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Foresight Institute Radio

Mark Miller | Paperclips and Pyramids: Misdiagnosing AI Risks

Season 1

Mark S. Miller is the Chief Scientist at Agoric. He is a pioneer of agoric (market-based secure distributed) computing and smart contracts, the main designer of the E and Dr. SES distributed persistent object-capability programming languages, inventor of Miller Columns, an architect of the Xanadu hypertext publishing system, a representative of the ECMAScript committee, a former Google research scientist, and member of the WebAssembly (Wasm) group.


Key Highlights

  • This podcast addresses common misconceptions about the risks of advanced AI – an example being the paper clip scenario
  • How more pressing concerns regard one entity gaining unchecked power and that solutions lie not in just dispersing power but in structuring institutions effectively – similar to the separation of powers principle.
  • The blend of human and AI intelligence is the cornerstone of future civilization, demanding innovative governance to ensure harmony.


Dive deeper into the session: Full Summary


The Foresight Institute

A research organization and non-profit that supports the beneficial development of high-impact technologies. Since our founding in 1987 with 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

The President and CEO of Foresight Institute, Allison Duettmann directs the Intelligent Cooperation, Molecular Machines, Biotech & Health Extension, Neurotech, and Space Programs, alongside Fellowships, Prizes, and Tech Trees. She has also been pivotal in co-initiating the Longevity Prize, pioneering initiatives like Existentialhope.com, and contributing to notable works like "Superintelligence: Coordination & Strategy" and "Gaming the Future".


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