![]() ![]() In my lab we study both intelligent organisms, we look at brains, but also intelligent machines – we do AI research. In recent years, my nerdy technical research at MIT has shifted increasing from the cosmos to the physics of intelligence. Max: Ever since I was a teenager, I felt that the two greatest mysteries of science were the mystery out there, our universe, and the mystery in here, in our heads, the mind. That's why I've written this book.Īriel: So to go back just a little bit, how did you as a physics professor get involved in this? What drew you to artificial intelligence? It's going to require that we really think things through in advance, and really have this conversation now. I'm optimistic that we can create a great future with AI, but it's not going to happen automatically. I think if we succeed in building machines that are smarter than us in all ways, it's going to be either the best thing ever to happen to humanity or the worst thing. That makes intelligence in AI incredibly important because it suggests that we've only seen the tip of the intelligence iceberg, and that there's amazing potential to unlock the full intelligence that's latent in nature, and to use it to help humanity either flourish or flounder. There's no law of physics that says that we can't build machines more intelligent than us in all ways. Max: We've traditionally thought of intelligence as something mysterious that can only exist in biological organisms, especially humans, but from my perspective as a physicist, intelligence is simply a certain kind of information processing performed by elementary particles moving around. I hope it's going to be a lot more accessible.Īriel: What is it about AI that you think is so important to our future? Will superhuman artificial intelligence arrive in our lifetimes? Can and should it be controlled, and if so, by whom? Can humanity survive in the age of AI? And if so, how can we find meaning and purpose if super-intelligent machines provide for all our needs and make all our contributions superfluous?Īnother way in which my book is different is that I've written it from my perspective as a physicist doing AI research here at MIT, which lets me explain AI in terms of fundamental principles without getting all caught up in the weeds with technical computer jargon. ![]() There are so many fascinating questions here. Instead of shying away from that question about the elephant, in this book, I focus on it and all its fascinating aspects because I want to prepare the reader to join what I think is the most important conversation of our time. What will happen, once machines outsmart us at all tasks? What's kind of my hallmark as a scientist is to take an idea all the way to its logical conclusion. Max: Well, there's been lots of talk about AI disrupting the job market and also enabling new weapons, but very few scientists talk seriously about what I think is the elephant in the room. I want to know, what is it about your book that stands out from all these other reading materials, and what makes it an important read for anyone who wants to understand and prepare for our future? AI has been in the news a lot lately, and other books have come out about the potential impact of AI. He is the author of over 200 publications, and also his earlier book, Our Mathematical Universe: My Quest for the Ultimate Nature of Reality.Īriel: Obviously, I want to dive right into your book. His recent technical papers focus on AI, and typically build on physics-based techniques. He's also a physics professor at MIT, where his research has ranged from cosmology to the physics of intelligence, and he's currently focused on the interface between AI, physics, and neuroscience. As most of our listeners will know, Max is co-founder and president of FLI. I'm happy to have Max here with me today. I'm Ariel Conn with the Future of Life Institute. ![]() ![]() I'm of course speaking of Max Tegmark's new book, Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Ariel: Elon Musk has called it a compelling guide to the challenges and choices in our quest for a great future of life on Earth and beyond, while Stephen Hawking and Ray Kurzweil have referred to it as an introduction and guide to the most important conversation of our time. ![]()
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