The Illusion of US Government's Power and Influence

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The US government is perceived as a 'dead God' by some, incapable of addressing issues and wielding the power it once had. AI safety proponents are seen as appealing to this government, which is viewed as being ineffective in addressing pressing concerns, losing wars, mismanaging finances, and lacking the power it had in the past. The nostalgia for past American strength is evident in popular movies, contrasting with a perceived bleak future as depicted in 'Black Mirror'.

Balaji Srinivasan, investor, former CTO at Coinbase and GP at a16z, and writer of The Network State, joins Nathan to discuss polytheistic AI and AI gods, human-AI symbiosis, how AI will be controlled, and much more. If you need an ecommerce platform, check out our sponsor Shopify: https://shopify.com/cognitive for a $1/month trial period.

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com.

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@balajis (Balaji)

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TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) - Episode Preview

(00:06:07) - Evolution of AI Systems

(00:09:39) - Challenges of AI Robustness

(00:29:54) - Intersection of AI and Politics

(00:52:14) - Regulation

(00:52:44) - Slippery slope of precedent setting

(00:54:00) - Role of AI in political chaos

(00:54:41) - Emergence of decentralized AI

(01:05:39) - AI's future as amplified intelligence

(01:1300) - Polytheistic model of AI

(01:32:00) - Role of AI in Habitat Degradation

(01:33:32) - AI's ability to do differential diagnosis

(01:34:04) - ABC of economic apocalypse: AI, Bitcoin, China

(01:36:00) - Evolution of AI in chess and medicine

(01:38:22) - Difference between AI existential threat and economic disruption

(01:40:19) - Impact of cryptography on public infrastructure

(02:07:40) - Role of tribalism in AI

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co.