80,000 Hours Podcast

#212 – Allan Dafoe on why technology is unstoppable & how to shape AI development anyway

269 snips
Feb 14, 2025
Allan Dafoe, Director of Frontier Safety and Governance at Google DeepMind, dives into the unstoppable growth of technology, illustrating how societies that adopt new capabilities often outpace those that resist. He discusses the historical context of Japan's Meiji Restoration as a case study of technological competition. Dafoe highlights the importance of steering AI development responsibly, addressing safety challenges, and fostering cooperation among AI systems. He emphasizes the balance between AI innovation and necessary governance to prevent potential risks, urging collective accountability.
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INSIGHT

History's Complexity

  • History isn't just the sum of individual efforts, but a complex system.
  • Macro-historical patterns reveal structural dynamics and emergent phenomena.
INSIGHT

Determinism vs. Constructivism

  • Technological determinism suggests technology's influence transcends individual control.
  • Constructivists emphasize human agency in shaping technology.
ANECDOTE

Micro vs. Macro

  • The debate on technological determinism was often indirect, due to differing methodologies.
  • Micro-historians favored constructivist views, while macro-historians leaned towards determinism.
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