This recording with Robin Hanson is from Vision Weekend Puerto Rico 2026, hosted by the Foresight Institute in February 2026. Robin Hanson is an economist at George Mason University and the author of The Age of Em: Work, Love and Life When Robots Rule the Earth. In this talk, he presents the core scenario of the book: a future in which whole brain emulations are the dominant form of intelligence, and works through the economic logic of what work, relationships, and social structure would look like under those conditions. It is a rigorous thought experiment that applies economic reasoning to questions that usually remain in the domain of science fiction.
Vision Weekend, where this talk was recorded, is where we gather leading builders, thinkers, and funders in AI, bio, nano, neuro, and space to celebrate technological progress and explore how to advance it for the betterment of life. If you want to join a future Vision Weekend live, upcoming events are listed at foresight.org and in our Luma calendar.