#194 – Vitalik Buterin on defensive acceleration and how to regulate AI when you fear government
80,000 Hours Podcast26 Heinä 2024

#194 – Vitalik Buterin on defensive acceleration and how to regulate AI when you fear government

"If you’re a power that is an island and that goes by sea, then you’re more likely to do things like valuing freedom, being democratic, being pro-foreigner, being open-minded, being interested in trade. If you are on the Mongolian steppes, then your entire mindset is kill or be killed, conquer or be conquered … the breeding ground for basically everything that all of us consider to be dystopian governance. If you want more utopian governance and less dystopian governance, then find ways to basically change the landscape, to try to make the world look more like mountains and rivers and less like the Mongolian steppes." —Vitalik Buterin

Can ‘effective accelerationists’ and AI ‘doomers’ agree on a common philosophy of technology? Common sense says no. But programmer and Ethereum cofounder Vitalik Buterin showed otherwise with his essay “My techno-optimism,” which both camps agreed was basically reasonable.

Links to learn more, highlights, video, and full transcript.

Seeing his social circle divided and fighting, Vitalik hoped to write a careful synthesis of the best ideas from both the optimists and the apprehensive.

Accelerationists are right: most technologies leave us better off, the human cost of delaying further advances can be dreadful, and centralising control in government hands often ends disastrously.

But the fearful are also right: some technologies are important exceptions, AGI has an unusually high chance of being one of those, and there are options to advance AI in safer directions.

The upshot? Defensive acceleration: humanity should run boldly but also intelligently into the future — speeding up technology to get its benefits, but preferentially developing ‘defensive’ technologies that lower systemic risks, permit safe decentralisation of power, and help both individuals and countries defend themselves against aggression and domination.

Entrepreneur First is running a defensive acceleration incubation programme with $250,000 of investment. If these ideas resonate with you, learn about the programme and apply by August 2, 2024. You don’t need a business idea yet — just the hustle to start a technology company.

In addition to all of that, host Rob Wiblin and Vitalik discuss:

  • AI regulation disagreements being less about AI in particular, and more whether you’re typically more scared of anarchy or totalitarianism.
  • Vitalik’s updated p(doom).
  • Whether the social impact of blockchain and crypto has been a disappointment.
  • Whether humans can merge with AI, and if that’s even desirable.
  • The most valuable defensive technologies to accelerate.
  • How to trustlessly identify what everyone will agree is misinformation
  • Whether AGI is offence-dominant or defence-dominant.
  • Vitalik’s updated take on effective altruism.
  • Plenty more.

Chapters:

  • Cold open (00:00:00)
  • Rob’s intro (00:00:56)
  • The interview begins (00:04:47)
  • Three different views on technology (00:05:46)
  • Vitalik’s updated probability of doom (00:09:25)
  • Technology is amazing, and AI is fundamentally different from other tech (00:15:55)
  • Fear of totalitarianism and finding middle ground (00:22:44)
  • Should AI be more centralised or more decentralised? (00:42:20)
  • Humans merging with AIs to remain relevant (01:06:59)
  • Vitalik’s “d/acc” alternative (01:18:48)
  • Biodefence (01:24:01)
  • Pushback on Vitalik’s vision (01:37:09)
  • How much do people actually disagree? (01:42:14)
  • Cybersecurity (01:47:28)
  • Information defence (02:01:44)
  • Is AI more offence-dominant or defence-dominant? (02:21:00)
  • How Vitalik communicates among different camps (02:25:44)
  • Blockchain applications with social impact (02:34:37)
  • Rob’s outro (03:01:00)

Producer and editor: Keiran Harris
Audio engineering team: Ben Cordell, Simon Monsour, Milo McGuire, and Dominic Armstrong
Transcriptions: Katy Moore

Jaksot(320)

#23 - How to actually become an AI alignment researcher, according to Dr Jan Leike

#23 - How to actually become an AI alignment researcher, according to Dr Jan Leike

Want to help steer the 21st century’s most transformative technology? First complete an undergrad degree in computer science and mathematics. Prioritize harder courses over easier ones. Publish at lea...

16 Maalis 201845min

#22 - Leah Utyasheva on the non-profit that figured out how to massively cut suicide rates

#22 - Leah Utyasheva on the non-profit that figured out how to massively cut suicide rates

How people kill themselves varies enormously depending on which means are most easily available. In the United States, suicide by firearm stands out. In Hong Kong, where most people live in high rise ...

7 Maalis 20181h 8min

#21 - Holden Karnofsky on times philanthropy transformed the world & Open Phil’s plan to do the same

#21 - Holden Karnofsky on times philanthropy transformed the world & Open Phil’s plan to do the same

The Green Revolution averted mass famine during the 20th century. The contraceptive pill gave women unprecedented freedom in planning their own lives. Both are widely recognised as scientific breakthr...

27 Helmi 20182h 35min

#20 - Bruce Friedrich on inventing outstanding meat substitutes to end speciesism & factory farming

#20 - Bruce Friedrich on inventing outstanding meat substitutes to end speciesism & factory farming

Before the US Civil War, it was easier for the North to morally oppose slavery. Why? Because unlike the South they weren’t profiting much from its existence. The fight for abolition was partly won bec...

19 Helmi 20181h 18min

#19 - Samantha Pitts-Kiefer on working next to the White House trying to prevent nuclear war

#19 - Samantha Pitts-Kiefer on working next to the White House trying to prevent nuclear war

Rogue elements within a state’s security forces enrich dozens of kilograms of uranium. It’s then assembled into a crude nuclear bomb. The bomb is transported on a civilian aircraft to Washington D.C, ...

14 Helmi 20181h 4min

#18 - Ofir Reich on using data science to end poverty & the spurious action-inaction distinction

#18 - Ofir Reich on using data science to end poverty & the spurious action-inaction distinction

Ofir Reich started out doing math in the military, before spending 8 years in tech startups - but then made a sharp turn to become a data scientist focussed on helping the global poor. At UC Berkeley...

31 Tammi 20181h 18min

#17 - Will MacAskill on moral uncertainty, utilitarianism & how to avoid being a moral monster

#17 - Will MacAskill on moral uncertainty, utilitarianism & how to avoid being a moral monster

Immanuel Kant is a profoundly influential figure in modern philosophy, and was one of the earliest proponents for universal democracy and international cooperation. He also thought that women have no ...

19 Tammi 20181h 52min

#16 - Michelle Hutchinson on global priorities research & shaping the ideas of intellectuals

#16 - Michelle Hutchinson on global priorities research & shaping the ideas of intellectuals

In the 40s and 50s neoliberalism was a fringe movement within economics. But by the 80s it had become a dominant school of thought in public policy, and achieved major policy changes across the Englis...

22 Joulu 201755min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
rss-narsisti
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
aamukahvilla
rss-niinku-asia-on
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
adhd-podi
psykologia
kesken
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
rss-valo-minussa-2
dear-ladies
rss-koira-haudattuna
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
esa-saarinen-filosofia-ja-systeemiajattelu
leveli
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-luonnollinen-synnytys-podcast
rss-ihana-elamani