In this book, Nick Bostrom delves into the implications of creating superintelligence, which could surpass human intelligence in all domains. He discusses the potential dangers, such as the loss of human control over such powerful entities, and presents various strategies to ensure that superintelligences align with human values. The book examines the 'AI control problem' and the need to endow future machine intelligence with positive values to prevent existential risks[3][5][4].
Published in 1948, 'Cybernetics' by Norbert Wiener is a seminal work that applied theories of information and communication to both biological systems and machines. It was the first conventionally published book to discuss electronic digital computing and introduced terms such as 'input', 'feedback', and 'output'. Wiener's work foreshadowed the development of intelligent and replicating machines, complex organizational organisms, and the physiology and failure of the human nervous system. The book represents an interdisciplinary approach to information systems, blending history, philosophy, mathematics, information and communication theory, computer science, and biology[1][3][5].
Immanuel Velikovsky's "Worlds in Collision" is a controversial book proposing a radical revision of ancient history based on reinterpretations of mythological and historical texts. The book suggests that catastrophic celestial events, involving close encounters between planets, significantly impacted Earth's history and influenced ancient cultures. Velikovsky's ideas were met with strong criticism from the scientific community due to their lack of empirical evidence and inconsistencies with established scientific knowledge. Despite the scientific rejection, the book sparked public interest and debate, raising questions about the relationship between science, mythology, and history. It remains a significant example of a work that challenged conventional scientific understanding, albeit without sufficient scientific support.
We travel to Stockholm to visit Dr Anders Sandberg at the Mimir Centre for Long Term Futures Research – part of the Swedish Institute for Futures Studies – for a conversation on existential risks posed by AI, the state of futures studies today, being a polymath in the Nordics, and why there are so many Swedish futurists...
Sandberg holds a PhD in computational neuroscience and was previously a Research Fellow at the renowned Future of Humanity Institute (FHI) at the University of Oxford, alongside other prominent futurists, such as Nick Bostrom and Toby Ord.
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Hosts: Casper Skovgaard Petersen & August Leo Liljenberg
Guest: Anders Sandberg
Published by the Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies
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