Share

cover art for Anders Sandberg | Game Theory with Aliens on the Largest Scales

Foresight Institute Radio

Anders Sandberg | Game Theory with Aliens on the Largest Scales

Season 1, Ep. 31

“It looks like we could have an enormously bright future ahead of us, so we really need to worry about not going extinct now.”

Anders is a research fellow at the Future of Humanity Institute, where he focuses on management of low-probability high-impact risks, estimating the capabilities of future technologies, and very long-range futures. Topics of particular interest include global catastrophic risk, cognitive biases, cognitive enhancement, collective intelligence, neuroethics, and public policy. Anders has a background in computer science, neuroscience and medical engineering. He obtained his Ph.D. in computational neuroscience from Stockholm University, Sweden, for work on neural network modeling of human memory.

Anders dives into the far future, investigating how game theory might apply to galactic and universe scale civilizations.  Conquest, diplomacy, and economic forces will be subject to constraints of light speed travel and emergent properties of space expansion.  As our short term existential problems get solved, we may want to reflect on the future and figure out what long term goals we want and how to achieve them


Session Summary: Anders Sandberg | Game Theory of Cooperating w. Extraterrestrial Intelligence & Future Civilizations - Foresight Institute


The Foresight Institute is a research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 on a vision of guiding powerful technologies, we have continued to evolve into a many-armed organization that focuses on several fields of science and technology that are too ambitious for legacy institutions to support.


Allison Duettmann is the president and CEO of Foresight Institute. She directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees, and shares this work with the public. She founded Existentialhope.com, co-edited Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy, co-authored Gaming the Future, and co-initiated The Longevity Prize


Apply to Foresight’s virtual salons and in person workshops here!


We are entirely funded by your donations. If you enjoy what we do please consider donating through our donation page.


Visit our website for more content, or join us here:

Every word ever spoken on this podcast is now AI-searchable using Fathom.fm, a search engine for podcasts. 

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Viren Jain | Connectomics and AI @ Vision Weekend USA 2025

    09:38|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.
  • Steve Jurvetson | Investing in AI Moonshots @ Vision Weekend USA 2025

    16:22|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.
  • Sonia Arrison | Lobbying for Longevity Progress @ Vision Weekend USA 2025

    14:46|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.
  • Richard Ngo | Identity & Meaning in SciFi Futures @ Vision Weekend USA 2025

    12:09|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.
  • Joshua Elliott | The Hail Mary Phase of Climate Change @ Vision Weekend USA 2025

    13:26|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.
  • John Hallman & Rico Meinl | Accelerating Life Sciences @ Vision Weekend USA 2025

    17:09|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.
  • Jesse Posner | Fiduciary AI: The New Architecture of Freedom @ Vision Weekend USA 2025

    15:15|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.
  • Haleh Fotowat | Harnessing Biological Intelligence for Building Living Machines with Nervous Systems

    09:55|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.
  • Eli Dourado | Thoughts on Philanthrocapitalism @ Vision Weekend USA 2025

    11:56|
    This talk was recorded live at Vision Weekend USA, held December 5–7, 2025 in the Bay Area. Vision Weekends are our flagship conference series, bringing together leading scientists, entrepreneurs, funders, and policymakers to explore frontier science and technology and to imagine paths toward flourishing futures.