Chapter
The Culture of Engineering and Safety Orientation
22:57 - 34:38 (11:40)
The speaker questions the pernicious side of fatalism due to the many ways civilization can be annihilated, instead, presenting the genuine threats that ought to be considered such as pandemics, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, nuclear war, and climate change. The speaker also emphasizes the safety-oriented culture of engineering that ensures responsible implementation of technological advancements, thereby eliminating the possibility of idiotic moves that may cause harm.
Clips
The culture of engineering doesn't show any signs that they will do idiotic things like surrending control of every molecule in the universe to AI.
22:57 - 26:50 (03:52)
Summary
The culture of engineering doesn't show any signs that they will do idiotic things like surrending control of every molecule in the universe to AI. The idea of an all-powerful, recursively self-improving AI, capable of curing all types of cancer or bringing about world peace, is unrealistic and fanciful.
ChapterThe Culture of Engineering and Safety Orientation
EpisodeSteven Pinker: AI in the Age of Reason
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The human tendency to focus on unlikely catastrophic events can lead to overlooking more probable threats like pandemics or climate change.
26:50 - 31:41 (04:51)
Summary
The human tendency to focus on unlikely catastrophic events can lead to overlooking more probable threats like pandemics or climate change. Perception of risk is driven by imaginability, leading to excessive fear of certain threats while disregarding others.
ChapterThe Culture of Engineering and Safety Orientation
EpisodeSteven Pinker: AI in the Age of Reason
PodcastLex Fridman Podcast
The culture of engineering has a focus on safety and this has led to advances in reducing accidental deaths from various causes.
31:41 - 34:38 (02:56)
Summary
The culture of engineering has a focus on safety and this has led to advances in reducing accidental deaths from various causes. Negativity about the future can lead to the perception of being smarter than positivity, even when discussing engineering accomplishments.