Today’s episode focuses on Nick Bostrom's latest book, Deep Utopia. Published a couple of weeks ago, it delves into the possibilities of a future where artificial intelligence has solved humanity's deepest problems.
Nick Bostrom, a renowned philosopher at the University of Oxford, is known for his thought-provoking work on existential risks and the potential impact of advanced AI. In his previous book, the mega-bestseller Superintelligence, he argued that humanity faced a significant chance of being wiped out within the next century due to the development of dangerous forms of AI. In sharp contrast, in "Deep Utopia," Bostrom explores a different scenario – one where AI progresses to such an extent that it can perform all economically valuable work at near-zero cost, and even tasks that we might consider uniquely human (such as parenting!) can be done better by AI.
At first glance, this might sound more dystopian than utopian, but Bostrom argues otherwise. He envisions a "post-scarcity" utopia, where the need for work is greatly reduced, and humans have the freedom to pursue their passions and explore new experiences beyond our current conception. As technology advances, the space of possible experiences for us could extend far beyond what our present brains can access.
However, Bostrom also acknowledges that even in a post-scarcity world, physical resources, such as land, would still be limited. Additionally, humans may continue to derive value from surpassing their fellow humans in various domains, leading to the persistence of "positional goods" – goods that boost the status of their owners and are inherently scarce.
Bostrom also contemplates a "post-instrumental" world, where AIs become superhuman at tasks like child care. This raises the question of what purpose humans would have in such a world. While some might find joy in activities with intrinsic value, such as eating tasty food, others might seek out challenges, like colonizing new planets to re-engineer civilization from scratch.
The idea of a "paradox of progress" emerges – although most humans want a better world, if technology becomes too advanced, they may lose purpose. Economists have long believed that humans have unlimited wants and desires, but an AI utopia would put this belief to the test.
As we ponder the possibilities presented in "Deep Utopia," it becomes clear that the implications of advanced AI are both exciting and daunting. The book challenges us to consider what we value most as humans and how we might find meaning and purpose in a world where our biggest problems have been solved by technology.
I should provide a disclaimer that I haven’t actually read “Deep Utopia” myself yet (I’m basing this episode on literary reviews of it), but if you’d like to delve into the pros and cons of a utopic future facilitated the AI technologies that are taking off today like deep learning transformer architectures then Nick Bostrom's latest book could be the thought-provoking exploration you’re looking for. Some of the early Amazon reviews complain about quality of the printing paper and that the book could made the same points in fewer pages, but a book like this by a leading AI thinker I have no doubt would allow you to contemplate deeply on the nature of human desires, the potential for limitless experiences, and the challenges we might face in finding purpose in a post-scarcity and post-instrumental world. As we as data scientists continue to push the boundaries of technology, these are questions that we might be happy to grapple with in the years to come.
For me personally, I’m excited by books like “Deep Utopia” because it gets us all thinking big about how, in our lifetimes, AI could help us realize abundant energy, wholesome nutrition for everyone on the planet, dramatically extended lifespans, high-quality personalized education for all, freedom from violence, freedom of expression, sustainability, cultural preservation and more good stuff.
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