Economist Glen Weyl discusses his new book on plurality and technology's role in societal change. Topics include open-source AI, blockchain, challenges in open-source compliance, and scaling plurality to address systemic inequalities.
Plurality emphasizes diverse societal networks and tech's role in fostering social change.
AI and blockchain synergy crucial for societal progress and trust-building.
Legal frameworks must adapt for plural technologies to avoid private interests.
Balancing scales and avoiding linear rankings key for inclusive society and tech scaling.
Deep dives
Defining Plurality: Descriptive, Normative, and Prescriptive Aspects
Plurality, as discussed by Glenn Vell, encompasses three key elements: descriptive, normative, and prescriptive. Descriptively, it views the social world as a network of interconnected individuals shaping identities and organizations. Normatively, diversity is emphasized as a catalyst for social progress. Prescriptively, digital technologies are envisioned to build engines that both harness and manage diversity.
Imagining a Pluralistic Future: Technological Integration and Social Transformation
In envisioning a pluralistic future, Glenn Vell outlines a profound transformation across various aspects of daily life. Technologies are anticipated to deepen intimate relationships, enable brain-to-brain interfaces for shared experiences, and enhance collaborative academic work. Interactive podcasts, real-time democratic participation, and a shift from money to social relationships are anticipated changes that may shape societal norms.
Challenging Dominant Tech Visions: Plurality in Contrast to Technocratic and Libertarian Ideologies
Glenn Vell critiques prevailing technocratic and libertarian visions typified by figures like Sam Altman, Peter Thiel, and Reid Hoffman. He advocates for plurality to coexist alongside these visions, fostering a diverse ecosystem of ideas and values. Drawing parallels to historical political ideologies, he foresees a pluralistic future accommodating emerging visions beyond the dominant paradigms.
Synergies Between AI and Blockchain for Societal Progress
The synergy between AI and blockchain technologies is considered pivotal for societal advancement. Glenn Vell underscores the importance of concrete technologies over ideological interpretations. He suggests leveraging distributed ledgers and transformer models for fostering trust and innovation. By combining these technologies effectively, societal progress can be propelled, prioritizing creative collaboration and enhanced social value.
Navigating Legal Rules and Standards for Plural Technologies
Legal rules and standards play a significant role in shaping societal dynamics and technological innovation. Glenn Vell addresses challenges faced by open-source technologies in compliance due to disproportionate burdens. He advocates for a nuanced approach to law to avoid capture by private interests. Embracing diverse perspectives and fostering democratic governance are crucial to navigating legal frameworks for plural technologies.
Tackling Power Laws and Scaling Technologies for Inclusive Progress
Glenn Vell emphasizes the significance of divergent scales in preventing power law distributions and fostering a more inclusive society. By embracing multi-dimensional approaches and avoiding linear rankings, a balance can be achieved. Exploring patterns from past technology scaling, he suggests diversification and speciation as key factors for future obstacles. Emphasizing media as a promising domain for pluralistic scaling, Vell highlights immersive technologies for empathetic media experiences and societal impact.
Media as a Catalyst for Pluralistic Scale and Technological Transformation
Considering the current crisis in media trust, Glenn Vell views media as a primary domain for pluralistic scale and innovative solutions. Immersive technologies offer avenues for empathetic media experiences and novel storytelling approaches. Vell anticipates immersive shared reality experiences to reshape media interactions and societal narratives. Community-driven note systems like X exemplify the potential for widespread pluralistic adoption in media.
Envisioning a Future of Technological Diversity and Inclusive Progress
In his insightful discussion, Glenn Vell highlights the importance of technological diversity and inclusive progress for societal transformation. By exploring the convergence of AI and blockchain, reimagining legal frameworks, and fostering pluralistic media environments, Vell sets the stage for a future grounded in innovation and social collaboration. Embracing diverse perspectives, technological synergies, and adaptive governance models are key to realizing a pluralistic vision for the future.
My guest is Glen Weyl, an influential economist and social technologist known for his interdisciplinary work at the intersection of economics, computer science, sociology, and political science. He is a Principal Researcher at Microsoft Research, a co-author of the books “Radical Markets” and the recently published “Plurality: The Future of Collaborative Technology and Democracy” which he co-authored with Audrey Tang, who has served as the 1st Minister of Digital Affairs of Taiwan. Glen co-founded the RadicalxChange Foundation, the Plural Technology Collaboratory, and the Plurality Institute. He taught economics at the University of Chicago, Princeton, and Yale.
Glen’s work frequently explores the potential of technology and market mechanisms to drive social change and address systemic inequalities. In his new book, Glen lays the foundation for a new societal vision: plurality.
Our conversation is structured into three distinct parts. We begin by situating the concept of plurality in today’s philosophical and technological landscape. We then discuss the technologies that will enable plurality to materialize, and finally, we conclude with a discussion of the challenges ahead. By the end of this discussion, you will know what plurality is, how different it is from the vision of today’s tech CEOs, the role open source AI and blockchain can play to scale plurality, but also the role legal rules and standards are playing, which of the scaling theory concepts (including fractals, fragility, robustness, chaos, etc.) helped Glen and Audrey define their strategy to take over other visions, and more. I hope you enjoy the conversation.
Find me on X at @ProfSchrepel. Also, be sure to subscribe to the Scaling Theory podcast; it helps its growth.
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