TransVision review
Principal, Delta Wisdom Chair, London Futurists londonfuturists.com deltawisdom.com
The social angle to technology & transhumanism
David Wood @dw2
@dw2
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https://funnytimes.com/19990203/
@dw2
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Self-directed human evolution?
https://web.archive.org/web/19990117003554/http://www.transcedo.org/
@dw2
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http://www.thenanoage.com/
Self-directed human evolution?
@dw2
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Self-directed human evolution?
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=363390110431587
@dw2
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http://humanityplus.org/philosophy/transhumanist-faq/
Transhumanism is a way of thinking about the future that is based on the premise that the human species in its current form
does not represent the end of our development but rather a comparatively early phase.
What is transhumanism?
@dw2
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http://humanityplus.org/philosophy/transhumanist-faq/
Transhumanism is a way of thinking about the future that is based on the premise that the human species in its current form
does not represent the end of our development but rather a comparatively early phase.
“Transhumanism is a class of philosophies of life that seek the continuation and acceleration of the
evolution of intelligent life beyond its currently human form and human limitations
by means of science and technology, guided by life-promoting principles and values.”
– Max More 1990
What is transhumanism?
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4 criticisms of transhumanism 1. Humanity already is in a final (desirable) state
– Humanity is already “created in the image of God” – Secular version: prefer simpler, more sustainable existence
2. Significant human enhancement is too far into the future – Transhumanism is a distraction from more pressing concerns
3. Attempts to enhance humans will likely go badly wrong – People will end up crueller rather than kinder – Or society will end up damaged or diminished in various ways
4. “Transhumanism” as a concept is unnecessarily scary – Prefer “Technology can significantly enhance human happiness” – To “Technology can significant enhance human nature”
TransVision review
Principal, Delta Wisdom Chair, London Futurists londonfuturists.com deltawisdom.com
The social angle to technology & transhumanism
David Wood @dw2
@dw2
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« Le transhumanisme face à la question sociale »
Paris, 20-22 November 2014
http://transvision2014.org/
Lead Organiser Marc Roux
20+ articles already published or broadcast. Front page of Metro News, articles in Le
Figaro, Les Echos, etc., and France Info radio). 5 film crews were present (for France 2, Arte,
Canal + ...) – documentaries expected
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http://www.metronews.fr/info/les-transhumanistes-veulent-sortir-de-l-ombre-avec-le-colloque-transvision/mnks!6IuLt1x9vUpbE/
http://www.01net.com/editorial/634051/natasha-vita-more-un-jour-nous-aurons-un-corps-alternatif/
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http://transhumanism.org/tv/tv98/index.htm
Garret Smith, UK talking about cryonics
Nick Bostrom talking about the World Transhumanist Association
Anders Sandberg, Aleph, Sweden: “This is the start of something great”
Weesp, The Netherlands 5-7 July 1998
Lead Organiser Berrie Staring
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Stockholm, 5-6 June 1999
http://transhumanism.org/tv/tv99/index.htm
"Who do you want to be tomorrow?"
