London Futurists

London Futurists

Anticipating and managing exponential impact - hosts David Wood and Calum Chace

Calum Chace is a sought-after keynote speaker and best-selling writer on artificial intelligence. He focuses on the medium- and long-term impact of AI on all of us, our societies and our economies. He advises companies and governments on AI policy.

His non-fiction books on AI are Surviving AI, about superintelligence, and The Economic Singularity, about the future of jobs. Both are now in their third editions.

He also wrote Pandora's Brain and Pandora’s Oracle, a pair of techno-thrillers about the first superintelligence. He is a regular contributor to magazines, newspapers, and radio.

In the last decade, Calum has given over 150 talks in 20 countries on six continents. Videos of his talks, and lots of other materials are available at https://calumchace.com/.

He is co-founder of a think tank focused on the future of jobs, called the Economic Singularity Foundation. The Foundation has published Stories from 2045, a collection of short stories written by its members.

Before becoming a full-time writer and speaker, Calum had a 30-year career in journalism and in business, as a marketer, a strategy consultant and a CEO. He studied philosophy, politics, and economics at Oxford University, which confirmed his suspicion that science fiction is actually philosophy in fancy dress.

David Wood is Chair of London Futurists, and is the author or lead editor of twelve books about the future,including The Singularity Principles, Vital Foresight, The Abolition of Aging, Smartphones and Beyond, and Sustainable Superabundance.

He is also principal of the independent futurist consultancy and publisher Delta Wisdom, executive director of the Longevity Escape Velocity (LEV) Foundation, Foresight Advisor at SingularityNET, and a board director at the IEET (Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies). He regularly gives keynote talks around the world on how to prepare for radical disruption. See https://deltawisdom.com/.

As a pioneer of the mobile computing and smartphone industry, he co-founded Symbian in 1998. By 2012, software written by his teams had been included as the operating system on 500 million smartphones.

From 2010 to 2013, he was Technology Planning Lead (CTO) of Accenture Mobility, where he also co-led Accenture’s Mobility Health business initiative.

Has an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge, where he also undertook doctoral research in the Philosophy of Science, and a DSc from the University of Westminster.

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To sidestep death, preserve your connectome, with Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston

To sidestep death, preserve your connectome, with Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston

In David's life so far, he has read literally hundreds of books about the future. Yet none has had such a provocative title as this: “The future loves you: How and why we should abolish death”. That’s the title of the book written by the guest in this episode, Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston. Ariel is a neuroscientist, and a Research Fellow at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia.One of the key ideas in Ariel’s book is that so long as your connectome – the full set of the synapses in your brain – continues to exist, then you continue to exist. Ariel also claims that brain preservation – the preservation of the connectome, long after we have stopped breathing – is already affordable enough to be provided to essentially everyone. These claims raise all kinds of questions, which are addressed in this conversation.Selected follow-ups:Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston - personal websiteBook webpage - includes details of when Ariel is speaking in the UK and elsewhereMonash Neuroscience of ConsciousnessDeep hypothermic circulatory arrest - WikipediaSentience and the Origins of Consciousness - article by Karl Friston that mentions bacteriaList of advisors to ConsciumDoes the UK use £15,000, £30,000 or a £70,000 per QALY cost effectiveness threshold? by Jason ShafrinResearchers simulate an entire fly brain on a laptop. Is a human brain next? - US Berkeley NewsWhat are memories made of? A survey of neuroscientists on the structural basis of long-term memory - Preprint by Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, Emil Kendziora, and Andrew McKenzieRelated previous episodes:Ep 91: The low-cost future of preserving brains, with Jordan SparksEp 77: The case for brain preservation, with Kenneth HayworthMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Episodes

To sidestep death, preserve your connectome, with Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston

To sidestep death, preserve your connectome, with Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston

In David's life so far, he has read literally hundreds of books about the future. Yet none has had such a provocative title as this: “The future loves you: How and why we should abolish death”. That’s the title of the book written by the guest in this episode, Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston. Ariel is a neuroscientist, and a Research Fellow at Monash University, in Melbourne, Australia.One of the key ideas in Ariel’s book is that so long as your connectome – the full set of the synapses in your brain – continues to exist, then you continue to exist. Ariel also claims that brain preservation – the preservation of the connectome, long after we have stopped breathing – is already affordable enough to be provided to essentially everyone. These claims raise all kinds of questions, which are addressed in this conversation.Selected follow-ups:Dr Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston - personal websiteBook webpage - includes details of when Ariel is speaking in the UK and elsewhereMonash Neuroscience of ConsciousnessDeep hypothermic circulatory arrest - WikipediaSentience and the Origins of Consciousness - article by Karl Friston that mentions bacteriaList of advisors to ConsciumDoes the UK use £15,000, £30,000 or a £70,000 per QALY cost effectiveness threshold? by Jason ShafrinResearchers simulate an entire fly brain on a laptop. Is a human brain next? - US Berkeley NewsWhat are memories made of? A survey of neuroscientists on the structural basis of long-term memory - Preprint by Ariel Zeleznikow-Johnston, Emil Kendziora, and Andrew McKenzieRelated previous episodes:Ep 91: The low-cost future of preserving brains, with Jordan SparksEp 77: The case for brain preservation, with Kenneth HayworthMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Insights from 15 years leading the self-driving vehicle industry, with Sterling Anderson

Insights from 15 years leading the self-driving vehicle industry, with Sterling Anderson

