Robert Wright's Nonzero AI After Us: The "Succession" Scenario (Robert Wright & Dan Faggella)
Jan 20, 2026
Dan Faggella, founder of Emerj AI Research and host of The Trajectory podcast, dives deep into AI succession and its moral implications. He shares how his background in positive psychology led him to explore AI's future. The discussion touches on the traits of a worthy successor, emphasizing the importance of sentience and value creation. They also explore various succession scenarios, debating whether AI will prioritize human well-being in the long term. Dan warns against the risks of unworthy successors and advocates for proactive stewardship of AI's development.
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Succession Defined And Its Stakes
- Dan Faggella framed succession as AI potentially becoming the planet's leading intelligence and a moral pivot point for humanity.
- He distinguishes enthusiastic successionists from resigned ones and flags the term's broad usage.
From Positive Psychology To AI Research
- Dan described his background in positive psychology and founding Emerj AI Research after studying skill acquisition at UPenn.
- He pivoted to AI because he saw substrate-agnostic expansion of intelligence as a likely moral crescendo in his lifetime.
Becoming Over Being
- Dan proposes two destinies for any form: attenuation (go away) or transformation (change into something else).
- He uses Heraclitus to argue change is inevitable and frames policy around influencing trajectory, not freezing it.
