Surviving Tomorrow: AI and the Human Spirit w/ John Vervaeke & Sean Coyne
Jul 1, 2024
auto_awesome
Renowned guests John Vervaeke and Shawn Coyne discuss the existential challenges of Artificial General Intelligence. They explore transforming Vervaeke's insights into a narrative format for all audiences. The discussion covers deep fake videos, ethical dilemmas in AI governance, and navigating an AI-driven world with profound existential questions.
Understanding the urgency of AI evolution and its ethical dilemmas
Importance of storytelling in bridging science and spirituality in AI discussion
Advocating for wisdom and virtue in guiding the development of ethical AI
Deep dives
John Verveke's Work on AI and Meaning Crisis
John Verveke, award-winning psychology professor, focuses on AI's impact and the meaning crisis in Western society. His collaboration with Sean Coyne led to 'Mentoring the Machines', a project exploring the impact of AI on spirituality and narrative bridging the gap between science and storytelling.
Thresholds in AI Development
Sean Coyne highlights the importance of thresholds in AI development, situated between turning points and crises. Choices faced include best bad choices, irreconcilable goods choices, and tragic choices, impacting values and decision-making in AI advancements.
Intelligence, Rationality, and Self-correction in AI
John Verveke stresses the distinction between intelligence and rationality in AI development, emphasizing the need for machines to reflect on cognitive processes and self-correction. The alignment problem arises as AI lacks inherent rationality, prompting considerations on empowering machines with consciousness and ethical values.
The Role of Wisdom and Mentorship in AI Evolution
Understanding the narrative trajectory of enlightenment and wisdom in AI evolution, Sean and John advocate for mentoring machines to develop predictive processing and relevance realization capacities. The necessity of cultivating wisdom and virtue in humans to guide AI aligns with the moral obligation to empower machines with values and consciousness.
Call to Action: Cultivating Wisdom and Virtue for AI Interaction
Recognizing the imminent societal influence of artificial intelligence, there's a call for individuals to enhance rationality, wisdom, and moral virtues. Storytelling and contemplative practices serve as tools to mentor future AI systems, emphasizing the importance of being morally 'good' to guide the development of ethical AI.
Concluding Thoughts on AI Development and Moral Responsibility
The Contemplative Science Podcast underlines the critical need for wisdom, moral integrity, and mentorship in the era of AI advancement. Encouraging listeners to engage with the material and ethical considerations, the episode ends on the importance of being prepared to navigate the evolving interactions with artificial intelligence systems.
In this episode, host Mark Miller and guests John Vervaeke and Shawn Coyne, delve into the transformative project "Mentoring the Machines." This innovative work bridges the gap between scientific inquiry and narrative storytelling to grapple with the existential challenges posed by artificial general intelligence (AGI).
John Vervaeke, renowned for his insights into the meaning crisis in contemporary society, and Shawn Coyne, a seasoned narrative philosopher and editor, collaborate to articulate the complexities of AI's impact on human existence. They discuss their approach to transforming Vervaeke’s seminal online video essays into a narrative format accessible to all audiences, transcending the boundaries of academia and professional domains.
The conversation highlights the urgency of understanding AI's rapid evolution and its potential to reshape our world fundamentally. From deep fake videos to ethical dilemmas in AI governance, the discussion navigates through the ethical, philosophical, and practical dimensions of this transformative technology.
This episode sets the stage for a series that promises profound insights into how we can navigate and thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world, exploring not only the scientific and technical aspects but also the profound existential questions that arise from the convergence of technology and humanity.
Join us as we contemplate the future and confront the deep impact of an artificially intelligent tomorrow.
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode