
Jan Kulveit
Writer and thinker focused on cultural evolution, memetics, and AI risk; author of the essay narrated in this episode for LessWrong.
Top 5 podcasts with Jan Kulveit
Ranked by the Snipd community

10 snips
Oct 31, 2025 • 21min
“The Memetics of AI Successionism” by Jan_Kulveit
Jan Kulveit, a writer and thinker specializing in cultural evolution and AI risk, delves into the concept of AI successionism. He explores how cognitive dissonance creates fertile ground for new ideologies that frame AI replacement not as a disaster but as an inevitable progression. Kulveit discusses the builder's dilemma, the themes of obsolescence, and the narratives that might justify the rise of AI over humanity. He also highlights strategies to counteract these seductive memes by promoting pro-human ideologies and raising awareness of potential value loss.

6 snips
Mar 29, 2025 • 6min
“Conceptual Rounding Errors” by Jan_Kulveit
Join Jan Kulveit, author and thinker focused on cognitive biases, as he delves into 'Conceptual Rounding Errors.' He discusses how our minds can overly compress new ideas, leading us to miss nuanced differences from existing concepts. Jan reveals how this mechanism can hinder our understanding, especially in complex fields like AI alignment. He shares practical strategies for enhancing cognitive clarity and metacognitive awareness, ensuring we differentiate novelty from familiarity effectively.

May 30, 2024 • 2h 22min
32 - Understanding Agency with Jan Kulveit
Jan Kulveit, who leads the Alignment of Complex Systems research group, dives into the fascinating intersection of AI and human cognition. He discusses active inference, the differences between large language models and the human brain, and how feedback loops influence behavior. The conversation explores hierarchical agency, the complexities of aligning AI with human values, and the philosophical implications of self-awareness in AI. Kulveit also critiques existing frameworks for understanding agency, shedding light on the dynamics of collective behaviors.

Apr 3, 2025 • 28min
“The Pando Problem: Rethinking AI Individuality” by Jan_Kulveit
In this engaging discussion, guest Jan Kulveit, an author and AI researcher, explores the concept of individuality in artificial intelligence, using the Pando aspen grove as a metaphor. He examines the risks of attributing human-like qualities to AI, urging a reevaluation of how we understand AI behaviors. He also discusses collective agency in AI systems, including the implications for coordination and ethical alignment. Kulveit emphasizes the need for robust models that account for the complexities of AI identity and autonomy in dialogue with humans.

Feb 5, 2025 • 11min
“Gradual Disempowerment, Shell Games and Flinches” by Jan_Kulveit
In this engaging discussion, Jan Kulveit, author and insightful thinker on AI risks, delves into the concept of Gradual Disempowerment. He examines how as human cognition loses its value, societal systems may become misaligned with human interests. Kulveit highlights intriguing patterns of avoidance in conversations about AI, encapsulated by ideas like 'shell games' and 'flinches.' He also warns against the dangers of delegating too much to future AI, encouraging a more proactive engagement with the complex challenges ahead.


