Unbelievable? Classic: Nick Bostrom & Rosalind Picard: God, AI, Consciousness & the Future of Humanity
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Nov 11, 2025 
Nick Bostrom, a philosopher at Oxford's Future of Humanity Institute, and MIT researcher Rosalind Picard explore the intersection of technology and humanity. They debate whether AI can achieve consciousness and the ethical implications of digital minds. Rosalind shares emotion-sensing tech breakthroughs that help with health conditions, while Nick discusses his simulation argument and the quest for immortality through technological means. Together, they emphasize the need for humility as we navigate the future of AI and its potential effects on human dignity and existence.
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AI's Transformative Stakes
- Nick Bostrom views AI progress as transformative with both extreme upside and downside risks.
- He urges focusing on long-term alignment and opportunities where modest present effort yields huge future value.
Design For Emotional Respect
- Design AI to respect and respond to human emotions, not to intrude without consent.
- Teach systems to manage emotion sensitively and preserve user dignity.
From Emotion Sensing To Seizure Detector
- Rosalind Picard's team accidentally developed an epilepsy seizure detector now FDA-cleared as Embrace.
- The device emerged from emotion-sensing research and now aids people clinically.
