challenge!

Why Worldbuilding?

We consider worldbuilding an essential tool for creating inspiring visions of the future that can help drive real-world change. Worldbuilding helps us explore crucial 'what if' questions for the future, by constructing detailed scenarios that prompt us to ask: What actionable steps can we take now to realize these desirable outcomes?

Rising Choir – our 2nd place winners

Rising Choir envisions a 2045 where advanced AI and robotics are seamlessly integrated into everyday life, enhancing productivity and personal care. The V.O.I.C.E. system revolutionizes communication and democratic participation, developing a sense of inclusion across all levels of society. Energy abundance, driven by solar and battery advancements, addresses climate change challenges, while the presence of humanoid robots in every household marks a new era of economic output and personal convenience. 

Read more about the 2045 world of Rising Choir: https://www.existentialhope.com/worlds/rising-choir-a-symphony-of-clashing-voices

Access the Worldbuilding Course: https://www.existentialhope.com/existential-hope-worldbuilding

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Evelyne Yehudit Bischof, MD, MPH, FEFIM, FMH is Associate Professor at the Shanghai University of Medicine & Health Sciences, Chief Associate Physician of Internal Medicine and Oncology at the University Hospital Renji of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and Emergency Medicine Physician at the Shanghai East International Medical Center. She is a specialist in Internal Medicine with a research focus on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Health.

Key Highlights

Longevity medicine is an AI and data-driven field evolving from precision medicine, lifestyle medicine, and geroscience that aims to elongate patients' healthy lifespan. Using biomarkers of aging, aging clocks, and continuous data monitoring, longevity physicians can bring the patient's health from "within norms" to "optimal" or even best performance.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode features an interview with the 3rd place winners of our 2045 Worldbuilding challenge!

Why Worldbuilding?

We consider worldbuilding an essential tool for creating inspiring visions of the future that can help drive real-world change. Worldbuilding helps us explore crucial 'what if' questions for the future, by constructing detailed scenarios that prompt us to ask: What actionable steps can we take now to realize these desirable outcomes?

FloraTech – our 3rd place winners

In the world of 2045, a network of bounded AI agents, imbued with robust ethical constraints and specialized capabilities, has become the backbone of a thriving, harmonious global society. These AI collaborators have unlocked unprecedented possibilities for localized, sustainable production of goods and services, empowering communities to meet their needs through advanced manufacturing technologies and smart resource allocation. 

Read more about the 2045 world of FloraTech: https://www.existentialhope.com/worlds/floratech-2045-co-evolving-with-technology-for-collective-flourishing

Access the Worldbuilding Course: https://www.existentialhope.com/existential-hope-worldbuilding

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Stuart Buck is the Executive Director of the Good Science Project, and a Senior Advisor at the Social Science Research Council. Formerly, he was the Vice President of Research at Arnold Ventures. His efforts to improve research transparency and reproducibility have been featured in Wired, New York Times, The Atlantic, Slate, The Economist, and more. He has given advice to DARPA, IARPA (the CIA’s research arm), the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team on rigorous research processes, as well as publishing in top journals (such as Science and BMJ) on how to make research more accurate.

Session Summary

Working in the field of meta-science, Stuart cares deeply about who gets funding and how, the engulfment of bureaucracy for researchers, everywhere, how we can fund more innovative science, ensuring results are reproducible and true, and much more. Among many things, he has funded renowned work showing that scientific research is often irreproducible, including the Reproducibility Projects in Psychology and Cancer Biology.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Tom Burns graduated with First Class Honours in his Bachelor of Science from Monash University in 2013, exploring the mathematical features of human perception of non-linguistic sounds. Shifting to philosophy, he completed a Master of Bioethics in 2014, analyzing the ethics of euthanasia legislation in Australia, followed by a World Health Organization Bioethics Fellowship in 2015, contributing to the Ebola epidemic response. In 2023, as a Fall Semester Postdoc at Brown University's ICERM, he contributed to the 'Math + Neuroscience' program. Recently affiliated with Timaeus, an AI safety organization, Tom is continuing his research at Cornell University's new SciAI Center from March 2024.

Session Summary

 Neuroscience is a burgeoning field with many opportunities for novel research directions. Due to experimental and physical limitations, however, theoretical progress relies on imperfect and incomplete information about the system. Artificial neural networks, for which perfect and complete information is possible, therefore offer those trained in the neurosciences an opportunity to study intelligence to a level of granularity which is beyond comparison to biological systems, while still relevant to them. Additionally, applying neuroscience methods, concepts, and theory to AI systems offers a relatively under-explored avenue to make headwind in the daunting challenges posed by AI safety — both for present-day risks, such as enshrining biases and spreading misinformation, and for future risks, including on existential scales.

In this talk, Tom presents two emerging examples of interactions between neuroscience and AI safety. In the direction of ideas from neuroscience being useful for AI safety, he demonstrates how associative memory has become a tool for interpretability of Transformer-based models. In the opposite direction, he discusses how statistical learning theory and the developmental interpretability research program have applicability in understanding neuroscience phenomena, such as perceptual invariance and representational drift.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Crawford is the founder of The Roots of Progress, where he writes and speaks about the history of technology and the philosophy of progress. Previously, he spent 18 years as a software engineer, engineering manager, and startup founder.

Worldbuilding Course

This session is a part of THE WORLDBUILDING CHALLENGE: CO-CREATING THE WORLD OF 2045. In this virtual and interactive course, we engage with the most pressing global challenges of our age—climate change, the risks of AI, and the complex ethical questions arising in the wake of new technologies. Our aim is to sharpen participants’ awareness and equip them to apply their skills to these significant and urgent issues.

Existential Hope

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Lempert (Ph.D., Applied Physics, Harvard University) is a senior physical scientist at RAND. He is the director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for Longer Range Global Policy and the Future Human Condition, a principal researcher at RAND, and a professor of policy analysis at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research focuses on risk management and decision-making under conditions of deep uncertainty. Lempert's work aims to advance the state of art for organizations managing risk in today's conditions of fast-paced, transformative, and surprising change and help organizations adopt these approaches to help make proper stewardship of the future more commonly practised.

Worldbuilding Course

This session is a part of THE WORLDBUILDING CHALLENGE: CO-CREATING THE WORLD OF 2045. In this virtual and interactive course, we engage with the most pressing global challenges of our age—climate change, the risks of AI, and the complex ethical questions arising in the wake of new technologies. Our aim is to sharpen participants’ awareness and equip them to apply their skills to these significant and urgent issues.

Existential Hope

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Anthony is the Executive Director & Secretary of the Board at the Future of Life Institute, and the Faggin Presidential Professor for the Physics of Information at UC Santa Cruz. He has done research in an array of topics in theoretical cosmology, gravitation, statistical mechanics, and other fields of physics. He also has strong interest in science outreach, and has appeared in numerous science documentaries. He is a creator of the science and technology prediction platform Metaculus.com, and is founder (with Max Tegmark) of the Foundational Questions Institute.

Worldbuilding Course

This session is a part of THE WORLDBUILDING CHALLENGE: CO-CREATING THE WORLD OF 2045. In this virtual and interactive course, we engage with the most pressing global challenges of our age—climate change, the risks of AI, and the complex ethical questions arising in the wake of new technologies. Our aim is to sharpen participants’ awareness and equip them to apply their skills to these significant and urgent issues.

Existential Hope

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Hannu Rajaniemi is a Finnish American author of science fiction and fantasy, who writes in both English and Finnish. He lives in Oakland, California, and was a founding director of a commercial research organisation ThinkTank Maths.

Episode

Perhaps most famously known for his 2010 release, The Quantum Thief, Rajaniemi is settled firmly in both the science-fiction and the biotech startup worlds. Away from writing, Rajaniemi is the co-founder of Helix Nanotechnologies, a startup building the world's most advanced mRNA platform to create a unified interface to the immune system. 

We’ll discuss his ideas on the impact of sci-fi on the real world and explore his views on the upcoming biotechnology wave, including gene editing and biohacking. We then address how these new technologies could be implemented and governed, before finally focusing on an idea that is, at present, only in sci-fi: the immune-computer interface.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. She advises companies and projects, such as Cosmica, and The Roots of Progress Fellowship, and is on the Executive Committee of the Biomarker Consortium. She holds an MS in Philosophy & Public Policy from the London School of Economics, focusing on AI Safety.

Worldbuilding Course

This session is a part of THE WORLDBUILDING CHALLENGE: CO-CREATING THE WORLD OF 2045. In this virtual and interactive course, we engage with the most pressing global challenges of our age—climate change, the risks of AI, and the complex ethical questions arising in the wake of new technologies. Our aim is to sharpen participants’ awareness and equip them to apply their skills to these significant and urgent issues.

Existential Hope

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Sebo is an American philosopher. He is a clinical associate professor of environmental studies, director of the animal studies MA program, and affiliated professor of bioethics, medical ethics, and philosophy at New York University.

Summary

In this episode, Jeff discusses the consciousness, sentience, agency, and moral and legal status of non-humans – particularly invertebrates and AI systems. He acknowledges the controversy surrounding AI systems' future consciousness and rights, and emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the difficulty of the problem.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jules Hedges is a mathematician and computer scientist who was a pioneer of the recently developed field of applied category theory. He is a co-founder of the Institute for Categorical Cybernetics (https://cybercat.institute), a nonprofit organization for research and open-source software development, and 20squares (https://20squares.xyz/), a startup specializing in applied mechanism design and economic modelling in the blockchain space. By day he is a lecturer in computer science at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

Key Highlights

Compositional game theory is an approach to modelling interactions of strategic agents which is designed to be inherently scalable, in contrast to traditional normal-form and extensive-form games that are unsuitable for anything larger than toy problems. It supports a model-is-code paradigm and reuse of model components, inspired by software engineering. This will be a taster of what it looks like and what it can do, ie in applied mechanism design, smart contract analysis and the theory of institution design.

Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, we talk to David Pearce, a thought leader who is always pushing the boundaries of human potential. Pearce, a philosopher and bioethicist, is best known for his advocacy of transhumanism – the movement that seeks to enhance human capabilities through technology.

We'll explore his ideas on overcoming aging, achieving radical life extension, embracing cognitive enhancement, adn ending all suffering. Join us as we unpack the ethics and possibilities of the future, and discover Pearce's vision for a world where humanity transcends its biological limitations

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sumner Norman is a pioneering figure at the nexus of neuroscience, engineering, and impact-driven entrepreneurship. His research in brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) is forging new paths in neurotechnology to transform the lives of those with neurological injuries or diseases. Sumner is the co-founder and CEO of Forest Neurotech, a non-profit “focused research organization” that was founded on ultrasound-based BCIs – a high-performance technique that offers a less invasive approach to sensing and modulating brain function.

Key Highlights

Norman would like to see the barriers of entry to our field significantly lowered to empower researchers and clinicians to contribute new and impactful methods for diagnostics, monitoring, and ultimately better therapies for people living with brain-related disorders.

 Forest Neurotech is developing an ultrasound-based interface to sense and stimulate function throughout much of the human brain, bringing hope to the study and treatment of mental health disorders and beyond. To maximize impact, Forest was created as a focused research organization, a novel form of nonprofit startup for science.

Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trent McConaghy is the Founder and CTO of Ocean Protocol and BigchainDB, specializing in AI and blockchain technology to democratize data and AI. His work includes advancing decentralized data solutions and ensuring equitable access to AI technologies. McConaghy also contributes to the IPDB Foundation and advises the Estonian E-residency program

Key Highlights

• McConaghy presented a solarpunk future, envisioning an optimistic trajectory for humanity. He covered three topics: web3 to sovereign agents, AI to human superintelligence, and defining human goals.
• He covered topics including AI superintelligence, humanity's goals, and the transition from web3 to sovereign agents.
• McConaghy emphasized the importance of aiming for an optimistic future beyond mere survival – proposing reshaping the cosmos at a macro scale as a potential human endeavour. However, he highlighted the challenge of interstellar travel, noting the time it takes to reach the nearest star beyond our sun.
• Discussed established technologies like Bitcoin, decentralized data storage, and decentralized compute platforms like Ethereum; and explored the concept of sovereign agents through smart contracts on Ethereum, emphasizing their autonomous and ungoverned nature.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees.

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

t

Panellists: Alex Fedintsev, Leon Peshkin, Yuri Deigin, and Aleksandra Singer.

Recorded at Vision Weekend France 2023.

Key Highlights

• They discussed the field's growth in public acceptance and funding over the past five years – they noted that, whilst reprogramming and longevity research are advancing, overall outcomes in the field haven't been as fruitful as hoped. For example, no groundbreaking concepts have emerged since reprogramming. However, they expressed optimism about the field's future, expecting gradual progress.
• The panellists identified organ replacement, including preemptive strategies, as a key research area, as well as the potential for growth in artificially creating organs.
• The potential integration of AI and machine learning in longevity biotech, particularly in projects like Alto Labs, was discussed.
• They raised questions about the timeline and impact of ageing on future generations.
• The discussion ended with an acknowledgement that, despite the optimism, much work remains in longevity biotech research.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Panellists: Andre Losekrug, Michael Gibson, Anders Sandberg, and Robin Hanson.

Recorded at Vision Weekend France 2023.

Energy Key Highlights:

• Excitement about energy advancements, specifically in the field of fusion. This could lead to an increased focus on policy changes to address climate change and the building of reactors.
• The growing entrepreneurial revolution in fusion, with various start-ups and innovative reactor designs emerging. China's recent approval of a molten salt thorium breeder reactor was highlighted as a further acceptance of nuclear power.

Space Key Highlights:

• Advancements in satellite technology and constellations are anticipated, along with the need to explore intermediate solutions between current space exploration and future ambitious projects.
• It is noted that space exploration offers opportunities for freedom and innovation, with new approaches to manufacturing and remote sensing potentially leading to breakthroughs in various industries.

Other Topics:

Offshore water restoration, international disputes, prioritizing space development, launch services, space tourism, addressing space debris, and the prediction of detecting extraterrestrial intelligent life within the next century.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Danielle Strachman is a cofounder and general partner of 1517. She has worked with young entrepreneurs for about a decade. In 2010, during the founding of the Thiel Fellowship, Danielle joined to lead the design and operations. She's worked with some of the most prestigious founders, such as Vitalik Buterin and Ritesh Agarwal. Previous to her work with Peter Thiel, Danielle founded and directed Innovations Academy in San Diego, a K-8 charter school serving 400 students, with a focus on student-led project-based learning and other alternative programs.

Session Summary

Danielle envisions a world where fostering personal agency and curiosity is the key to progress. She imagines a future where technology, particularly AI, catalyzes human potential and societal transformation, emphasizing the importance of environments that champion experimentation and a fail-forward mentality.

Specifically, she advocates for special economic zones as laboratories for innovation, suggesting governance that adapts to technological advancements. She dreams of a solarpunk future, where sustainability is achieved through technological and natural harmony. Acknowledging the complexities ahead, she views the journey to this future as requiring a balance between innovation and ethics. Her vision is grounded in the belief in human capacity to navigate the unknown and transform existential risks into opportunities for growth.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Panellists: Divya Siddarth, Jonathan Prasserat-Palmbach, Lewis Hammond, Primavera De Filippi, Stuart Armstrong, and Trent Mcconaghy.

Recorded at Vision Weekend France 2023.

Key Highlights

Panellists discussed the potential development of intelligent cooperation between humans and AI, focusing on secure collaboration and cryptography methods.

• Concerns about AI's impact on society and the economy also arose, and an acknowledgement of the importance of designing AI systems for collaboration with humans and nature was made.
• Open source versus closed AI was debated – the risks of opening powerful technologies to a large number of developers vs. the potential for public collaboration and counteracting evil AI models.
• Other topics included concerns about governmental control of AI and data, potential risks of AI accidents, abuse, and misalignment, and the intersection of blockchain and AI to create decentralized and sovereign AI systems.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Panellists: Anders Sandberg, Bradley Love, Robin Hanson, Brett Kagan

Recorded at Vision Weekend France 2023.

