Intelligent Machines (Audio) IM 821: Just Count the Server Racks - Veo 3 in Action
27 snips
May 29, 2025 
In this engaging discussion, Adam Becker, a science journalist and astrophysicist known for his book 'More Everything Forever,' delves into Silicon Valley's belief in technological salvation. He critiques the myths surrounding Mars as a backup planet and emphasizes the importance of Earth preservation. The conversation also navigates misconceptions about AI, the role of billionaires in tech, and the necessity of public discourse around AI's potential risks and limits. Becker advocates for a balanced understanding of technology's societal impact.
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Limits of Exponential Growth
- Exponential trends, like Moore's Law, can't continue indefinitely and always end or lead to crashes.
- Ray Kurzweil's singularity idea ignores this limit and assumes perpetual exponential tech growth.
Mars Is Not Earth’s Backup
- Mars is a harsh, unsuitable backup for humanity due to its low gravity, radiation, and poisonous soil.
- Earth will always be a better habitat, no matter the disasters it faces.
Flaws in Long-Termism and AGI Fear
- Long-termists focus excessively on speculative future risks like AGI over real current problems.
- The paperclip AI scenario is a preposterous example but taken seriously by some thinkers.
