In this enlightening discussion, Sam Hammond, a Senior Economist at the Foundation for American Innovation, dives into the transformative potential of AI. He argues AI could rival the printing press in impact, emphasizing the need for society to adapt to these changes. The conversation spans urban development influences, the challenges of regulating powerful AI models, and differing global perspectives on tech innovation. Hammond also contemplates the ethical dilemmas posed by AI, stressing the delicate balance between regulation and the pace of innovation.
01:10:39
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
AI's Impact
AI may be as impactful as the printing press or even photosynthesis.
Consider the implications for society.
insights INSIGHT
Unprepared for Change
We haven't seen rapid technological change recently, hindering our understanding of AI's potential.
The internet era may have been a 'bootloader' for the AI era.
insights INSIGHT
AI Lab Oversight
Oversight of AI labs is prudent.
Current oversight primarily relies on voluntary commitments and an executive order regarding compute thresholds.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed
James C. Scott
In this book, James C. Scott examines the failures of centrally managed social plans and the destructive consequences of high-modernist ideologies. Scott argues that states often impose simplistic visions on complex societies, ignoring local, practical knowledge and leading to disastrous outcomes. He identifies four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society, high-modernist ideology, authoritarian state power, and a prostrate civil society. The book critiques various utopian projects, including collective farms, compulsory villagization, and urban planning, and advocates for a more nuanced approach that respects local diversity and practical knowledge.
The Age of Spiritual Machines
When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence
Ray Kurzweil
In 'The Age of Spiritual Machines,' Ray Kurzweil presents a prophetic blueprint for the future where the capabilities of computers and humans become increasingly intertwined. The book explores the exponential growth of technology, particularly in artificial intelligence, and predicts a future where computers will exceed human intelligence. Kurzweil discusses the blurring of lines between human and machine, the emergence of new forms of intelligence, and the potential for humans to migrate their consciousness into machines. The book is a thought-provoking analysis of human and artificial intelligence and their evolving relationship in the 21st century.
The Art of Not Being Governed
An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia
James C. Scott
James C. Scott's "The Art of Not Being Governed" explores the history and strategies of marginalized communities who have resisted state control. The book focuses on the Zomia region of Southeast Asia, a mountainous area where diverse ethnic groups have maintained their autonomy by evading state power. Scott examines how these communities have used their knowledge of the terrain and their social organization to resist state-led projects and maintain their independence. The book challenges conventional understandings of state power and highlights the resilience of marginalized communities in the face of oppression. Scott's work offers valuable insights into the dynamics of power, resistance, and state formation.
On this episode of Unsupervised Learning Razib talks to economist Sam Hammond. Canadian-born Hammond serves as the Senior Economist at the Foundation for American Innovation. His work primarily focuses on innovation and science policy, with particular attention to the societal and institutional impacts of disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence.
Before his role at FAI, Hammond was Director of Poverty and Welfare Policy at the Niskanen Center. Hammond also held a research fellowship at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, focusing on policy issues related to technology and regulation. He holds a BA in Economics from Saint Mary’s University and MA's in Economics from George Mason University and Carleton University.
After a quick discussion about Canadian housing, Razib and Hammond consider his piece 95 theses about AI. Hammond’s contention is that AI might prove as impactful as the printing press, or, at the outer edge equivalent to photosynthesis. Nearly two years into the current “AI hype cycle” we still haven’t found the “killer app” of AI, but thinkers like Hammond are getting ahead of the likely inevitable societal changes. He believes that change is inevitable, and the details that need to be worked out are how we as a species adapt and evolve in response to our technology. Hammond contends that the AI-revolution is likely to produce changes in the next generation analogous to industrial transformations of the late 19th centuries and early 20th centuries, when cars, electrification and airplanes transformed civilization.
Razib Khan's Unsupervised Learning 