Lead Organiser Anders Sandberg
Press liaison Waldemar Ingdahl
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UCL, London, 15-16 July 2000
http://transhumanism.org/tv/tv2000/index.htm
TransVision is an annual gathering of (mainly) European transhumanists and other people who are interested in how contemporary &
future technological developments could best be used to overcome the
biological limitations of the human condition (including death, disease and unhappiness)
Not just the potential benefits of scientific progress will be discussed, though,
but also the very significant dangers of war or accidents with advanced technologies
Lead Organiser Garret Smith
TransVision MM
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TransVision history • Weesp, The Netherlands 5-7 July 1998 • Stockholm, Sweden, 5-6 June 1999 • London, UK, 15-16 July 2000 • Berlin, Germany, 22-24 June 2001 • Yale, New Haven, CT USA, 27-29 June 2003 • Toronto, Canada, 5-8 August 2004 • Caracas, Venezuela, 22-24 July 2005 • Helsinki, Finland, 17-19 August 2006 • Chicago, USA, July 2007 • Milan, Italy, 22-24 October 2010 • Paris, France, 20-22 November 2014
Extropy events, California, 1994-2005
Humanity+ conferences, Worldwide, ongoing
Singularity Summits, Worldwide, ongoing
http://www.extropy.org/events.htm http://transhumanismi.org/tv06/
TransVision review
Principal, Delta Wisdom Chair, London Futurists londonfuturists.com deltawisdom.com
The social angle to technology & transhumanism
David Wood @dw2
@dw2
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http://www.computerworld.com/article/2473980/data-storage-solutions/143723-Storage-now-and-then.html slide 2
128MB 128GB
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http://www.genome.gov/sequencingcosts/
$100M in 2001
$10k in 2011
$10M in 2007
Halving each 2 yrs
Halving each 5 months!
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Changes in the last 10 years
2004
2014 5 times faster
5 times cheaper
5 times smaller
Smartphones
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“In 10 years over 40% of the Fortune 500
will no longer be here”
Babson Olin School of Business Advertisement, Fast Company April 2011, page 121
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“The average lifespan of a company listed in the Standard & Poor 500
index of leading US companies has decreased from 67 years in the 1920s
to just 15 years today”
http://som.yale.edu/richard-n-foster http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-16611040
In 8 years time, “more than 3/4 of the S&P 500 will be companies that
we have not heard of yet”
– Richard Foster, Yale
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Opportunities
Threats
The set of
possible futures
Foresight…
… is hard
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Rate of pace of change
increasing
Foresight…
… getting harder
Complex convergence
of technologies and
convergence of risks
Opportunities
Threats
So we need to get better at it!
Making credible futures vivid
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B N
C I
NBIC Convergence
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Atoms Genes
Bits Neurons
Bio-Tech
Nano-Tech
Cogno-Tech
ICT
Software
Hardware
Biology Physical
S^ ? “Singularity”
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4 AI + Human Intelligence
1
3 2
4 great convergences
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Convergence: AI & human intelligence
http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Tech/2010/0617/How-a-computer-program-became-classical-music-s-hot-new-composer
http://www.allmusic.com/album/bach-by-design-computer-composed-music-mw0001354257/credits
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http://intelligenceexplosion.com/en/2011/superstition-in-retreat/
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Convergence: AI & human intelligence
http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/ibmwatson/what-is-watson.html http://singularityhub.com/2011/03/09/paging-dr-watson-ai-jeopardy-champion-could-become-physicians-assistant/
• Understand content of medical records
• Understand research publications
• Able to discern new patterns
• Able to suggest experiments
• Explain hypotheses to humans
• Able to modify theories, and learn
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Convergence: AI & human intelligence
http://www.ibm.com/smarterplanet/us/en/ibmwatson/what-is-watson.html http://singularityhub.com/2011/03/09/paging-dr-watson-ai-jeopardy-champion-could-become-physicians-assistant/
Medical Science Cognitive Science
• Understand content of medical records
• Understand research publications
• Able to discern new patterns
• Able to suggest experiments
• Explain hypotheses to humans
• Able to modify theories, and learn
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Technological unemployment
http://venturebeat.com/2013/12/05/khosla-explains-his-robots-replacing-doctors-comment-and-goes-on-the-hunt-for-data-scientists/
“By 2025, 80% of the functions doctors do will be done much
better and much more cheaply by machines & algorithms”
– Vinod Khosla
“80% of doctors will be replaced by technology”
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Deep machine learning
Hybrid intelligence
4 AI + Human Intelligence
Human + Machine
1
3 2
4 great convergences
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Convergence: Human and machine
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324235104578241801065110288.html
Wearables
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“Already lets you run up to 40 km/h”
http://www.bionicboot.com/
“Bionic boots”
Wearable robots
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“Robotic suit gives shipyard workers super strength”
Daewoo Shipbuilding
Boosts raw lifting ability Workers manipulate heavy items more precisely
Suit takes most of the weight So the user is effectively handling light objects
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg22329803.900-robotic-suit-gives-shipyard-workers-super-strength.html
Wearable robots
Suit weights 28 kg Made from carbon, aluminium alloy, and steel
The suit supports itself Engineered to follow the wearer’s movements
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http://www.mc10inc.com/
“When Wearable Tech Saves Your Life, You Won’t Take It Off”
Digital tattoos
“Epidermal electronics”
The size of just 2 postage stamps
http://www.fastcompany.com/3033417/when-wearable-tech-saves-your-life-you-wont-take-it-off
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https://dangerousthings.com/
“Unlock doors with a wave of your hand: house, car…”
“Lock or unlock your PC / smartphone…”
“Store Bitcoins….”
