The Role of Technology in Unifying the World

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I don't see technology as a decisive way to solve that global governance issue. I'm not sure we're getting any better at that. Back in the stone age it was like the tribe was the largest unit, maybe 60 people or something. We have over a billion people in China and large areas but also weak forms of global governance structures. It might be that we've already gone most of the way towards unifying the world. And we just have sort of one more order of magnitude to go.

Nick Bostrom of the University of Oxford talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about his book, Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies. Bostrom argues that when machines exist which dwarf human intelligence they will threaten human existence unless steps are taken now to reduce the risk. The conversation covers the likelihood of the worst scenarios, strategies that might be used to reduce the risk and the implications for labor markets, and human flourishing in a world of superintelligent machines.