Our Earth + AGI
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Victor Vahidi Motti
Jun 23, 2026, 11:59:21 AMJun 23
to Lifeboat Foundation Advisory Boards
“Our Earth” Book Discussion
Connie Morella Library
Weblink:
https://mcpl.libnet.info/event/15919520
Location: 7400 Arlington Road, Bethesda, MD
Time: Saturday, June 27, 3:30 pm
Time: Saturday, June 27, 3:30 pm
What We Owe the Future
William MacAskill
On Saturday, June 27, we are revisiting What We Owe the Future, by William MacAskill, in which we consider the author’s challenge, that positively influencing the long term future is a key moral priority of our time. He uses three primary metaphors throughout: (1) Humanity as an imprudent, irresponsible teenager; (2) History as molten glass, which can be blown into many shapes; and (3) The future as a risky expedition into uncharted terrain, for which we'd better prepare ourselves.
The future of our human species could be very short, ending within a few centuries, and/or it could also be extremely long, as the Earth may remain habitable for hundreds of millions of years. The choices we make now are significant. The author is concerned about how value systems develop, and their persistence over time. His overview of the significance of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is especially interesting, given the rapidity with which this technology is developing, largely unregulated.
The author states that the values we adopt in this era of plasticity are especially important, and can change the course of history on this planet. He takes a very long, sometimes disturbing view, discussing collapse of civilizations, resilience and resurgence, showing what we do now, especially, matters very much.
The future of our human species could be very short, ending within a few centuries, and/or it could also be extremely long, as the Earth may remain habitable for hundreds of millions of years. The choices we make now are significant. The author is concerned about how value systems develop, and their persistence over time. His overview of the significance of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is especially interesting, given the rapidity with which this technology is developing, largely unregulated.
The author states that the values we adopt in this era of plasticity are especially important, and can change the course of history on this planet. He takes a very long, sometimes disturbing view, discussing collapse of civilizations, resilience and resurgence, showing what we do now, especially, matters very much.
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