Some people say that all that’s necessary to improve the capabilities of AI is to scale up existing systems. That is, to use more training data, to have larger models with more parameters in them, and more computer chips to crunch through the training data. However, in this episode, we’ll be hearing from a computer scientist who thinks there are many other options for improving AI. He is Alexander Ororbia, a professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York State, where he directs the Neural Adaptive Computing Laboratory.David had the pleasure of watching Alex give a talk at the AGI 2024 conference in Seattle earlier this year, and found it fascinating. After you hear this episode, we hope you reach a similar conclusion. Selected follow-ups:Alexander Ororbia - Rochester Institute of TechnologyAlexander G. Ororbia II - Personal websiteAGI-24: The 17th Annual AGI Conference - AGI SocietyJoseph Tranquillo - Bucknell UniversityHopfield network - WikipediaKarl Friston - UCLPredictive coding - WikipediaMortal Computation: A Foundation for Biomimetic Intelligence - Quantitative BiologyThe free-energy principle: a unified brain theory? - Nature Reviews NeuroscienceI Am a Strange Loop (book by Douglas Hofstadter) - WikipediaMark Solms - WikipediaConscium: Pioneering Safe, Efficient AIThe Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness (book by Mark Solms)Carver Mead - WikipediaEvent camera (includes Dynamic Vision Sensors) - WikipediaICRA (International Conference on Robotics and Automation)Brain-Inspired Machine Intelligence: A Survey of Neurobiologically-Plausible Credit AssignmentA Review of Neuroscience-Inspired Machine Learningngc-learnTaking Neuromorphic Computing to the Next Level with Loihi 2 Technology Brief - IntelMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

In David's life so far, he has read literally hundreds of books about the future. Yet none has had such a provocative title as this: “The future loves you: How and why we should abolish death”. That’s the title of the book written by the guest in this episode, Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston. Ariel is a neuroscientist, and a Research Fellow at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia.One of the key ideas in Ariel’s book is that so long as your connectome – the full set of the synapses in your brain – continues to exist, then you continue to exist. Ariel also claims that brain preservation – the preservation of the connectome, long after we have stopped breathing – is already affordable enough to be provided to essentially everyone. These claims raise all kinds of questions, which are addressed in this conversation.Selected follow-ups:Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston - personal websiteBook webpage - includes details of when Ariel is speaking in the UK and elsewhereMonash Neuroscience of ConsciousnessDeep hypothermic circulatory arrest - WikipediaSentience and the Origins of Consciousness - article by Karl Friston that mentions bacteriaList of advisors to ConsciumDoes the UK use £15,000, £30,000 or a £70,000 per QALY cost effectiveness threshold? by Jason ShafrinResearchers simulate an entire fly brain on a laptop. Is a human brain next? - US Berkeley NewsWhat are memories made of? A survey of neuroscientists on the structural basis of long-term memory - Preprint by Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, Emil Kendziora, and Andrew McKenzieRelated previous episodes:Ep 91: The low-cost future of preserving brains, with Jordan SparksEp 77: The case for brain preservation, with Kenneth HayworthMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Sterling Anderson, a pioneer in self-driving vehicles with a PhD from MIT, shares his insights on the future of transportation. He discusses Aurora's goal to launch fully autonomous trucks between Dallas and Houston by 2025. Sterling highlights the economic benefits of self-driving trucks, addressing driver shortages and safety challenges. The conversation also touches on the ongoing debate over data quality versus quantity in AI training, and contrasts global regulatory approaches to self-driving technology in the US, Europe, and China.

Parmy Olson, a Bloomberg technology columnist and author of "Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race That Will Change the World," dives into the intense competition in AI between Sam Altman and Demis Hassabis. She discusses the need for governance in AI to prevent corporate overreach. Parmy reveals the obstacles investigative journalists face with secretive entities like DeepMind, contrasting it with OpenAI's transparency. The conversation also touches on the ethical challenges within AI development and the implications of advancements like self-driving cars for democracy.

Our guest in this episode is Andrea Miotti, the founder and executive director of ControlAI. On their website, ControlAI have the tagline, “Fighting to keep humanity in control”. Control over what, you might ask. The website answers: control deepfakes, control scaling, control foundation models, and, yes, control AI.The latest project from ControlAI is called “A Narrow Path”, which is a comprehensive policy plan split into three phases: Safety, Stability, and Flourishing. To be clear, the envisioned flourishing involves what is called “Transformative AI”. This is no anti-AI campaign, but rather an initiative to “build a robust science and metrology of intelligence, safe-by-design AI engineering, and other foundations for transformative AI under human control”.The initiative has already received lots of feedback, both positive and negative, which we discuss.Selected follow-ups:A Narrow Path - main websiteControlAIConjecture - Redefining AI SafetyWhat is Agentic AI - Interface.AIChat GPT’s new O1 model escaped its environment to complete “impossible” hacking task - by Mihai AndreiBiological Weapons Convention - United NationsPoisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal - Wikipedia (use of Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, UK)Gathering of AI Safety Institutes in November in San FranciscoConscium - Pioneering safe, efficient AIThe UK's APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) on AIMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Our guest in this episode is David Wakeling, a partner at A&O Shearman, which became the world’s third largest law firm in May, thanks to the merger of Allen and Overy, a UK “magic circle” firm, with Shearman & Sterling of New York.David heads up a team within the firm called the Markets Innovation Group (MIG), which consists of lawyers, developers and technologists, and is seeking to disrupt the legal industry. He also leads the firm's AI Advisory practice, through which the firm is currently advising 80 of the largest global businesses on the safe deployment of AI.One of the initiatives David has led is the development and launch of ContractMatrix, in partnership with Microsoft and Harvey, an OpenAI-backed, GPT-4-based large language model that has been fine-tuned for the legal industry. ContractMatrix is a contract drafting and negotiation tool powered by generative AI. It was tested and honed by 1,000 of the firm’s lawyers prior to launch, to mitigate against risks like hallucinations. The firm estimates that the tool is saving up to seven hours from the average contract review, which is around a 30% efficiency gain. As well as internal use by 2,000 of its lawyers, it is also licensed to clients.This is the third time we have looked at the legal industry on the podcast. While lawyers no longer use quill pens, they are not exactly famous for their information technology skills, either. But  the legal profession has a couple of characteristics which make it eminently suited to the deployment of advanced AI systems: it generates vast amounts of data and money, and lawyers frequently engage in text-based routine tasks which can be automated by generative AI systems.Previous London Futurists Podcast episodes on the legal industry:Ep 53: The Legal Singularity, with Benjamin AlarieEp 47: AI transforming professional services, with Shamus RaeOther selected follow-ups:David WakelingA&O ShearmanContractMatrixHarvey AIRAG - Retrieval-Augmented GenerationDigital Operational Resilience Act (impacts banking)The Productivity J-Curve (PDF), by Erik Brynjolfsson, Daniel Rock, Chad SyversonAgentic AI: The Next Big Breakthrough That's Transforming Business And Technology, by Bernard MarrMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Our guest in this episode is Matt Burgess. Matt is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wyoming, where he moved this year after six years at the University of Boulder, Colorado. He has specialised in the economics of climate change.Calum met Matt at a recent event in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and knows from their conversations then that Matt has also thought deeply about the impact of social media, the causes of populism, and many other subjects.Selected follow-ups:Matt Burgess at the University of WyomingGuided Civic Revival - Substack of Matt BurgessHow polarization will destroy itselfRoger A. Pielke Jr. - Wikipedia‘My Life as a Climate Lukewarmer’ - National ReviewShared Socioeconomic Pathways - Wikipedia (includes climate scenario SSP5-8.5)Exceeding 1.5°C global warming could trigger multiple climate tipping points - ScienceFat-Tailed Uncertainty in the Economics of Catastrophic Climate Change (PDF) - explains "The Dismal Theorem"Sri Lanka’s organic farming disaster, explained - VoxSolar panel prices have fallen by around 20% every time global capacity doubled - Our World in DataSpecial guest speech by Mark Carney - YouTubeYounger Dryas - Wikipedia (prehistoric period with rapid climate change)Platform policies of Jill Stein, US Green Party leaderAgrowth – should we better be agnostic about growth? - degrowth‘4°C of global warming is optimal’ – even Nobel Prize winners are getting things catastrophically wrong - The ConversationEconomists' Statement on Carbon DividendsWho Is Favored To Win The 2024 Presidential Election? - Nate SilverMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Karl Pfleger, an angel investor and creator of Aging Biotech Info, dives into the exciting world of rejuvenation biotechnology. He shares insights on the rapid advancements in the field, including breakthroughs in epigenetic reprogramming and stem cell therapies. Karl discusses the role of AI in streamlining clinical trials and the importance of investors in combating age-related diseases. He also explores the concept of longevity escape velocity and how individuals can contribute to this innovative sector.

Pedro Domingos, Professor Emeritus of Computer Science at the University of Washington and author of "The Master Algorithm," critiques the exaggerated views on AI's capabilities. He discusses his satirical novel '2040,' which humorously tackles big tech and American politics through an AI presidential candidate. The conversation delves into the complexities of portraying AI in storytelling, the ethical dilemmas of social media, and the intriguing yet contentious debate around machine consciousness.

Our guest in this episode is the journalist and author James Ball. James has worked for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, The Guardian, WikiLeaks, BuzzFeed, The New European, and The Washington Post, among other organisations. As special projects editor at The Guardian, James played a key role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the NSA leaks by Edward Snowden.Books that James has written include “Post-Truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World”, “Bluffocracy”, which makes the claim that Britain is run by bluffers, “The System: Who Owns the Internet, and How It Owns Us”, and, most recently, “The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated the World”.That all adds up to enough content to fill at least four of our episodes, but we mainly focus on the ideas in the last of these books, about digital pandemics.Selected follow-ups:James Ball (personal website)The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated the World - book by James BallGuardian and Washington Post win Pulitzer prize for NSA revelationsMeme - as described by Richard DawkinsDreyfus affairBlood libelFuture Shock - book by Alvin and Heidi TofflerHow The Gulf Of Tonkin Incident Sparked The Vietnam WarWhy Narcissists Love Conspiracy TheoriesNigel Farage - UK politician WarGames - 1983 movieGish gallop - rhetorical techniqueDominic Cummings has admitted the Leave campaign won by lyingReality check: how do Farage’s claims on immigration, economy and crime hold up?Facts don’t change minds – and there’s data to prove itMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration