Dwarkesh Podcast

Nat Friedman - Reading Ancient Scrolls, Open Source, & AI

93 snips
Mar 22, 2023
Guest
Nat Friedman
Nat Friedman, former GitHub CEO and founder of AI Grant, dives into the thrilling Vesuvius Challenge aimed at decoding ancient Herculaneum scrolls. Each scroll could unlock lost literature from antiquity, including works by Aristotle. He discusses the importance of open source in AI and the transformative effects of GitHub’s acquisition by Microsoft. The conversation also covers the balance between innovation and improvement in tech, along with the economic impact of AI on job markets and the need for responsible development.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
ANECDOTE

Herculaneum Papyri Discovery

  • Nat Friedman stumbled upon the story of the Herculaneum papyri during COVID lockdown.
  • These scrolls, buried by Vesuvius, represent a potential doubling of extant ancient text.
INSIGHT

Vesuvius Challenge

  • Hundreds of Herculaneum scrolls remain unopened due to their fragility.
  • Friedman and Dr. Brent Seales launched the Vesuvius Challenge to decode them non-destructively.
ANECDOTE

Unexcavated Library

  • The main library in Herculaneum likely remains unexcavated.
  • Historians suggest it might be a larger Latin library with broader literary and historical texts.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app