Reggie James, founder and author of the Product Lost substack, dives into the intriguing intersection of faith and technology. He explores how Silicon Valley's ethos reflects religious aspirations while examining AI's potential role in guiding our search for meaning. James shares his spontaneous writing process and critiques modern individualism's impact on communal values. He also discusses the church's evolving role amid technological advances, emphasizing the importance of human connection in this rapidly changing landscape.
01:19:59
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
OpenAI's Theistic Vision
Sam Altman's vision for OpenAI is deeply theistic, aiming to be a "subscription for your life."
This reflects a shift from replacing maternal care to replacing divine authority with technology.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Writing in Shower Bursts
Reggie captures his essay ideas via quick notes and often pieces them together during moments like showers.
His wife assists by recording dictations when ideas strike, enabling rapid writing sessions that avoid over-editing.
insights INSIGHT
Accidental Theism in Tech
The theistic nature of tech leaders' visions like Sam Altman's is likely accidental, not intentional.
Silicon Valley is generally less focused on criticism and historical depth, favoring experimentation and rapid learning.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
In Boom, Byrne Hobart and Tobias Huber examine the reasons behind the current era of technological stagnation. They argue that financial bubbles, often seen as destructive, have historically been the engine of significant breakthroughs. Through case studies of the Manhattan Project, the Apollo program, fracking, and Bitcoin, the authors illustrate how small groups with unified visions, vast funding, and poor accountability can drive transformative progress. The book integrates insights from economics, philosophy, and history to provide a blueprint for accelerating innovation by decreasing collective risk aversion and organizing high-agency individuals around transcendent missions.
What technology wants
Kevin Kelly
In this book, Kevin Kelly presents a sweeping vision of technology as a living force that is an extension of biological evolution. He introduces the concept of the 'technium,' a global, massively interconnected system of technology that evolves based on its own inherent desires and instincts. Kelly argues that technology is not just a tool but a self-evolving entity that gives our lives greater meaning. He outlines a dozen trajectories for technology in the coming decades and emphasizes the importance of aligning ourselves with technology's agenda to capture its colossal potential. The book is both visionary and optimistic, exploring how technology can expand our individual potential and drive progress in society[1][3][4].
The Media Lab
inventing the future at MIT
Stewart Brand
This book provides an in-depth look at the MIT Media Lab's vision for the future of media and technology. It explores the lab's innovative projects and their potential impact on society, highlighting concepts such as synthetic holograms and personal newspapers. The book also delves into broader societal implications of emerging technologies.
No one but Reggie could have written this piece, which is the highest praise I can give to a writer. It combines his deep knowledge of the history of Silicon Valley, his Christianity, and his willingness to "critique the gods."
And it gave me an excuse to cover a topic I've been wanting to talk about for a while -- the rise of Christianity and the search for meaning -- with the best person I know to have that conversation with. We go deep and wide in this one. I hope you enjoy it.
At the end of our conversation, Reggie makes a couple of recommendations:
You can find this and all of the articles we discuss on Hyperlegible in one place thanks to our sponsor, Readwise - Visit readwise.io/hyperlegible for a free trial and get all Hyperlegible articles automatically added to your account: https://readwise.io/reader/view/hyperlegibleBig thanks to Jim Portela for editing!
Not Boring Radio 