Key Highlights

• The panel explored how brain emulation is increasingly becoming a viable possibility with technological advancements.
• They discussed the availability of tools that help understand the neurochemistry and biology of cells, which is crucial for brain emulation. For example, the use of expansion microscopy for imaging neurons on a larger scale was highlighted, showcasing its importance in brain emulation research.
• However, they also note that the mapping efforts required for brain emulation are proving to be more complex than initially anticipated.
• It was emphasized that there is a critical need for collaboration between biologists and computer scientists in advancing brain emulation research.
• They explored the potential of using neurons as an engineering resource to create intelligent devices.
• The panel concluded that achieving smaller milestones is crucial before envisioning the broader potential of brain emulation technology.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Panellists: Alexis Courbet, Erik Benson, Stephane Redon, Dean Thomas. Recorded at Vision Weekend France.

Key Highlights

• The panel discusses molecular nanotechnology and the potential for compact machines to replace industrial facilities.
• They discuss advances in the field, which include protein design, protein folding, and dynamic structures that respond to stimuli.
• It is noted how molecular machines can automate the synthesis of other machines, similar to biology – computational protein design allows for the creation of new machines from scratch.
• The panel concluded by highlighting the potential for molecular nanotechnology to bridge the gap between organic chemistry and automation.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gus Docker hosts The Future of Life Institute podcast, which features conversations with prominent researchers, policy experts, philosophers, and influential thinkers of all kinds. Gus studied philosophy and computer science at the University of Copenhagen and is active in Effective Altruism Denmark.

Despite the ongoing threat of existential risks from AI, Gus discusses his excitement about the future's potential. He acknowledges the difficulty in envisioning the far future's technological changes, comparing the gap to that between the Stone Age and today – however, he remains excited about technologies enabling diverse experiences and consciousness exploration. Optimistic, Gus foresees a major positive shift in mental health, where individuals easily manage and enhance their mental well-being, harmonizing happiness and productivity, thus contributing to societal welfare.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Scott Hubbard has been a leader in space exploration for almost 50 years. His career includes a National Lab, a start-up venture, NASA, and Stanford. At NASA, Dr. Hubbard is best known as Director of NASA’s Ames Research Center, the first Mars Program Director (aka the "Mars Czar"), and the founder of NASA's Astrobiology Institute.

Key Highlights

• Hubbard shared his deep passion for Mars and recounted his role in restructuring the Mars program.
• He described Mars as the most Earthlike planet, highlighting its potential for past or present life evidence.
• The exploration of Mars, as explained by Hubbard, focuses on life, climate, solid rock geology, and human exploration.
• Emphasizing the mantra "follow the water," Hubbard underscored water's essential role in supporting all known life forms.
• He pointed out the challenges posed by Mars' launch window, occurring every 26 months, which significantly impacts the mission's rocket science and budget.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Hamalainen is cofounder of the Longevity Biotech Fellowship. His career has progressed from manual bench work in academia, to lab automation at Synthego, to longevity movement building - always seeking better methods and higher leverage ways to accelerate progress.

• He shares an actionable roadmap for an unlimited healthy lifespan, divided into four promising areas for progress.
• He shares updates and information regarding The Longevity Biotech Fellowship, whose mission is to enable a future where everyone can access a healthy, unlimited lifespan.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jason Crawford is the founder of The Roots of Progress, where he writes and speaks about the history of technology and the philosophy of progress. Previously, he spent 18 years as a software engineer, engineering manager, and startup founder.

Session Summary: Jason envisages a future marked by dynamic, continuous progress, encapsulated in the concept of protopia. This vision diverges from a traditional notion of a utopia, and instead embraces a reality of constant, incremental improvement. In Jason's view, progress is an ever-evolving journey, not a destination. It's a series of small, significant steps that, over time, lead to profound transformations in our world.

Central to Jason's perspective is the transformative potential of AI, paralleling historical technological leaps like the steam engine and personal computing. He views AI as a catalyst for a new era in human history, one that could redefine societal structures by making high-quality services accessible to a broader demographic. This democratization of resources, akin to services becoming as affordable as a Netflix subscription, could bridge societal gaps. However, Jason emphasizes that this protopian future requires collective agency, responsibility, and a balanced understanding of our role in shaping it. He believes that progress accelerates over time, with each innovation building upon the last, thus speeding up future advancements.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Casey Handmer is the founder of Terraform Industries, a company dedicated to gigascale atmospheric hydrocarbon synthesis. His method of creating hydrocarbons promises to be a cheaper and cleaner alternative to traditional oil wells.

Known for his work as an astrophysicist, innovator, and Mars aficionado, Casey is eager to guide us through the intricate landscape of Martian exploration. This presentation explores the scientific, technological, and logistical hurdles that make Mars such a challenging destination. Casey offers an insider’s perspective on our journey towards making human life sustainable on Mars.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Matjaž Leonardis, in collaboration with David Deutsch at the University of Oxford, is advancing the understanding of a theorem by Popper and Miller from 1983, offering new insights into Bayesian updating and its standard interpretations. His research interests span learning and creativity in both humans and machines. Beyond his academic pursuits, Matjaž engages with a wider audience through social media on topics ranging from education to computation.

Key Highlights

• The use of ML models for critical decisions and the inherent risks of undetectable back doors influencing results.
• Matjaz's paper on the practicality of inserting concealed back doors during ML training and their impact on model integrity.
• Challenges to model interpretability and robustness posed by these back doors, alongside their relevance to AI safety.
• The call for deeper research into complex ML model vulnerabilities, integrating cryptography to enhance computational clarity.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Anders Sandberg is a Senior Research Fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University, where he specializes in the management of low-probability, high-impact risks and future technology capabilities. With a Ph.D. in computational neuroscience from Stockholm University, his expertise spans computer science, neuroscience, and medical engineering. A cofounder of the think tank Eudoxa and former chairman of the Swedish Transhumanist Association, Sandberg is recognized for his contributions to neuroethics, cognitive enhancement, and global catastrophic risk.

Key Highlights

• The impact and growth of the mind uploading research field since its foundational workshop.
• The influence of the workshop's roadmap, evidenced by citations across disciplines from humanities to AI safety.
• The astounding advancements in biotech, signaling qualitative leaps beyond traditional tech scaling.
• Neurotech achievements in setting clear goals, enhancing data interoperability, and developing detailed brain structure simulations.

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kipply Chen is part of the data team at Anthropic.

Key Highlights

• The swift pace of alignment potentially outpacing AI advancements.
• Challenges of coordinating predictive and base model alignment across labs.
• Security and policy's critical role in AI safety.
• A likely surge in legal issues concerning training data misuse.
• The push for an open-source, community-drive alignment community.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trent McConaghy is the founder of Ocean Protocol, a decentralized platform aimed at democratizing AI data sharing while maintaining privacy. With a career starting in AI research for national defence, McConaghy transitioned to entrepreneurship, where his first startup, ADA, was acquired by Synopsys in 2004. His work continued with Solido, an AI venture aiding Moore's Law, culminating in an acquisition by Siemens in 2017. His current venture, Ocean Protocol, follows earlier initiatives like the ascribe NFT platform and BigchainDB. McConaghy's enduring mission is to equalize AI opportunities and ensure humanity's significance in a future of autonomous technology.

Session Summary

This podcast episode delves into Trent McConaghy's integration of AI with global challenges, highlighting his innovative strategies in technology and environmentalism.

• The Map: Trent discusses the need for a resource like Wikipedia to show potential technological outcomes – his "Starships and Tokens" outlines pathways to major goals of humanity, from superhuman intelligence to reshaping the cosmos.
• AI Evolution and Impact: He highlights AI's growth, especially in creative fields and CAD. Discusses AI-induced job displacement, with UBI as a potential solution. He mentions projects like Nature 2.0 for surplus wealth generation.
• AI Superintelligence Challenge: Focuses on keeping humans competitive with AI through high-bandwidth BCIs and addressing regulatory challenges.
• Climate Change Strategy: He emphasizes addressing climate change impacts on society, exploring special zones for BCI research and governance adaptations, and stresses the need for aggressive BCI development and jurisdictional arbitrage for research and climate adaptation. He also proposes a climate-focused DAO for legal actions and addressing investment risks in flood-prone areas like Miami.
• Vision of Eucatastrophe: Trent's long-term goals for humanity include developing Dyson spheres and achieving human superintelligence.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Dalrymple, with a background from MIT and Harvard, is known for his study on Caenorhabditis elegans' nervous system, featured in Nature Methods. At Oxford University, his work spans neuroinformatics, machine learning, and software engineering. He is also a co-inventor of Filecoin.

Key Highlights

• A 10-year plan for brain uploading, dismissing certain techniques like neural dust, while highlighting expansion microscopy and immunofluorescence as promising.
• The use of AI for parameter estimation from destructive imaging, with a focus on automation for scalability.
• Validation techniques involving human brain slices and the application of advanced imaging and experimental methods.
• The challenges of dense brain data transfer and the potential solutions through mapping algorithms and axon tracing.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Speaker

Beatrice Erkers reads six Existential Hope Scenarios. Beatrice is the program manager of the Existential Hope program, and Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute. The positive scenarios were a collaborative output from our 2023 Existential Hope Day attendees.

Session Summary

This podcast has been created from our 2023 Existential Hope Day, held earlier this year. This workshop aimed to provide a forum for enhancing our conceptual clarity of what positive futures might look like. This includes understanding the what, how, and why of various ideas to determine their relevance and potential impact. The discussions aimed to deepen our understanding of the term ‘Existential Hope’ and similar concepts, probe why these concepts might have been sidelined, and delve into specific future visions.

The Scenarios

• AI-Enabled Personal Flourishing
• Multigenerational Habitat in Space
• Epistemic Revolution
• Good Singularity
• Flying Cows
• Human-AI Partnership / Paretopia

Dive into our 2023 Existential Hope Day: Report

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that more people can commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan Leike is a Research Scientist at Google DeepMind and a leading voice in AI Alignment, with affiliations at the Future of Humanity Institute and the Machine Intelligence Research Institute. At OpenAI, he co-leads the Superalignment Team, contributing to AI advancements such as InstructGPT and ChatGPT. Holding a PhD from the Australian National University, Jan's work focuses on ensuring AI Alignment.

Key Highlights

• The launch of OpenAI's Superalignment team, targeting the alignment of superintelligence in four years.
• The aim to automate of alignment research, currently leveraging 20% of OpenAI's computational power.
• How traditional reinforcement learning from human feedback may fall short in scaling language model alignment.
• Why there is a focus on scalable oversight, generalization, automation interpretability, and adversarial testing to ensure alignment reliability.
• Experimentation with intentionally misaligned models to evaluate alignment strategies.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emilia Javorsky, MD, MPH, is the Director of the Futures Program at the Future of Life Institute. A physician-scientist and entrepreneur, she specializes in the development of medical technologies and is a mentor at Harvard's Wyss Institute. Recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 and a Global Shaper by the World Economic Forum, Javorsky is committed to guiding emerging technologies towards ethical, safe, and beneficial applications. With a strong foundation in AI, biotech, and nuclear risk management, she champions the responsible evolution of transformative tech for humanity's advancement.

Session Summary

Emilia envisions a future where our innate talents join forces with artificial intelligence to tackle global challenges. This isn't merely about the speed of AI advancements, but how they harmonise with human goals. Emilia stresses the importance of creating positive narratives, ones that integrate AI with genuine human empathy, pointing towards a world where technology complements, not replaces, our connections. To get here, however, she emphasises the need for thoughtful regulation, which moves away from only-theoretical approaches, and promotes an inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach. Emilia sees this pathway as a means to harness AI's capabilities fully. Looking ahead, she believes AI can better human health, pioneer bioengineering, and aid in space exploration, whilst enhancing human connection. For her, it’s more than just mitigating risk – it's about unlocking the vast potential that AI and human collaboration promise. 

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future so that we can have more people commit to creating a brighter future, and to begin mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project.

Hosted by Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn | Existential Hope Instagram

Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark S. Miller is the Chief Scientist at Agoric. He is a pioneer of agoric (market-based secure distributed) computing and smart contracts, the main designer of the E and Dr. SES distributed persistent object-capability programming languages, inventor of Miller Columns, an architect of the Xanadu hypertext publishing system, a representative of the ECMAScript committee, a former Google research scientist, and member of the WebAssembly (Wasm) group.

Key Highlights

• This podcast addresses common misconceptions about the risks of advanced AI – an example being the paper clip scenario
• How more pressing concerns regard one entity gaining unchecked power and that solutions lie not in just dispersing power but in structuring institutions effectively – similar to the separation of powers principle.
• The blend of human and AI intelligence is the cornerstone of future civilization, demanding innovative governance to ensure harmony.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

The Foresight Institute

A research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 with a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as your donations fund us entirely!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Thomas Macrina, CEO of Zetta AI and possessing a rich background in deploying deep learning to map neural circuits via 3D electron microscopy datasets, explores the rapid advancements in AI-analyzed neuroimaging, offering insights into the accelerated recovery of synaptic-level neural circuits.

Key Highlights

• Substantial progress has been realized in the recovery of petascale cortical circuits, with an impending delivery of a whole brain connectome for fruit flies on the horizon.
• The talk delves into the intricacies of AI that empower these developments, probing potential pathways to realize the exascale whole-brain connectome of a mouse.

Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary

About Foresight Institute

Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".

Get Involved with Foresight:

• Apply: Virtual Salons & in-person Workshops
• Donate: Support Our Work – If you enjoy what we do, please consider this, as we are entirely funded by your donations!

Follow Us: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Note: Explore every word spoken on this podcast through Fathom.fm, an innovative podcast search engine.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert Zubrin is an American aerospace engineer, author, and advocate for human exploration of Mars. He and his colleague at Martin Marietta, David Baker, were the driving force behind Mars Direct, a proposal in a 1990 research paper intended to produce significant reductions in the cost and complexity of such a mission.

Summary
Zubrin recaps his early interest and hopes for space exploration.  He speaks about the mission creep that plagued space travel efforts in the 90’s and his efforts to make Mars the focus of space travel once again.  He is adamantly against on-orbit assembly and the generally more complex plans that people come up with for Mars bases. 

He also touched on his interactions with Elon Musk and SpaceX.  After founding the Mars Society, Zubrin needed money to develop practice locations for Mars colonization.  He held a fundraiser where they met, and from there, Musk was all-in on getting humanity to Mars.

Robert continues to create innovative technologies with his independent company.  Even with his success at stimulating SpaceX and other organizations to explore Mars, he continues to push for more progress toward the red planet.

Full session summary: https://foresight.org/summary/robert-zubrin-the-mars-society/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Carlsmith is a writer, researcher, and philosopher. He works as a senior research analyst at Open Philanthropy, focusing on existential risk from advanced artificial intelligence. He also writes independently about various topics in philosophy and futurism and has a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Oxford.

Much of his work is about trying to help us orient wisely towards humanity’s long-term future. He delves into questions about meta-ethics and rationality at the foundation, feeding into questions about ethics (and especially about effective altruism), which motivate concern for the long-term future. 

Session Summary
Join us to explore Joseph Carlsmith’s insights into his ongoing work and thoughts on issues including AI alignment, lesser-known future risks, infinite ethics and digital minds, and the sublime utopia. 

Carlsmith shares his concerns in ensuring that advanced AI systems behave beneficially for humanity. However, he emphasizes the importance of broadening the horizon to identify and address other critical factors beyond technical AI alignment. For instance, he delves into infinite ethics, addressing the ethical considerations involving infinite impacts and numbers of people – necessary if we are going to meet future realities. 

Despite the challenges, this episode is devoted to the exploration of utopia. Beyond the lesser boundary of a concrete utopia, Carlsmith envisions the sublime utopia: a realm of aspirational goals and visions. Although filled with vulnerabilities tied to hoping for extraordinary and unprecedented outcomes, Carlsmith  lays out the essential nature of such a pursuit.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts 

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here, always featuring a full transcript, artwork inspired by the episode, and a list of recommended resources from the podcast. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project. 

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and COO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edit

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sumner is a research scientist with a decade of experience designing brain-computer interfaces (BCI) and neuroprosthetics for people with neurological injury or disease. His research has leveraged existing BCI techniques to awaken new pathways in the brain, restoring movement to people with paralysis.

Summary 
Brain computer interfaces have been getting a lot of attention – but what do the next generation of these devices look like?  A brain computer interface, or BCI, consists of some kind of brain sensor that feeds information into a decoder to translate into commands.  Adoption of these devices could grow exponentially if they can be used to treat depression, anxiety, pain, OCD, and other brain circuit disorders.  Current BCI’s can read rudimentary brain activity to allow people to play pong, write words, and play video games.  Neuralink has gone a step further and created wireless neural implants that allow the patient to untether themselves from cumbersome machines.

However, the current generation of BCI’s falls short in the categories of longevity and coverage.  These devices last around 5 years, and the invasive surgery required to fix the implant is dangerous and probably untenable for most people.  They also only cover a very small portion of the brain, less than one half of one percent, so their usefulness is limited.

Sumner proposes that ultrasound might be used to create a BCI that is non-invasive, long lasting, that operates at scale to interact with large swaths of the brain at once.  He’s not talking about the ultrasound used for pregnancy tests – a method called functional ultrasound can get down to 100 micron resolution.  They detect red blood cell motion and by tracking metabolism they infer neuronal activity.  His group has some initial success and believes its possible to use ultrasound to write to the brain along with reading it.

Session summary: https://foresight.org/summary/sumner-norman-what-to-expect-from-the-next-generation-of-brain-computer-interfaces/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Stuart Jonathan Russell is a British computer scientist known for his contributions to artificial intelligence. He is a professor of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley and was from 2008 to 2011 an adjunct professor of neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. He holds the Smith-Zadeh Chair in Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. He founded and leads the Center for Human-Compatible Artificial Intelligence (CHAI) at UC Berkeley. Russell is the co-author with Peter Norvig of the most popular textbook in the field of AI: Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach used in more than 1,500 universities in 135 countries.

Summary
This episode explores the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential impact on humanity. Russel emphasizes the importance of aligning AI systems with human values to ensure their compatibility and avoid unintended consequences. He discusses the risks associated with AI development and proposes the use of provably beneficial AI, which prioritizes human values and addresses concerns such as safety and control. Russel argues for the need to reframe AI research and policymaking to prioritize human well-being and ethical considerations. 

Computation: Intelligent Cooperation Foresight Group– Info and apply to join! 
https://foresight.org/technologies/computation-intelligent-cooperation/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nathan Johnson, a licensed attorney in Washington DC, is the author of the blog and podcast AstroEsq. With expertise in Space, Cyber, and Telecommunications Law, he has worked at the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation and the US House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. Nathan has published articles on topics including orbital debris removal, on-orbit liability, and outer space property rights. He also serves as the Regional Organizer for the Manfred Lachs North America Space Law Moot Court Competition.

Summary
Space Law encompasses international law, treaties, agreements, national laws, regulations, norms, and state practices. The Space Court Foundation, established in 2018, aims to create an updated and inclusive Space Law Library, enabling research on different concepts, rights, and responsibilities. This benefits academics, researchers, policymakers, entrepreneurs, states, and IGOs applying current law to future activities.

Space: Expanding Outwards Group: https://foresight.org/technologies/space-expanding-outward/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Steven Byrnes 

Steven Byrnes is a Research Fellow at the Astera Institute, where he is doing research at the intersection of neuroscience and Artificial General Intelligence Safety. His public writing on this topic is listed here.

Before working on AGI Safety, he was a physicist in academia and industry. He has a Physics PhD from UC Berkeley.

Session summary
Researchers will soon develop brain-like algorithms, enabling computers to possess understanding, collaboration, problem-solving abilities, and innovation. To ensure a positive outcome, we must address the challenge of fostering a desirable intelligent species and establishing mutual willingness to coexist. By leveraging our understanding of brain algorithms, we can shape this future.  Steven proposes a scenario where ~96% of the human brain is dedicated to scaled-up learning algorithms, where AGI could be achieved in decades – with the continued issue of ensuring prosocial motivations.

https://foresight.org/summary/steven-byrnes-astera-institute-challenges-for-safe-and-beneficial-brain-like-agi/

Neurotech Group: https://foresight.org/technologies/neurotech-improving-cognition/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Liv Boeree  is a British science communicator, television presenter and former professional poker player. She is a World Series of Poker and European Poker Tour champion, and is the only female player in history to win both a WSOP bracelet and an EPT event. 

In this episode, we explore the intellectual and ethical journey of Liv Boeree. A former professional poker player, Liv has transitioned into the realm of effective altruism, motivated by a desire for meaningful social impact. We discuss her early interest in science, the competitive allure of poker, and the ethical questions that led her to reevaluate the zero-sum dynamics of the game. The conversation also delves into broader issues such as misaligned incentives in competitive settings and collective action problems. Tune in for a look at the complexities of competition and cooperation in modern society.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts 

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here, always featuring a full transcript, artwork inspired by the episode, and a list of recommended resources from the podcast. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project. 

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and COO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute, and program manager of the Existential Hope group. Her special interest in the integration of technology and society has led her to work for Foresight Institute.

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our&

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sonia is a longevity investor via her company 100+ Capital, a women’s investor group called Portfolia, and advises BioVerge here in Silicon Valley. She also spends time helping the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI). She is helping A4LI streamline the political processes for advancing longevity research and therapies. When Sonia first moved to California from Canada in 1999, she helped educate congresspeople about the internet and digital technologies. She soon became interested in nanotechnology, and by extension the Foresight Institute. Her interests then turned toward longevity, and she began writing articles here and there about the topic. Peter Thiel convinced her to turn those articles into a book, “100+: how the coming age of longevity will change everything”.

This podcast explores valuable insights and guidance on career choices in the context of emerging technologies. Sonia Arrison  shares her expertise and advice on navigating career paths in a rapidly evolving world. The discussion delves into topics such as the impact of artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other emerging fields on the job market, as well as strategies for finding fulfilling and impactful careers in these areas.

Session Summary: https://foresight.org/summary/career-counseling-with-sonia-arrison/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-s

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lewis is based at the University of Oxford where he is a DPhil candidate in computer science and a DPhil affiliate at the Future of Humanity Institute. He is also the acting executive director of the Cooperative AI Foundation, an affiliate at the Centre for the Governance of AI, and a fellow at the Foresight Institute. His research concerns safety, control, and incentives in multi-agent systems and in practice spans game theory, formal methods, and machine learning. Before coming to Oxford he obtained a BSc in mathematics and philosophy from the University of Warwick and an MSc in artificial intelligence from the University of Edinburgh.

In this talk I will provide an introduction to cooperative AI – a growing subfield of AI (safety) research that seeks to improve the cooperative intelligence of artificial agents and thus their ability to increase the joint welfare of humans, machines, and groups thereof. After motivating the importance of cooperation in the context of AI, I will highlight the location of cooperative AI within the broader landscape of AI safety research (most of which considers only single-agent settings) and provide several examples of problems and progress in this area. I will also provide a brief introduction to the Cooperative AI Foundation, a new charitable organisation that seeks to build the field.

Session summary

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we welcome renowned academic and author, Daron Acemoglu, Institute professor and Economist at MIT.

Drawing upon his rich experiences and his forthcoming book 'Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity,' Acemoglu navigates the complex landscape of technological progress. He sheds light on how technology can either sideline or empower humans, depending on how it's harnessed. With a focus on the potential for technological disparity and the importance of steering advancements towards inclusivity, Acemoglu's insights provoke thoughtful reflection.

Whether you're a technologist, an economist, or simply someone intrigued by the future of our society, this episode with Daron Acemoglu will offer you fresh perspectives on the intersection of technology, economics, and power dynamics.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts 

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here, always featuring a full transcript, artwork inspired by the episode, and a list of recommended resources from the podcast. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project. 

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. 

Allison Duettmann is the president and COO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. 

Beatrice Erkers is Director of the Existential Hope project at Foresight Institute. Her special interest in the integration of technology and society has led her to work for Foresight Institute.

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joseph Mascaro

Joe Mascaro is a tropical ecologist and Director, Science Strategy & Programs at Planet, a public benefit corporation that operates the largest fleet of Earth-imaging satellites. Joe works with scientists, universities and space agencies to utilize Planet’s unprecedented imaging resources to enhance primary research and education, improve forest monitoring and conservation, expand food security, and promote ecological resilience for some of the world’s most vulnerable communities.

