Into the Impossible With Brian Keating

Earth Growing an AI Brain? Planetary Computation Explained with Ben Bratton [Ep. 486]

Apr 6, 2025

Ben Bratton, a philosopher of technology and professor at UCSD, shares his insights into the concept of planetary computation. He discusses how human actions and technology might indicate Earth evolving its own consciousness. The future of artificial general intelligence (AGI) and its coexistence with humanity takes center stage, alongside the role of AI in terraforming our planet. Bratton challenges listeners to rethink the links between computation, governance, and the intelligence of both humans and non-humans, opening up fascinating discussions on life beyond Earth.

51:37

Episode guests

Ben Bratton

AI Summary

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Planetary computation is a vital concept that reshapes our understanding of intelligence, framing it as an integrated force essential to Earth's evolution.

The co-evolution of humans and AI calls into question whether we are training machines or if they are shaping our societal behaviors and cognition.

The search for technosignatures expands our comprehension of intelligence, suggesting that advanced technology could exist in forms far beyond Earth-like life.

Deep dives

The Concept of Planetary Computation

Planetary computation is framed as a natural force integral to understanding intelligence in relation to Earth. It emphasizes how artificial intelligence and computational infrastructure have proliferated globally, reshaping our relationship with technology. By exploring historical devices like the Antikythera mechanism, which was capable of astronomical mapping and calculation, the conversation underscores the significance of these advancements in our evolving understanding of intelligence. This broadens the discourse around computation, positing it as essential not just for human purposes but as a means through which Earth itself may gain self-awareness.

Intro

2min

Reimagining Computation: From Ancient Mechanisms to Planetary Consciousness

6min

Planetary Computation and Intelligence

8min

Navigating the Challenges of Artificial General Intelligence

4min

Terraforming Earth: The Future of Viability

9min

Computing the Unknown: Dark Matter, AI, and Cognition

5min

AI, Emotions, and Planetary Futures

6min

Exploring Technosignatures and Non-Biological Life

3min

Exploring the Boundaries of Life and Intelligence in Astrobiology

2min

10.

Exploring the Nexus of Science, Philosophy, and Art

2min

11.

The Transformative Power of the Stack

6min

As a member of the Into the Impossible family, you get a special 20% discount on a subscription to The Economist. Visit their website at https://www.economist.com/Keating to get started.

Pique is offering 20% off for life AND a free Starter Kit with your purchase—that's a rechargeable frother and glass beaker to make the perfect cup every time. Just go to http://piquelife.com/impossible

Please join my mailing list here 👉 https://briankeating.com/list to win a meteorite 💥

What is planetary computation, and why does it matter? Are humans and AI truly separate, or are we actually co-evolving? And how did we end up building a megastructure that’s quietly reshaping governance, knowledge, and power on a planetary scale?

Here to shed light on our evolving technological reality is Ben Bratton, philosopher of technology and professor at UCSD. Ben is the Director of Antikythera, a research program at the Berggruen Institute focused on the future of planetary computation. The program explores five core areas: planetary computation, synthetic intelligence, recursive simulations, hemispherical stacks, and planetary sapience. He is also the author of The Stack, a groundbreaking book that introduced the term “planetary computation” and mapped its political, social, and philosophical implications.

In our wide-ranging conversation, Ben explains how computation has evolved far beyond servers and algorithms to become an organizing force of the planet itself. We also dive into the future of AGI, the ethics of machine valence, terraforming Earth as a philosophical imperative, non-biological life, and how speculative design and planetary sapience might reframe humanity’s role in the cosmos.

—

Key Takeaways: