Jim O'Shaughnessy: Sometimes we get caught up in what feel like infinite loops when trying to figure things out. The goal of this podcast is to learn how we can reset our thinking on issues that hopefully leaves us with a better understanding as to why we think the way we think. We hope to offer listeners a fresh perspective on a variety of issues and look at them through a multifaceted lens.
Chen Qiufan (AKA Stanley Chan) is an award-winning science fiction writer, screenwriter, creative producer, and columnist. He is the president of the World Chinese Science Fiction Association and the founder of the content development studio Thema Mundi. Chen joins the show to discuss his latest novel,
AI 2041: Ten Visions for the Future, which he co-wrote with former Google China president Kai-Fu Lee. Part science fiction, part science forecasting, over ten short stories
AI 2041 imagines the different ways, good and bad, that AI will impact our society. The central thesis? AI will transform our lives, but we remain masters of our fate. Important Links:
Show Notes:
- Qiufan’s sci-fi influences
- When did the third wave of AI begin?
- Why is modern sci-fi so dystopian?
- How AI is going to impact education
- Hidden biases & the objective function
- Deep fakes & narrative collapse
- Accelerationism, balance & Daoism
- Do we need real jobs?
- Happiness is a byproduct
- Living in a post-scarcity society
- What’s next?
- MORE!
Books Mentioned:
- AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future; by Kai-Fu Lee & Chen Qiufan
- Bullshit Jobs: A Theory; by David Graeber
- Tao Te Ching; by Lao Tzu
- Trekonomics: The Economics of Star Trek; by Manu Saadia
- Waste Tide; by Chen Qiufan