Joe discusses transfer of innovations from one segment to another; these “exaptations” in technology occur when an innovation, designed to solve a problem, becomes important in solving a different problem. Originally defined in the context of evolutionary biology, exaptation may be one of the most important outcomes of space exploration and space-based Earth observation science. In the effort to image the whole Earth every day, for example, Planet innovated novel solutions to Earth imaging payloads, which have had important follow on effects in Earth science that were not anticipated—including improving our understanding of hydrology, cryosphere dynamics and geomorphology. These examples are likely the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Farer-flung examples from the human spaceflight industry are also discussed.

See here: https://foresight.org/summary/joseph-mascaro-the-evolution-of-space-technology-from-spin-offs-to-exaptation/ 

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Divya Siddarth

Divya is the co-founder of the Collective Intelligence Project, which advances collective intelligence capabilities for the democratic and effective governance of transformative technologies. She serves as Associate Political Economist and Social Technologist at Microsoft’s Office of the CTO. She also holds positions as a research director at Metagov and a researcher in residence at the RadicalXChange Foundation.

In today’s rapidly evolving world, where technology is at the forefront of progress, the need for effective collaboration between humans and artificial intelligence is more crucial than ever. In this engaging and thought-provoking talk, we will explore the concept of collective intelligence and discuss how it can be harnessed to drive collective progress in various domains, including science, technology, and social innovation. 

See here: https://foresight.org/summary/divya-siddarth-collective-intelligence-for-collective-progress/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Chris Eliasmith is jointly appointed in Philosophy and Systems Design Engineering, and cross-appointed to Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. He has supervised students in each of these departments as well as Biology and Psychology. 

Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience (CTN) 
He is currently the director of this Centre. The Centre is a focal point for researchers across faculties (math, engineering, arts, science) interested in computational and theoretical models of neural systems.

The Computational Neuroscience Research Group (CNRG)  is his research lab, and is part of the CTN. He is the head of the lab.

Dr Eliasmith's most recent book is called 'How to build a brain' (Oxford University Press, Amazon link). Work described there has been widely covered in the popular press.

Session summary

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we engage with renowned physicist Sara Walker on topics of life's origin, artificial intelligence, and our cosmic future. We delve into Walker's career journey, which starts from her fascination with physics at a community college and leads her to question the origin of life as a theoretical physicist at Arizona State University.

Walker talks about how understanding life's origins is an open frontier that could potentially reshape our perspective of ourselves and our future, the role of AI in comprehending life's structure and origins, and its planetary-scale implications for humanity.

We also hear Walker's advice for young researchers stepping into this field. Tune in for a captivating exploration into life's deepest enigmas!

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts 

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here, always featuring a full transcript, artwork inspired by the episode, and a list of recommended resources from the podcast. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project. 

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. 

Allison Duettmann is the president and COO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. 

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute, and program manager of the Existential Hope group. Her special interest in the integration of technology and society has led her to work for Foresight Institute.

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Reason is co-founder and CEO of Repair Biotechnologies. He has been an active angel investor in the longevity industry since its earliest days, with investments including Oisin Biotechnologies and Leucadia Therapeutics. He is a long-standing and well-connected patient advocate for aging research, involved in numerous fundraising and outreach initiatives conducted by organizations such as the Methuselah Foundation and SENS Research Foundation since the early 2000s. He is also the founder and writer of Fight Aging!, a noted news and commentary website in the biotechnology community.

Cholesterol is presented as much an enemy as a friend in this look at how direct clearance of localized excess cholesterol outperforms other strategies in a number of important medical conditions.


Session summary: Reason, Fight Aging | Towards Biotechnology to Finally Defeat Cholesterol - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Foresight’s Existential Hope Podcast, our special guest is Kevin Kelly, an influential figure in technology, culture, and optimism for the future. As the founding executive editor of Wired and former editor of Whole Earth Review, Kelly's ideas and perspectives have shaped generations of thinkers and technologists.

Join our hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers as they delve into Kelly's philosophies and experiences, from witnessing technological shifts over the decades to fostering optimism about the future. Kelly shares details about his latest book, a collection of optimistic advice in tweet form, and talks about his current project envisioning a desirable hi-tech future 100 years from now.

He also discusses the transformative power of the internet as an accelerant for learning, the underestimated long-term effects of being online, and the culture-changing potential of platforms like YouTube. If you're interested in the intersection of technology, optimism, and the future, this podcast episode is a must-listen.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece here.

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here, always featuring a full transcript, artwork inspired by the episode, and a list of recommended resources from the podcast.

Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project. The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. 

Beatrice Erkers is COO at Foresight Institute, and program manager of the Existential Hope group. Her special interest in the integration of technology and society has led her to work for Foresight Institute.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

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• Facebook
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Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaan Tallinn is a co-founder of the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk in Cambridge, the Future of Life Institute in Cambridge and a founding engineer of Skype.

Session summary: Foresight Mentorship with Jaan Tallinn - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can #shieldedtransactions/#privacy-protecting initiatives change the way we interact in society? What can we do to safeguard our identities in the future of this #crypto economy? Are there certain utopias and dystopias to embrace or to avoid?

Zaki Manian wears many hats in the blockspace. He is currently a cofounder of the iqlusion. They are working Armistice, an open source hardware security solution. Iqlusion advises, and supports a number of blockchain projects. He is also an advisor to the Electric Coin Company. He taught himself after college software engineering, programming and computer science. From 2008-2013, he was tech lead on scientific instrumentation product at ReaMetrix. He started an enterprise blockchain company called Skuchain in 2014 and started teaching himself cryptography.

In 2017, Zaki co-founded the Trusted IoT Alliance and iqlusion, and also started contributing more to Cosmos. He helped build the first validator dashboard and then Figment ran with the idea. He helped launch the first public Cosmos testnets. He spent a lot of 2018 working part time at All In Bits, building out the validator ecosystem, and figuring how to do quality assurance to enable the Cosmos launch.

After All In Bits proved too unstable to finish the work, he resigned in Feb 2019 and is completing the IBC work with the community from contributors from Agoric, Interchain Berlin and Informal.
https://zaki.manian.org/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

The host, Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

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Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Natalie Dullerud is a first-year PhD student at Stanford University and recently received her Master’s from University of Toronto. She previously graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from University of Southern California, with minors in computer science and chemistry. Natalie’s research largely focuses on machine learning through differential privacy, algorithmic fairness, and applications to clinical and biological settings.

Machine learning benefits from large training datasets, which may not always be possible to collect by any single entity, especially when using privacy-sensitive data. In many contexts, such as healthcare and finance, separate parties may wish to collaborate and learn from each other’s data but are prevented from doing so due to privacy regulations. This talk will describe Confidential and Private Collaborative (CaPC) Learning, a recently published framework that allows entities to collaborate via privacy-preserving mechanisms in order to improve their own local models and maintain data privacy, from both a cryptographic and differentially private definition. The talk will encompass current definitions, concerns and techniques in the private distributed learning setting, then turn to the technical details and advantages to CaPC in practical settings.


Session summary: Natalie Dullerud | CaPC - Confidential and Private Collaborative Learning - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Deutsch, a physicist and writer, has a broad interest in fundamental concepts. He is credited with discovering the first quantum algorithm and, together with Richard Jozsa, discovering the first quantum algorithm capable of solving certain problems exponentially faster than classical computer science.

Deutsch discusses the intersection of beauty, knowledge, and progress in this episode of Foresight's Existential Hope Podcast. Deutsch's innovative work on quantum algorithms and constructor theory is explored, along with his insights on critical thinking, AI alignment, education, and human progress. The conversation is enlightening and thought-provoking, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in cutting-edge ideas and research.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: https://www.existentialhope.com/podcasts 

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here, always featuring a full transcript, artwork inspired by the episode, and a list of recommended resources from the podcast. Existential Hope is a Foresight Institute project. 

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Beatrice Erkers is COO at Foresight Institute, and program manager of the Existential Hope group. She has a background in the publishing industry and has several years of experience working with communication at Foresight and at a publishing house. Her special interest in the integration of technology and society has led her to work for Foresight Institute.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the future hold for shielded transactions? How can #shieldedtransactions/#privacy-protecting initiatives change the way we interact in society? What can we do to safeguard our identities in the future of this #crypto economy? Are there certain utopias and dystopias to embrace or to avoid?

