167 - Eliezer is Wrong. We’re NOT Going to Die with Robin Hanson

In this highly anticipated sequel to our 1st AI conversation with Eliezer Yudkowsky, we bring you a thought-provoking discussion with Robin Hanson, a professor of economics at George Mason University and a research associate at the Future of Humanity Institute of Oxford University.

Eliezer painted a chilling and grim picture of a future where AI ultimately kills us all​. Robin is here to provide a different perspective.

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✨ DEBRIEF | Unpacking the episode:
https://www.bankless.com/debrief-robin-hanson

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In this episode, we explore:

- Why Robin believes Eliezer is wrong and that we're not all going to die from an AI takeover. But will we potentially become their pets instead?
- The possibility of a civil war between multiple AIs and why it's more likely than being dominated by a single superintelligent AI.
- Robin's concerns about the regulation of AI and why he believes it's a greater threat than AI itself.
- A fascinating analogy: why Robin thinks alien civilizations might spread like cancer?
- Finally, we dive into the world of crypto and explore Robin's views on this rapidly evolving technology.

Whether you're an AI enthusiast, a crypto advocate, or just someone intrigued by the big-picture questions about humanity and its prospects, this episode is one you won't want to miss.

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Topics Covered

0:00 Intro
8:42 How Robin is Weird
10:00 Are We All Going to Die?
13:50 Eliezer’s Assumption
25:00 Intelligence, Humans, & Evolution
27:31 Eliezer Counter Point
32:00 Acceleration of Change
33:18 Comparing & Contrasting Eliezer’s Argument
35:45 A New Life Form
44:24 AI Improving Itself
47:04 Self Interested Acting Agent
49:56 Human Displacement?
55:56 Many AIs
1:00:18 Humans vs. Robots
1:04:14 Pause or Continue AI Innovation?
1:10:52 Quiet Civilization
1:14:28 Grabby Aliens
1:19:55 Are Humans Grabby?
1:27:29 Grabby Aliens Explained
1:36:16 Cancer
1:40:00 Robin’s Thoughts on Crypto
1:42:20 Closing & Disclaimers

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Resources:

Robin Hanson
https://twitter.com/robinhanson

Eliezer Yudkowsky on Bankless
https://www.bankless.com/159-were-all-gonna-die-with-eliezer-yudkowsky

What is the AI FOOM debate?
https://www.lesswrong.com/tag/the-hanson-yudkowsky-ai-foom-debate

Age of Em book - Robin Hanson
https://ageofem.com/

Grabby Aliens
https://grabbyaliens.com/

Kurzgesagt video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDSf2h9_39I&t=1s

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Not financial or tax advice. This channel is strictly educational and is not investment advice or a solicitation to buy or sell any assets or to make any financial decisions. This video is not tax advice. Talk to your accountant. Do your own research.

Disclosure. From time-to-time I may add links in this newsletter to products I use. I may receive commission if you make a purchase through one of these links. Additionally, the Bankless writers hold crypto assets. See our investment disclosures here:
https://www.bankless.com/disclosures