Open-Ended vs. Closed-Minded Conceptions of Superintelligence
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Open-Ended vs. Closed-Minded Conceptions of Superintelligence

This talk is part of the ‘Stepping Into the Future‘ conference. Abstract: Superintelligence, the next phase beyond today’s narrow AI and tomorrow’s AGI, almost intrinsically evades our attempts at detailed comprehension. Yet very different perspectives on superintelligence exist today and have concrete influence on thinking about matters ranging from AGI architectures to technology regulation.One paradigm…

Posthumanism and its Moral Imperatives – Pramod K. Nayar
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Posthumanism and its Moral Imperatives – Pramod K. Nayar

Synopsis: Octavia Butler’s fiction underscores heightened empathy as a possible feature of the future humans (who may be co-evolved with alien species, in Butler’s imagination). Yet, in Butler’s fiction, the morally enhanced beings ponder over the freedom they now possess. This talk, building on the view that ME requires multiple virtues (James Hughes), examines the linkage…

Grand Futures – Anders Sandberg
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Grand Futures – Anders Sandberg

Grand Futures – Thinking Truly Long Term. What are the limits of what advanced civilizations can achieve? What is the upper limit of value? Anders Sandberg speaks on existential hope about the far future and his upcoming book ‘Grand Futures: Thinking Truly Long Term‘, and how to be an optimist about the future. Synopsis: How…

The End of Suffering – Genome Reform and the Future of Sentience – David Pearce
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The End of Suffering – Genome Reform and the Future of Sentience – David Pearce

A talk by David Pearce for the Stepping into the Future conference 2022. Synopsis: No sentient being in the evolutionary history of life has enjoyed good health as defined by the World Health Organization. The founding constitution of the World Health Organization commits the international community to a daringly ambitious conception of health: “a state…

Are we fit for the future?
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Are we fit for the future?

Panelists: James Hughes, PJ Manney (both at IEET), and Pramod Nayar (Hyderabad Uni) discuss humanities fitness for the future – covering important points including: Are we morally equipped to deal with humanities grand challenges? If the majority population of a democratic state were morally deficient, would it be okay to morally enhance the population, or…

The Aesthetic of the Meta-Aesthetic: the Meaning Nexus Between Memeplexes – Andrés Gómez Emilsson
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The Aesthetic of the Meta-Aesthetic: the Meaning Nexus Between Memeplexes – Andrés Gómez Emilsson

Are there facts about whether something is beautiful, or good art, or are such things purely a matter of opinion? A Future Day talk by Andrés Gómez Emilsson Audio: Synopsis: In the spirit of fostering a collaborative relationship between the memeplexes that currently occupy the minds of the post-political intelligentsia, Andrés shares a conceptual framework…

The Goodness of the Universe: Outer Space, Inner Space, and the Future of Networks /w John Smart
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The Goodness of the Universe: Outer Space, Inner Space, and the Future of Networks /w John Smart

A talk for the ‘Stepping into the Future‘ conference (April 2022). Synopsis: Does the History, Dynamics, and Structure of our Universe give any evidence that it is inherently “Good”? Does it appear to be statistically protective of adapted complexity and intelligence? Which aspects of the big history of our universe appear to be random? Which…

James Hughes – Cyborg Virtues: Using BCIs for Moral Enhancement
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James Hughes – Cyborg Virtues: Using BCIs for Moral Enhancement

James Hughes discusses the neuroanatomy of moral cognition, and the potential for brain stimulation and brain-computer interfaces to modulate moral emotions, cognition and behavior. This talk was part of the ‘Stepping Into the Future‘ conference.   Video here. Audio: Synopsis: Links between brain structures and cognition began with studies of victims of brain injuries, and…

Robin Hanson – UFOs what the hell?
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Robin Hanson – UFOs what the hell?

Robin Hanson gives a talk (starting at 5:31) and addresses questions afterwards on building a plausible story (although perhaps unlikely) of UFA/UFO aliens. Yes, the universe looks completely dead; we see no signs of life outside Earth, even though over millions of years advanced aliens could have made some big visible changes. Some possible explanations:…