Tag: artificial intelligence

Favorite Books of the Year 2018: 21 Lessons for the 21 century

~ poorbjorn ~ Leave a comment

What Harari has done here is quite a feat. He has squeezed what could easily been a series of books into one volume, covering topics like:

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▪️The resurrection of nationalism.

▫️What to do in a post-jobs world.

▪️The opportunity cost of fighting terrorism.

▫️Why we need a deep understanding of suffering and how to attain it.

▪️What should we teach our kids in school to prepare the for the future?

▫️How to live in the age of biotech, algorithms and AI.

▪️Is religion still relevant?

▫️Do we need a whole new ideology to deal with the problems of the 21st century when liberalism just wont cut it anymore?

▪️Culturism vs. Rasism.

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The book is relevant, nuanced and sometimes frightening.

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How do I plan do dig deeper into the themes covered in this book in 2019?

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I will read ‘Future Presence’ early next year. It’s about human connection in a future of virtual reality.

Read the full list of favorites or check out previous lists right here!

“Sapiens”, “Homo Deus” and “Now 21 Lessons for the 21 Century”. REVIEW.

~ poorbjorn ~ 4 Comments

While his other books, Sapiens and Homo Deus, focused on the past and the far future – this book focuses on the present and mankind’s immediate challenges.

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Topics are ranging from how to deal with disruptive technologies, the resurrection of nationalism and the relevancy of religions. Harari wants to shine a light on the fact that we are lacking new idea systems that are capable to help us navigate these new and trying times. Liberalism and the other old ideologies just won’t make the cut anymore.

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📝 The opportunity cost of fighting terrorism is that the money could have be used to fight other threats; like global warming.

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📝 Disruptive technologies will likely create a new “worthless class” of billions. Marxism might make a come back when jobs are being threatened, one might think? But Marxism presumes that the workers labour is of value. That probably won’t be the case with advancements in automation.

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📝 Protect humans not jobs. Finding meaningful pursuit for humans is the most important problem to solve in a future without jobs.

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📝 You don’t need religious text to be moral. Apes learned to take care of the poor and weak well before the Bible told them so.

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📝 “If you want reliable information, pay good money for it.” 👌🏻

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A whole bookshelf worth of topics is crammed into one small volume, which becomes a problems when each chapter deserves its own book.

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Harari don’t have a solution for all the issues. He offers the same advise that wise people and sages always have: sit down on a cushion and observe your sensations. Know thyself, and get to know suffering deeply enough so that you can act in a way that reduces it both your life and in the life of others.

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4/5

 

Review (4/5) – Get the Book!

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Thoughts on: “Superintelligence” by Nick Bostrom

~ poorbjorn ~ 1 Comment

Bostrom paints a gloomy picture of what’s in store for us would we ever develop a superintelligence. It left me depressed, but I think it’s essential to have rudimentary understanding of the challenges a general artificial intelligence would entail. This book presents potential paths to reach superintelligence and dives deep into the problem of controlling a force with capacities far beyond our own.

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Paths to Superintelligence:

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🚸 “Seed AI” – A program learning by trial and error. Becoming more and more advanced over time. 🌱

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🚸 “Whole Brain Emulation” – Creating a digital representation of a brain by scanning and then replicate and enhance its it’s functions. 🧠

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🚸 “Biotechnological Enhancements” – at least weak forms of super intelligence can be achieved by mental and physical enhancements in the near future. 🔬

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🚸 “Iterated Embryo Selection” – Another way to reach super intelligence is through gene manipulation and breeding. Creating supersperms by matching and breeding them in labs, concentrating leaps of several generations in one go. This could create a new enhanced “race” of humans that together could be called a super intelligence. 👶🏼

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⭐️ Takeaway:

The introduction of a superintelligence will propose a potential existential risk. But it would prevents other existential risks, like a meteor strike or super Volcano eruption.

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The book is complex and sometimes painfully dense with information. But I consider it worthwhile investment of my time in hindsight! For a less academic and technical, but more accessible, starting point for learning about AI I recommend “Surviving AI” by C. Chace.

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To uplift my spirit I started reading “How to Live: A Life of Montaigne”. It’s awesome so far! What book made you depressed?

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4/4

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Photo credit: @christyharner

Get the Book!

Check out my reading lists for more great books!