Embedded RFIDs
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Deep machine learning
Hybrid intelligence
Mobile -> Wearable -> -> Insideable ->…
Cyborgs
4 AI + Human Intelligence
Human + Machine Software + Biology
1
3 2
4 great convergences
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Rob Carlson, Feb 2014: www.synthesis.cc
Price per Base of DNA Sequencing
(Reading) & Synthesis
(Writing)
Convergence: Software and biology
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Convergence: Software and biology
http://www.economist.com/node/16163154
“And man made life”
Designer babies
Re-designed adults
Regenerative medicine
Stem cell therapies
Rejuveneering
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Physical + Virtual
Deep machine learning
Hybrid intelligence
Mobile -> Wearable -> -> Insideable ->…
Cyborgs
4 AI + Human Intelligence
Human + Machine Software + Biology
Synthetic biology
Genetic engineering
1
3 2
4 great convergences
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Convergence: Physical and virtual
Magic Leap
Second generation augmented reality
http://www.businessinsider.com/magic-leap-google-investment-2014-10
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Convergence: Physical and virtual
http://www.businessinsider.com/magic-leap-google-investment-2014-10
Magic Leap
Second generation augmented reality
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Physical + Virtual
VR & AR
MOOCs, cryptocurrency…
Deep machine learning
Hybrid intelligence
Mobile -> Wearable -> -> Insideable ->…
Cyborgs
4 AI + Human Intelligence
Human + Machine Software + Biology
Synthetic biology
Genetic engineering
1
3 2
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Accelerating technology
Enhancing humans
Extra intelligence
Extra health Extra longevity
Extra experience
Disturbing humanity
Worse terrorism
Worse surveillance
Worse climate
Robot employment
Extra opportunities Existential risks
Benefits individuals
Threatens society
Positive
feedback
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Enhancing humans
Extra intelligence
Extra health Extra longevity
Extra experience
Disturbing humanity
Worse terrorism
Worse surveillance
Worse climate
Robot employment
Extra opportunities Existential risks
Benefits individuals
Threatens society
Issue: Progress to personal enhancements is far from inevitable
Answer: Agreed! It will require a great deal of innovation & diligence
Issue: All transhumanists think the Singularity is inevitable (in 2045?)
