Status Update - 01
Episode indexing, navigation, and the future of this news letter
Welcome to my Substack! Here, we explore the intersection of technology, human intelligence, and the future. These posts typically fall into three major categories: Improving Human Intelligence to Mitigate the Existing Risk of AI, Emerging Technologies, and Exploring Medical Frontiers. This post series will serve as a fourth category, 'Status Updates,' which I plan to create approximately every 10-15 posts. The purpose is to index content for new readers, provide general updates, and interact with the community.
Origins of this Substack
I am excited about the future potential of AI and how it can elevate our society. I fully expect the end of the 21st century to be unrecognizable from its current state. There is so much potential here for solving major challenges, eliminating unnecessary suffering, and advancing humans into the future. However, the rise of AI resembles less the development of a new disruptive technology—like the replacement of horses with cars—and more the emergence of Homo sapiens from other primates. Thus, AI comes with a unique set of challenges if we do not navigate this new paradigm.
I've long been concerned about the potential negative impact of AI on humanity. Beyond the Hollywood Terminator-like scenarios, my concerns are more about the place of humans in this new society.
We are rapidly developing tools that outperform humans in nearly every aspect of intellectual labor. I once thought this issue belonged to a distant future, but the reality is different. The advent of AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), has already revolutionized many general tasks. The release of ChatGPT towards the end of 2022 shattered any illusions I had about incremental AI development.
I'm deeply concerned and believe it will be a civilizational-level challenge to mitigate the risks of artificial general intelligence (AGI), especially those that surpass or significantly outperform current human general intelligence. Addressing this issue requires a multifaceted approach, and as a scientist and engineer in the biomedical field, I focus on enhancing human intelligence as a countermeasure.
I launched this Substack to flesh out these concepts in my core series, 'Mitigating the Existential Risks of AI by Enhancing Human Intelligence.' While this remains the cornerstone of my Substack, I've also ventured into Emerging Technologies and Medical Frontiers. These topics are closely related and offer additional insights that I believe will interest my readers.
How to Start Reading
For the AI Enthusiast: Interested in the future of AI and its implications? We recommend reading the core series on "Mitigating the Existential Risk of AI" from start to finish, beginning with the "Overview and Introduction" post. This series is designed to be read sequentially for a comprehensive understanding.
For the Tech-Savvy: Keen on understanding emerging technologies? Feel free to dive into any post that catches your eye, as these are generally standalone pieces. Examples include "ChatGPT's 'Code Interpreter': A Game-Changer in Data Science" and "Worldcoin: The Cryptocurrency for Your Eyeballs."
For the Health-Conscious: More inclined towards medical advancements and health? These posts are also standalone and can be read in any order. Consider starting with "CPACC: The Real Magic Weight Loss Pill?" or "Are Pig Kidneys the Future of Transplant Medicine?"
The Core Series: Mitigating the Existential Risk of AI
Overview and Introduction. This entry sets the stage for the series by discussing the rapid advancements in AI and the existential risks they pose. It emphasizes the widening gap between human and machine intelligence and advocates for urgent exploration of biological interventions to expand human cognitive capacities.
The Inevitability and Existential Risk of Artificial General Intelligence. This discussion highlights the catastrophic outcomes that could occur without proper safety mechanisms. It also outlines key presuppositions for AI risk.
Understanding Human Intelligence. We investigate the biology behind human intelligence and why we need to rethink traditional enhancement methods.
Reaching vs. Expanding Biological Potential. Explore why reaching our inherent cognitive potential is not enough and why we need a new paradigm of interventions.
Biological Strategies to Expand Human Intelligence: Neurotransmitter Modulation. Find out how modulating neurotransmitters could enhance cognitive abilities but also come with challenges and risks.
Biological Strategies to Expand Human Intelligence: Neurotrophins. Learn about the role of neurotrophins like BDNF in cognitive abilities and the scientific hurdles that need to be overcome.
From Neurons to AI: The Surprising Symmetry of Emergence. Explore the concept of emergence in both biological systems and AI, and ponder whether consciousness could be an emergent property in complex AI systems.
Emerging Technologies
ChatGPT's 'Code Interpreter': A Game-Changer in Data Science. See how ChatGPT's new plugin could democratize data analysis and its implications across various fields.
Worldcoin: The Cryptocurrency for Your Eyeballs. Discover Worldcoin's ambitious project to distribute digital currency using iris recognition and the challenges it faces.
LK-99: The Real-Life Unobtanium? Delve into the discovery of LK-99, a material claimed to be a room-temperature superconductor, and its potential revolutionary applications.
LK-99: Unlikely Unobtainium. Get updated on new findings that cast doubt on LK-99's superconducting properties and the importance of the scientific process.
Exploring Medical Frontiers
CPACC: The Real Magic Weight Loss Pill? Learn about CPACC, a novel drug for weight loss that targets magnesium uptake, and the need for further research.
Are Pig Kidneys the Future of Transplant Medicine? Discover the groundbreaking development of gene-edited pig kidneys transplanted into humans and its potential implications.
What's Coming Up
Future Topics: Stay tuned for more in-depth explorations in all our series.
Podcast and Audio: I am expanding into audio content for a more dynamic experience or for those who prefer to listen rather than read.
Guests: I will be reaching out to other experts on related topics to share their perspectives within this community.
Official Substack Name
I've been contemplating an appropriate name for this Substack. One that has caught my attention is "Neural Nexus”. I would like to get feedback from the audience on this or other potential names.
Personal Update
I have spent the past week and a half on holiday backpacking through France and Switzerland. The train rides between destinations gave me time to draft this long-overdue Status Update. I expect to return to a normal cadence next week.
Conclusion
Thank you for being a part of this journey as we explore the intersections of technology, human intelligence, and the future. Your engagement and curiosity make this Substack what it is. Feel free to subscribe, comment, or reach out if you have questions or topics you'd like to see covered.
How you can support this Substack
If you find these explorations valuable, there are multiple ways to show your support:
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Excellent Index post David. I was torn between KingsleyCast and NN. Your name has a lot of gravitas. The Cast threw me off though so I voted NN. Kingsley Cybernetics maybe? Doesn't quite fit either, I think. NN it is! All the topics you list are fascinating and need to be explored in depth. In my novel I am speculating with Neuroplasticity (Darpa is doing that already, search for DARPA TNT), Neurobionics, AI and scientific advancements (nuclear fusion, superconductors) to combat cataclysmic (climate) events that will make our planet inhabitable and how it will shape society 500+ years from now, while making it an entertaining read, or so I hope.
Fantastic overview post, David. A lot of value in doing something like this.
Great pic, too! I was in Grindelwald just over a year ago with my wife, at the tail end of an incredible trip to Italy and Switzerland. Magical.