The Transformative Power of the Stack | 6min snip from Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Get the app

Earth Growing an AI Brain? Planetary Computation Explained with Ben Bratton [Ep. 486]

Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

chevron_right

notes

CHAPTER

The Transformative Power of the Stack

This chapter explores the 'stack' in planetary computation, focusing on its impact on political geography and societal structures. It also examines the philosophical implications of technological advancements, drawing connections to historic thinkers and an upcoming exhibition at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

00:00

Transcript

chevron_right

Play full episode

chevron_right

Transcript

Episode notes

As a member of the Into the Impossible family, you get a special 20% discount on a subscription to The Economist. Visit their website at https://www.economist.com/Keating to get started.

Pique is offering 20% off for life AND a free Starter Kit with your purchase—that's a rechargeable frother and glass beaker to make the perfect cup every time. Just go to http://piquelife.com/impossible

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥

What is planetary computation, and why does it matter? Are humans and AI truly separate, or are we actually co-evolving? And how did we end up building a megastructure that’s quietly reshaping governance, knowledge, and power on a planetary scale?

Here to shed light on our evolving technological reality is Ben Bratton, philosopher of technology and professor at UCSD. Ben is the Director of Antikythera, a research program at the Berggruen Institute focused on the future of planetary computation. The program explores five core areas: planetary computation, synthetic intelligence, recursive simulations, hemispherical stacks, and planetary sapience. He is also the author of The Stack, a groundbreaking book that introduced the term “planetary computation” and mapped its political, social, and philosophical implications.

In our wide-ranging conversation, Ben explains how computation has evolved far beyond servers and algorithms to become an organizing force of the planet itself. We also dive into the future of AGI, the ethics of machine valence, terraforming Earth as a philosophical imperative, non-biological life, and how speculative design and planetary sapience might reframe humanity’s role in the cosmos.

—

Key Takeaways: