Sean talks with writer Sigal Samuel about AI successionism, the growing movement that sees artificial intelligence as humanity’s rightful successor. They discuss why some people in the AI world think humanity should be replaced, how this vision borrows from old religious ideas about salvation and transcendence, and why artificial intelligence is a dangerous thing to worship.
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Host: Sean Illing (@seanilling)
Guest: Sigal Samuel (@SigalSamuel)
Click here to read Sigal’s article on AI successionism.
00:00 Intro
01:15 What is AI successionism?
07:26 Intelligence vs consciousness
09:59 The disturbing politics of AI successionism
12:12 Is AI secessionism a religion?
23:04 Is this a way to escape our mortality?
24:49 Is intelligence the most valuable thing in the universe?
33:28 Is it wrong to put humans first?
44:49 Is successionism a way of reframing the ‘AI takeover?’
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