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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.
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Key Takeaways:
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:02 Antikythera and planetary computation
- 07:50 AI and the limits of computation
- 18:04 Terraforming and the future of humanity
- 19:55 The role of language in AI
- 31:01 Planetary data centers and future energy needs
- 34:00 Techno signatures
- 39:10 Science and philosophy
- 41:09 The Stack: On Software and Sovereignty
- 45:52 Outro
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Additional resources:
➡️ Learn more about Ben Bratton:
💻 Website: https://bratton.info/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/benjaminbratton
✖️ X: https://x.com/bratton
📚 The Stack: https://amzn.eu/d/j80ENZW
➡️ Follow me on your fav platforms:
✖️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrBrianKeating
🔔 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DrBrianKeating?sub_confirmation=1
📝 Join my mailing list: https://briankeating.com/list
✍️ Check out my blog: https://briankeating.com/cosmic-musings/
🎙️ Follow my podcast: https://briankeating.com/podcast
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Into the Impossible with Brian Keating is a podcast dedicated to all those who want to explore the universe within and beyond the known.
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