Answer: No we don’t! Timing is open
Discussion
Issue: Progress is bound to falter Answer: Unlikely (unless society
collapses) – tech engine powerful Idea: Let’s stop tech progress
Answer: Unlikely! Huge impetus
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Enhancing humans
Extra intelligence
Extra health Extra longevity
Extra experience
Disturbing humanity
Worse terrorism
Worse surveillance
Worse climate
Robot employment
Extra opportunities Existential risks
Benefits individuals
Threatens society
If we allow individuals to enhance themselves
through smart R&D and free enterprise – without government interference –
the world’s social problems will be solved as a by-product
Alongside smart R&D and the power of free enterprise, we also need
wise regulation and smart governance
1
2
And perhaps new social systems
Two contrasting
views possible
1 Techno-libertarian 2 Techno-progressive
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http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/360347
The most important problem we are facing
now, today… is
Robert Shiller, Nobel prize winner for Economics,
14 October 2013
rising inequality
@dw2
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/theres-been-class-warfare-for-the-last-20-years-and-my-class-has-won/2011/03/03/gIQApaFbAL_blog.html
There’s been class warfare going on for the last 20 years, and my class has won. We’re the ones that have gotten our tax rates reduced dramatically
Warren Buffett, Investor, “Sage of Omaha”,
2011
Top 400 taxpayers Average income Tax rate
1992 $40M 29%
2010 $227M 21%
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http://www.theprogressivesinfluence.com/2014/02/the-nations-uber-wealthy-are-revolting.html
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http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/pikettys-inequality-story-in-six-charts
http://piketty.pse.ens.fr/files/capital21c/en/pdf/F0.I.1.pdf
http://eml.berkeley.edu/~saez/saez-UStopincomes-
2012.pdf
Thomas Piketty
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http://www.economist.com/news/finance-and-economics/21631129-it-001-who-are-really-getting-ahead-america-forget-1
“The really, really rich get much, much richer”
“The 16,000 families making up the richest 0.01%, with an average net worth of $371M, now control 11.2% of total wealth—back to the 1916 share, which is the highest on record”
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http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/pikettys-inequality-story-in-six-charts
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http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/pikettys-inequality-story-in-six-charts
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http://www.rferl.org/content/russia-billionaire-wealth-inequality/25132471.html
“Russia Has Highest Level Of Wealth Inequality” A new report on global wealth has determined that Russia now has the highest level of wealth inequality in the world -- with the exception of a few small Caribbean nations where billionaires have taken up residency.
The annual global wealth study published by the financial services group Credit Suisse says a mere 110 Russian citizens now control 35% of the total household wealth across the vast country.
By comparison, billionaires worldwide account for just 1-2% of total wealth.
The report says Russia has one billionaire for every $11 billion in wealth while, across the rest of the world, there is one billionaire for every $170 billion.
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Positive
feedback
cycle
The three inequality questions
1. Is inequality really a problem? – Or is it just a perceived problem?
2. Is powerful new technology likely to make inequality worse? – For example, via adverse positive feedback cycles? – What kind of scenarios are credible for the future?
3. What can be done to avoid escalating inequality? – Roles of politics, philosophy, and (yes) technology?
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The problems with inequality
1. Is inequality really a problem? – Or is it just a perceived problem?
A. A more unequal society is worse for everyone B. Equality of opportunity is declining too
– “The disappearing middle class”
C. A more unequal society is more explosive – And technology risks making it even more explosive
Positive
feedback
cycle
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Page 58
http://www.equalitytrust.org.uk/resources/our-publications/spirit-level-slides
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2010/aug/14/the-spirit-level-equality-thinktanks
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http://www.thersa.org/events/video/archive/rsa-debates-the-spirit-level
“Kate Pickett, Richard Wilkinson,
Peter Saunders, and Chrisopher Snowdon debate the influential book The Spirit Level and ask whether the
benefits of egalitarianism can be statistically proven”
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Page 71
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/12/04/the-best-speech-obama-has-given-on-the-economy/
…I believe this is the defining challenge of our time
4 December 2013
A dangerous and growing inequality… has jeopardized middle-class America’s basic bargain:
– that if you work hard, you have a chance to get ahead
While we don’t promise equal outcomes, we have strived to deliver equal opportunity – the idea that success doesn’t depend on being born into wealth or privilege, it depends on effort and merit.
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http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/531726/technology-and-inequality/
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http://owsposters.tumblr.com/post/11688983653/middle-class-family-an-endangered-species
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http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/531726/technology-and-inequality/
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/12/04/the-best-speech-obama-has-given-on-the-economy/
4 December 2013
The problem is that alongside increased inequality, we’ve seen diminished levels of upward mobility in
recent years. A child born in the top 20% has about a 2-in-3 chance
of staying at or near the top. A child born into the bottom 20% has a less than 1-in-
20 shot at making it to the top. He’s 10 times likelier to stay where he is.
@dw2
Page 77 The problem isn’t that we have inequality. Some inequality is intrinsic to any high-functioning capitalist economy. The problem is that inequality is at historically high levels and getting worse every day… Unless our policies change dramatically, the middle class will disappear, and we will be back to late 18th-century France. Before the revolution. And so I have a message for my fellow filthy rich, for all of us who live in our gated bubble worlds: Wake up, people. It won’t last. If we don’t do something to fix the glaring inequities in this economy, the pitchforks are going to come for us. No society can sustain this kind of rising inequality. In fact, there is no example in human history where wealth accumulated like this and the pitchforks didn’t eventually come out. You show me a highly unequal society, and I will show you a police state. Or an uprising.
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/06/the-pitchforks-are-coming-for-us-plutocrats-108014.html
Nick Hanauer
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Page 78
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2541541/Google-hiring-security-guards-protect-work-buses-San-Francisco-following-protests-tech-workers-driving-city-rents.html
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Locking in advantage: 5 factors 1. Capital growth exceeds economic growth (r > g: Piketty)
– More money -> investment -> even more money
2. Education – More money -> better education -> better career -> more money
3. “Winner takes all” – Better skills -> disproportionately higher reward
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Purchased by Facebook in April 2012
With 13 employees And 100 million registered users
For approx $1 billion in cash and stock
Launched in October 2010 Sociable
Usable
Winner takes a larger reward Compare Kodak
1997 valuation $30B 86,000 employees
2,000x productivity?!
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Purchased by Facebook in April 2012
With 13 employees And 100 million registered users
For approx $1 billion in cash and stock
Launched in October 2010
Winner takes a larger reward Compare Kodak
1997 valuation $30B 86,000 employees
2,000x productivity?!
Created seven billionaires!
Each with a net worth ten times greater than George
Eastman!
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Purchased by Facebook in Feb 2014
With 55 employees And 420 million active users
For approx $19 billion in cash & stock
Launched in March 2009 Sociable
Usable
Winner takes a larger reward
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Page 83
“Winner takes all”: The Second Machine Age Gold medal >> Silver medal 1. The digitization of more and more
information, goods, and services 2. The vast improvements in
telecommunications and transport – The best products can be used in every
market
3. The increased importance of networks and standards – New capabilities and new ideas can be
combined and recombined more quickly
http://www.secondmachineage.com/
Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee, MIT
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Page 84
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/531726/technology-and-inequality/
Steve Jurvetson Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Venture Capitalist investor in Hotmail Boards: SpaceX, Synthetic Genomics, Tesla Motors
“It just seems so obvious to me [that] technology is accelerating the rich-poor gap…”
“The elephant in the room, stomping around, banging off the walls”
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Locking in advantage: 5 factors 1. Capital growth exceeds economic growth (r > g: Piketty)
– More money -> investment -> even more money
2. Education – More money -> better education -> better career -> more money
3. “Winner takes all” – Better skills -> disproportionately higher reward
4. Technology to enhance your health (body power) – Fitter -> work more effectively -> better rewards
5. Technology to enhance your intelligence (brain power) – Smarter -> work more effectively -> better rewards – “Limitless”
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Accelerating technology
Reduces prices
Increases inequality
Positive
feedback
Creates practical abundance
@dw2
Page 87
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/mary-meekers-2014-internet-presentation-2014-5
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http://www.businessinsider.com.au/mary-meekers-2014-internet-presentation-2014-5
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128MB 128GB
http://www.computerworld.com/article/2473980/data-storage-solutions/143723-Storage-now-and-then.html slide 2
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http://www.businessinsider.com.au/mary-meekers-2014-internet-presentation-2014-5
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http://www.businessinsider.com.au/mary-meekers-2014-internet-presentation-2014-5
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http://www.businessinsider.com.au/mary-meekers-2014-internet-presentation-2014-5
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Page 93
Source: “Exponential
Organizations”
exponentialorgs.com
http://www.slideshare.net/vangeest/exponential-
organizations-h
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Source: “Exponential
Organizations”
exponentialorgs.com
http://www.slideshare.net/vangeest/exponential-
organizations-h
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Page 95
Source: “Exponential
Organizations”
exponentialorgs.com
http://www.slideshare.net/vangeest/exponential-
organizations-h
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Source: “Exponential
Organizations”
exponentialorgs.com
http://www.slideshare.net/vangeest/exponential-
organizations-h
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Source: “Exponential
Organizations”
exponentialorgs.com
http://www.slideshare.net/vangeest/exponential-
organizations-h
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Examples of rate of change
Source: “Exponential Organizations”
Technology Average cost for equivalent functionality Scale
3D printing $40,000 (2007) to $100 (2014) 400x in 7 years
Industrial robots $500,000 (2008) to $22,000 (2013) 23x in 5 years
Drones $100,000 (2007) to $700 (2013) 142x in 6 years
Solar energy $30 per kWh (1984) to $0.16 per kWh (2014) 200x in 20 years
3D LIDAR Sensors $20,000 (2009) to $79 (2014) 250x in 5 years
DNA genome seq $10,000,000 (2007) to $1,000 (2014) 10,000x in 7 years
BCI neuro devices $4,000 (2006) to $90 (2011) 44x in 5 years
Full body med scan $10,000 (2000) to $500 (2014) 20x in 14 years
http://www.slideshare.net/vangeest/exponential-organizations-h
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Page 99
Accelerating technology
Reduces prices
Increases inequality
Positive
feedback
Creates practical abundance
Enables fabulous
new functionality
Initially still at exorbitant prices
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Page 100
Four future scenarios 1. Inequality accepted – through “practical abundance” despite inequality
– Majority of people will become comparatively poorer, but goods will reduce in expense – People remain relatively happy and acquiescent – Even though the 1% have more abundance than everyone else – People may spend lots of time in virtual worlds and soap operas
2. Inequality exploded: Pitchforks, revolution, and worse – Some important goods will only be affordable by the super-rich – Specialised healthcare? Rejuvenation technology? – “Practical abundance” is not enough – Growing societal tensions -> risk of explosions, pitchforks, horrific terrorism, WMD
3. Inequality controlled: Transhumanism for the 1% – New tech will make some humans super-intelligent (brain-enhanced) & super-powerful – Much bigger & faster differentiation than existing educational benefits – That new ruling class will be able to suppress all dissent: super-effective police state
4. Inequality vanquished: Transhumanism for all – Determined social pressure to ensure access to new technologies by everyone – Don’t leave social evolution up to the forces of “free market liberalism” – Improve on social organisation, just like we believe we can improve on bio-evolution
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Page 101
Enhancing humans
Extra intelligence
Extra health Extra longevity
Extra experience
Disturbing humanity
Worse terrorism
Worse surveillance
Worse climate
Robot employment
Extra opportunities Existential risks
Benefits individuals
Threatens society
If we allow individuals to enhance themselves
through smart R&D and free enterprise – without government interference –
the world’s social problems will be solved as a by-product
Alongside smart R&D and the power of free enterprise, we also need
wise regulation and smart governance
1
2
And perhaps new social systems
Two contrasting
views possible
1 Techno-libertarian 2 Techno-progressive
@dw2
Page 102 What can be done to avoid escalating inequality?
• Deepen our awareness of impacts of social factors on alienation and initiative – Sharpen our understanding of which kinds of inequality matter the most (and most need fixing) – Local experimentation (at city, region, or country levels) will make us collectively wiser – Expect a big role for a Basic Income Guarantee, especially as Technological Unemployment grows
• Encourage growth, where appropriate, of “collaborative commons” voluntary sector • Elevate the power of “conscious capitalism” over “crony capitalism” & “vested interests”
– Encourage visions other than just pursuit of greater profit (“man cannot live by bread alone”) – Enable societies to adopt “massive transformational purpose” (MTP – term used by Singularity Univ) – A good MTP could be something like “transhumanism for all”
• Re-invigorate democratic systems – Democracy 2.0 – building on success of e.g. MOOCs – Better use of technology to involve more people at right times in relevant decision-making processes – The blockchain tech (which underlies Bitcoin) can enable DAOs (Distributed Autonomous Orgs)
• Develop smart drugs and other systems that make us all (with our permission) not just smarter and stronger but also kinder and more empathetic – With that new spirit, more people in the “1%” will be moved to champion inclusivity – This is “inner transhumanism” as opposed to just “outer transhumanism”
http://dw2blog.com/2011/04/17/towards-inner-humanity/
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Technoprogressive Declaration (1/6) The world is unacceptably unequal and dangerous. Emerging technologies could make things dramatically better or worse. Unfortunately too few people yet understand the dimensions of both the threats and rewards that humanity faces. It is time for technoprogressives, transhumanists and futurists to step up our political engagement and attempt to influence the course of events.
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tpdec2014
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Technoprogressive Declaration (2/6) Our core commitment is that both technological progress and democracy are required for the ongoing emancipation of humanity from its constraints. Partisans of the promises of the Enlightenment, we have many cousins in other movements for freedom and social justice. We must build solidarity with these movements, even as we intervene to point to the radical possibilities of technologies that they often ignore. With our fellow futurists and transhumanists we must intervene to insist that technologies are well-regulated and made universally accessible in strong and just societies. Technology could exacerbate inequality and catastrophic risks in the coming decades, or, especially if democratized and well-regulated, ensure longer, healthy and more enabled lives for growing numbers of people, and a stronger and more secure civilization.
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tpdec2014
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Technoprogressive Declaration (3/6) Beginning with our shared commitment to individual self-determination we can build solidarity with • Organizations defending workers and the unemployed, as technology
transforms work and the economy • The movement for reproductive rights, around access to contraception,
abortion, assisted reproduction and genomic choice • The movement for drug law reform around the defense of cognitive liberty • The disability rights movement around access to assistive and curative
technologies • Sexual and gender minorities around the right to bodily self-determination • Digital rights movements around new freedoms and means of expression and
organization.
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tpdec2014
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Technoprogressive Declaration (4/6) We call for dramatically expanded governmental research into anti-aging therapies, and universal access to those therapies as they are developed in order to make much longer and healthier lives accessible to everybody. We believe that there is no distinction between “therapies” and “enhancement”. The regulation of drugs and devices needs reform to speed their approval.
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tpdec2014
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Technoprogressive Declaration (5/6) As artificial intelligence, robotics and other technologies increasingly destroy more jobs than they create, and senior citizens live longer, we must join in calling for a radical reform of the economic system.
All persons should be liberated from the necessity of the toil of work.
Every human being should be guaranteed an income, healthcare, and life-long access to education.
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tpdec2014
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Technoprogressive Declaration (6/6) We must join in working for the expansion of rights to all persons, human or not. We must join with movements working to reduce existential risks, educating them about emerging threats they don’t yet take seriously, and proposing ways that emerging technologies can help reduce those risks. Transnational cooperation can meet the man-made and natural threats that we face. It is time for technoprogressives to step forward and work together for a brighter future.
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/tpdec2014
TransVision review
Principal, Delta Wisdom Chair, London Futurists londonfuturists.com deltawisdom.com
The social angle to technology & transhumanism
David Wood @dw2