Artificial Intelligence and the Superorganism (2023)
Daniel Schmachtenberger is a founding member of The Consilience Project, aimed at improving public sensemaking and dialogue. The throughline of his interests has to do with ways of improving the health and development of individuals and society, with a virtuous relationship between the two as a goal. Towards these ends, he’s had particular interest in the topics of catastrophic and existential risk, civilization and institutional decay and collapse as well as progress, collective action problems, social organization theories, and the relevant domains in philosophy and science.
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Date
Duration
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Date
May 17, 2023
Format
Discussion
Word Count
28,782
Duration
03:12:12
Quotes
16
Views
768
Daniel Schmachtenberger and Nate Hagens discuss a surprisingly overlooked risk to our global systems and planetary stability: artificial intelligence. Through a systems perspective, Daniel and Nate piece together the biophysical history that has led humans to this point, heading towards (and beyond) numerous planetary boundaries, and facing geopolitical risks all with existential consequences. How does artificial intelligence not only add to these risks, but accelerate the entire dynamic of the metacrisis? What is the role of intelligence versus wisdom on our current global pathway, and can we change course? Does artificial intelligence have a role to play in creating a more stable system, or will it be the tipping point that drives our current one out of control?
Date
May 9, 2024
Format
Discussion
Duration
03:39:15
Views
5
Daniel Schmachtenberger challenges conventional notions of progress, arguing that technological advancement has created unintended consequences. While individuals and organizations optimize for their own success, this creates collective harm through environmental degradation and social inequality—a classic tragedy of the commons scenario. He contends that our narrow definition of progress ignores these negative externalities, effectively making the traditional progress narrative false. Instead, Schmachtenberger advocates for redefining progress to encompass the holistic well-being of humanity and the environment.