*Avichal Garg, Electric Capital | Shielded Transaction Special | Trailer*
Avichal Garg is a co-founder and partner on the investment team at Electric Capital. He is a successful serial entrepreneur with executive experience at Google and Facebook, which acquired his previous company in 2012. At Facebook he was Director of Product Management for the Local product group, a team of 400 engineers responsible for billions in revenue.

Prior to Electric, Avichal was an investor in crypto projects such as Anchorage, Bitwise, Celo, dYdX, Lightning Labs, and OpenSea and unicorns such as Airtable, Boom Supersonic, Color Genomics, Cruise, Deel, Figma, Material Secutiy, Newfront Insurance, Notion, Nova Credit, and Pulley.
https://avichal.com/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vadim Gladyshev is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Director of the Center for Redox Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, and Associate Member of the Broad Institute.

Mahdi Moqri is an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in Aging Research at the Sebastiano Lab at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford, and a visiting scholar at the Gladyshev Lab at Harvard Medical School.

Mahdi Moqri is an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in Aging Research at the Sebastiano Lab at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford, and a visiting scholar at the Gladyshev Lab at Harvard Medical School. 

With the rapid expansion of aging biology research, identification and evaluation of longevity interventions in humans have become key goals of this field. Biomarkers of aging are critically important tools in achieving these objectives over realistic timeframes. Here, we advance a framework for characterizing and assessing biomarkers of aging, including consensus terminology for several key concepts in this space. We propose classification of existing biomarkers and evaluate their feasibility, age-sensitivity, mechanistic underpinnings, and response criteria. 

Session summary: V. Gladyshev, M. Moqri, V.Sebastiano | Quantifying Aging - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Neurotech Special: Whole Brain Emulation and Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) Virtual Meeting Seminar brings together leading researchers, engineers, and entrepreneurs to discuss the latest advances in whole brain emulation (WBE) and its implications for AGI. This seminar aims to explore the technical, ethical, and societal challenges that emerge as we venture into the realm of replicating and augmenting human intelligence.

Session summary: https://foresight.org/summary/neurotech-special-wbe-agi-virtual-seminar-meeting/ 

Upcoming workshop on the topic: https://foresight.org/whole-brain-emulation-workshop-2023/

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Existential Hope Podcast, we have the pleasure of interviewing Anders Sandberg, a Swedish philosopher, and researcher at the Future of Humanity Institute at Oxford University.

During our conversation with Anders, we explore the concept of grand futures and what it means to strive for them as a society. We discuss the potential benefits and risks of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and biotechnology, and how we can navigate these developments responsibly.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: Anders Sandberg | Grand Futures & The Post-Human Coral Reef

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here.

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute, and program manager of the Existential Hope group. She has a background in publishing and years of experience working with communication at Foresight and at a publishing house. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can #shieldedtransactions/#privacy-protecting initiatives change the way we interact in society? What can we do to safeguard our identities in the future of this #crypto economy? Are there certain utopias and dystopias to embrace or to avoid?

Marta Belcher, Filecoin Foundation - Shielded Transaction Special
Marta Belcher is president and chair of the Filecoin Foundation and head of policy at Protocol Labs. Marta also serves on the Boards of the Zcash Foundation and the Blockchain Association, and is a member of Paradigm’s Policy Council. Marta is a pioneer in blockchain law and policy, and has testified in Congress and state legislatures as well as speaking in European Parliament.

Marta has submitted briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court and U.S. appellate courts for high-profile public interest organizations, including EFF, the Center for Democracy & Technology, Public Knowledge, the Cato Institute, the National Consumers' League, Project Gutenberg, and the Blockchain Association. Marta has been recognized by the Financial Times Innovative Lawyer awards, by Law360’s list of Top Attorneys Under 40, by CryptoWeekly’s list of Most Influential Women in Crypto, and as Business Intelligence Group’s Woman of the Year.

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bryan Johnson, Kernel

Bryan Johnson is founder & CEO of Kernel, creator of the world’s first mainstream non-invasive neuroimaging system; OS Fund, where he invested $100M in the predictable engineering of atoms, molecules, and organisms into companies now collectively valued over $6B; and Blueprint, an endeavor to achieve humanity and earth scale cooperation starting within Self. 

Bryan Johnson and Allison Duettmann discuss Kernel, BluePrint, and the Rejuvenation Olympics. Bryan shares the connection between the projects, the principles that made BluePrint a success for him, surprising findings he encountered, why it’s vegan, and how to do an MVP version of the program. They discuss how Bryan is planning on scaling rejuvenation efforts via the rejuvenation olympics, and how both BluePrint, and the Rejuvenation Olympics fit into his larger plan of updating humanity via self reflection, evolving ourselves, new economic incentives, embracing AI, a global immune system, working on hard problems, and updating our belief systems. The seminar finishes with an audience Q&A.


Session summary: Bryan Johnson | Blueprint Rejuvenation Athlete - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robin Dale Hanson is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. He is known as an expert on idea futures and markets, and he was involved in the creation of the Foresight Exchange and DARPA’s FutureMAP project. He invented market scoring rules like LMSR (Logarithmic Market Scoring Rule) used by prediction markets such as Consensus Point (where Hanson is Chief Scientist), and has conducted research on signaling.

When attempting to affect change in the world, you will inevitably run up against concepts that others consider sacred. This creates a very tough barrier to change, especially if you are trying to change something like democracy, family, or religion. The essence of sacred is the bond shared between those who consider a particular idea sacred. It’s difficult to see things the same when seeing them in high resolution, so sacred things tend to be seen in abstract detail, even when looking at them up close, to allow for concensus.


Session Summary: Robin Hanson, George Mason University | Deflecting The Sacred - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lee Cronin is a Regius Professor of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow, with a passion for science and technology since childhood.

In this thrilling episode of the podcast, we sit down with the brilliant Lee Cronin, an acclaimed scientist, and researcher in the field of chemical synthesis and molecular self-assembly. With his groundbreaking work at the forefront of synthetic chemistry, Lee Cronin offers us an unparalleled glimpse into the world of creating new forms of matter and pushing the boundaries of scientific exploration.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: Lee Cronin | Catalyzing Progress through Chemistry (existentialhope.com)

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here.

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute, and program manager of the Existential Hope group. She has a background in the publishing industry and has several years of experience working with communication at Foresight and at a publishing house. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!
We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.
Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Allison Duettmann, Foresight Institute

Alison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Groups, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She shares Foresight’s work with the public, for instance at the Wall Street Journal, SXSW, O’Reilly AI, WEF, The Partnership on AI, Effective Altruism Global, and TEDx. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize…
Allison gave opening remarks about the potential for cryptocommerce. Although opportunities for bright futures enabled by bio, nano, and AI technologies are now within our reach, their proliferation also comes with risks and authoritarian attempts at control. Cryptographic tools can help us navigate the traps because they enable decentralized, secure cooperation, thereby unlocking a path of high technology, security, and freedom.

Allison Duettmann, Foresight Institute
The Long-term Potential of Cryptocommerce

This was recorded at the Foresight Crypto, Security & AI Workshop,
 October 4-5 @50 Years in San Francisco.

Session summary: Allison Duettmann, Foresight Institute | The Long term Potential of Cryptocommerce - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable us

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Miller, Agoric

Mark S. Miller is a Chief Scientist at Agoric. He is a pioneer of agoric (market-based secure distributed) computing and smart contracts, the main designer of the E and Dr. SES distributed persistent object-capability programming languages, inventor of Miller Columns, and an architect of the Xanadu hypertext publishing system.

Humans cooperate through institutions to solve problems that could not be solved individually. Civilization as a whole is the superintelligent ecosystem emergent of those interactions. However, the infrastructure that enables cooperation has extremely bad security. The exploitation of these vulnerabilities are currently still limited by human effort, but AI is already changing the ability to exploit these systems. Securing the foundation for cooperation is necessary if we want civilization to be resistant to emerging technologies, and there are promising projects we can support today.

This was recorded at the Foresight Crypto, Security & AI Workshop,
 October 4-5 @50 Years in San Francisco.

Session summary: Mark S. Miller, Agoric | Computational Markets & Agoric Systems - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What types of crypto tools can help enable paretotopian futures? Listen to Juan Benet present on what he considers to be the most promising tools.

This video was recorded at the Foresight Crypto, Security & AI Workshop,
 October 4-5 @50 Years in San Francisco.

Juan Benet is the inventor of the InterPlanetary File System (IPFS), a new protocol to make the web faster, safer, and more open, and Filecoin, a cryptocurrency-incentivized storage network. The IPFS Project has grown into a large open-source movement to re-decentralize the web, safeguard our data, and improve our applications. Juan is the founder of Protocol Labs, the internet tech R&D lab that develops IPFS and Filecoin. He studied Computer Science at Stanford University and is obsessed with knowledge, science, and technology.

Crypto can be used as a massive lever to move us toward paratotopia. The concept of paratotopia is based off of an ideal outcome between two competing interests. Juan believes the pie of resources can be grown via crypto technology to produce better cooperation. Altering incentive structures could stimulate large untapped resources to be deployed toward the most impactful projects that further the common good.

Session summary: Juan Benet, Filecoin | Crypto Tools for Paretotopia - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

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Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

David Leigh is a scientist who designs and synthesizes artificial molecular motors and machines from first principles.

In this episode, we sit down with special guest David Leigh, a molecular scientist at the University of Manchester and a pioneer in the field of Nanotechnology. David shares his journey in the field, from his expertise to his time mentoring junior scientists. He also shares his vision of existential hope, given the trajectory our society is taking and all the possibilities that can come from emerging nanotechnological findings.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: David Leigh | Exploring the possibilities of nanotechnology

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here.

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize.

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute, and program manager of the Existential Hope group. She has a background in publishing and has several years of experience working with communication at Foresight and at a publishing house.

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in-person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adam Brown is a theoretical physicist at Stanford, interested in early universe cosmology, inflation, black holes, and assorted other topics. His academic papers can be found on the arXiv.

In this episode of the Existential Hope podcast, renowned theoretical physicist Adam Brown shares his insights on the future of physics and cosmology. From his work on black holes and the early universe to his thoughts on the potential risks and opportunities for the future.

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: Adam Brown | A Theoretical Physicist's Take on the Future (existentialhope.com)

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here.

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute and program manager of the Existential Hope group. She has a background in the publishing industry and has several years of experience working with communication at Foresight and at a publishing house. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in-person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sonia Arrison, 100+ Capital

Sonia Arrison is a longevity investor via her company 100+ Capital, a women’s investor group called Portfolia, and advises BioVerge here in Silicon Valley. She also spends time helping the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI). She is helping A4LI streamline the political processes for advancing longevity research and therapies.

When Sonia first moved to California from Canada in 1999, she helped educate congresspeople about the internet and digital technologies. She soon became interested in nanotechnology, and by extension the Foresight Institute. Her interests then turned toward longevity, and she began writing articles here and there about the topic. Peter Thiel convinced her to turn those articles into a book – “100+: how the coming age of longevity will change everything”.

She was later pulled into a project with Ryan Bethencourt at IndieBio, becoming his first investor. That catalyzed her role as an angel investor in the longevity biotech space. Around that same time, she was involved in Singularity University. She realized how investable the longevity space had become, and rather than write yet another book she became a major investor in the longevity space.

Session summary: Career Counseling with Sonia Arrison - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Robin Hanson feeling hopeful about the future? What future does he want to see? How big can the future be? In this episode of the Existential Hope podcast, we ask Robin Hanson about his reflections on the future, and we also collect his best career advice.

Hanson is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University. 

Robin speaks on how people tend to think about the future, his Grabby Alien paper and the Fermi Paradox, his career as a researcher within multiple fields, and much more!

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: Robin Hanson | On Futurism & His Best Career Advice

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here.

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize.

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute, and program manager of the Existential Hope group. She has a background in publishing and years of experience working with communication at Foresight and at a publishing house. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in-person workshops here!
We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.
Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Should cryonics be our plan A for life extension?  If so, how do you sign up to cryonics? In this episode of the podcast Emil Kendziorra and Max More answers all the most common (and uncommon) questions about signing up for cryonics. 

 Emil Kendziorra received his doctoral degree in translational cancer research. Between 2009 and 2019 he founded, grew, and then sold multiple medical- and tech startups by himself. In the medical field, he founded MedLanes, a service that provides medical home visits at the press of a button, even during Covid times.

Max More is a philosopher and futurist who writes, speaks, and consults on advanced decision-making about emerging technologies. He is the current Ambassador and President Emeritus (as of February 2021) after serving almost nine and a half years as president and CEO of Alcor Life Extension Foundation.

The process of cryonics involves SST – standby stabilization and transport, which is the emergency response to death. Then the team removes as much blood as possible from the body because it contains a lot of water, and replaces it with a cryoprotectant solution. Rapid cooldown comes next, then slow cooldown to cool and freeze the body so it can be stored in cryogenic dewars.

Session summary: Emil Kendziorra, Max More | Cryonics Sign-Up Q&A + Demo - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why is cryptography so important today? And why are so many missing out on its importance? This episode feature Balaji Srinivasan.

Balaji Srinivasan is an angel investor and entrepreneur. Formerly the CTO of Coinbase and General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, he was also the co-founder of Earn.com (acquired by Coinbase), Counsyl (acquired by Myriad), Teleport (acquired by Topia), and Coin Center.

Balaji believes it’s easier to start another country than to reform the FDA.  His goal is the Network State, a state formed not from geographical borders but from connections over the internet.  A network state is a highly aligned online community with the capacity for action that crowdfunds territory around the world and which gains diplomatic recognition from pre-existing states.

Session summary: Balaji Srinivasan | The Pseudonymous Economy & Transhumanism - Foresight Institute

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we alone in the universe? What could a future for humans in space look like? And what would Creon's advise to Elon Musk be if he wants to make a self-sufficient mass colony there?  
Creon Levit is the chief technologist at Planet Labs, where he works to move the world toward existential hope via novel satellite technologies. He also hosts Foresight Institute's Space Group. Creon speaks on his experiences working with NASA & Planet Labs and much more! 

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: Existential Hope: Creon Levit | On space and the long-term future

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here.

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize.

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute and program manager of the Existential Hope group. She has a background in publishing and years of experience working with communication at Foresight and at a publishing house. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in-person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happened to the idea of progress? How do we regain our sense of agency? And how do we move forward, in the 21st century and beyond?

Jason Crawford
I am the founder of The Roots of Progress, a nonprofit dedicated to establishing a new philosophy of progress for the 21st century. I write and speak about the history and philosophy of progress, especially in technology and industry. I am also the creator of Progress Studies for Young Scholars, an online learning program about the history of technology for high schoolers, and a part-time technical consultant and adviser to Our World in Data.

Session summary: (425) Jason Crawford | A New Philosophy of Progress - YouTube

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What could the world be if we managed to get aligned AI? And are we able to make such a future happen?

This episode of the Existential Hope podcast features Richard Mallah, Director of AI Projects at the Future of Life Institute, where he works to support the robust, safe, beneficent development and deployment of advanced artificial intelligence. 

Full transcript, list of resources, and art piece: Richard Mallah | How Aligned AI Could Help Us Create A Flourishing Future

Existential Hope was created to collect positive and possible scenarios for the future, so that we can have more people commit to the creation of a brighter future, and to start mapping out the main developments and challenges that need to be navigated to reach it. Find all previous podcast episodes here.

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize.

Beatrice Erkers is Chief of Operations at Foresight Institute and program manager of the Existential Hope group. She has a background in publishing and years of experience working with communication at Foresight and at a publishing house. Her special interest in the integration of technology and society has led her to work for Foresight Institute.

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in-person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How private is too private when we're talking about #privacy? Is it moral for our private identities to exist in a grey area system? What does a future with machine privacy like #ZeroKnowledgeProofs hold?

In this episode of #ShieldedTransactions, we chat with Whyrusleeping, an engineer at Protocol Labs and #Zcash advocate, about what the future will look like in a post zksnarks world and how we need to protect our identities in a future that relies so heavily on machine learning and complex systems. 


Session Summary: (423) Shielded Transactions | Who Should Control Your Privacy? (with Whyrusleeping) - YouTube

The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.

Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize. 

Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!

We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.

Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

• Twitter
• Facebook
• LinkedIn