Our guest in this episode is Sterling Anderson, a pioneer of self-driving vehicles. With a masters degree and a PhD from MIT, Sterling led the development and launch of the Tesla Model X, and then led the team that delivered Tesla Autopilot. In 2017 he co-founded Aurora, along with Chris Urmson, who was a founder and CTO of Google’s self-driving car project, which is now Waymo, and also Drew Bagnell, who co-founded and led Uber’s self-driving team.Aurora is concentrating on automating long-distance trucks, and expects to be the first company to deploy fully self-driving trucks in the US when it deploys big driverless trucks (16 tons and more) between Dallas and Houston in April 2025.Self-driving vehicles will be one of the most significant technologies of this decade, and we are delighted that one of the stars of the sector, Sterling, is joining us to share his perspectives.Selected follow-ups:The future of transportation is here - Aurora websiteLeadership Team - Aurora websitePrevious episodes also featuring self-driving vehicles:Ep 58: Whatever happened to self-driving cars, with Timothy LeeEp 26: Peter James, best-selling crime-writer and transhumanistMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

The race for AI supremacy, with Parmy Olson

The race for AI supremacy, with Parmy Olson

Our guest in this episode is Parmy Olson, a columnist for Bloomberg covering technology. Parmy has previously been a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and for Forbes. Her first book, “We Are Anonymous”, shed fascinating light on what the subtitle calls “the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency”.But her most recent book illuminates a set of high-stakes relations with potentially even bigger consequences for human wellbeing. The title is “Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT and the Race That Will Change the World”. The race is between two remarkable individuals, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Demis Hassabis of DeepMind, who are each profoundly committed to build AI that exceeds human capabilities in all aspects of reasoning.Selected follow-ups:Parmy Olson, BloombergSupremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the WorldAI Superpowers: China, Silicon Valley and the new world order - book by Kai-Fu LeeThe Coming Wave - book by Mustafa SuleymanBromance Gone Sour: OpenAI and Microsoft’s Partnership Hits a Rough Patch - GeekflareFor our Posterity - essay by Leopold AschenbrennerOpenAI appoints Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone to Board of DirectorsDo Computers Have Feelings? Don’t Let Google Alone Decide - article by Parmy Olson about Blake LemoineConscium - Pioneering Safe, Efficient AIMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

A narrow path to a good future with AI, with Andrea Miotti

A narrow path to a good future with AI, with Andrea Miotti

Our guest in this episode is Andrea Miotti, the founder and executive director of ControlAI. On their website, ControlAI have the tagline, “Fighting to keep humanity in control”. Control over what, you might ask. The website answers: control deepfakes, control scaling, control foundation models, and, yes, control AI.The latest project from ControlAI is called “A Narrow Path”, which is a comprehensive policy plan split into three phases: Safety, Stability, and Flourishing. To be clear, the envisioned flourishing involves what is called “Transformative AI”. This is no anti-AI campaign, but rather an initiative to “build a robust science and metrology of intelligence, safe-by-design AI engineering, and other foundations for transformative AI under human control”.The initiative has already received lots of feedback, both positive and negative, which we discuss.Selected follow-ups:A Narrow Path - main websiteControlAIConjecture - Redefining AI SafetyWhat is Agentic AI - Interface.AIChat GPT’s new O1 model escaped its environment to complete “impossible” hacking task - by Mihai AndreiBiological Weapons Convention - United NationsPoisoning of Sergei and Yulia Skripal - Wikipedia (use of Novichok nerve agent in Salisbury, UK)Gathering of AI Safety Institutes in November in San FranciscoConscium - Pioneering safe, efficient AIThe UK's APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) on AIMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Gen AI cuts costs by 30%: lessons from a leading law firm, with David Wakeling

Gen AI cuts costs by 30%: lessons from a leading law firm, with David Wakeling

Our guest in this episode is David Wakeling, a partner at A&O Shearman, which became the world’s third largest law firm in May, thanks to the merger of Allen and Overy, a UK “magic circle” firm, with Shearman & Sterling of New York.David heads up a team within the firm called the Markets Innovation Group (MIG), which consists of lawyers, developers and technologists, and is seeking to disrupt the legal industry. He also leads the firm's AI Advisory practice, through which the firm is currently advising 80 of the largest global businesses on the safe deployment of AI.One of the initiatives David has led is the development and launch of ContractMatrix, in partnership with Microsoft and Harvey, an OpenAI-backed, GPT-4-based large language model that has been fine-tuned for the legal industry. ContractMatrix is a contract drafting and negotiation tool powered by generative AI. It was tested and honed by 1,000 of the firm’s lawyers prior to launch, to mitigate against risks like hallucinations. The firm estimates that the tool is saving up to seven hours from the average contract review, which is around a 30% efficiency gain. As well as internal use by 2,000 of its lawyers, it is also licensed to clients.This is the third time we have looked at the legal industry on the podcast. While lawyers no longer use quill pens, they are not exactly famous for their information technology skills, either. But the legal profession has a couple of characteristics which make it eminently suited to the deployment of advanced AI systems: it generates vast amounts of data and money, and lawyers frequently engage in text-based routine tasks which can be automated by generative AI systems.Previous London Futurists Podcast episodes on the legal industry:Ep 53: The Legal Singularity, with Benjamin AlarieEp 47: AI transforming professional services, with Shamus RaeOther selected follow-ups:David WakelingA&O ShearmanContractMatrixHarvey AIRAG - Retrieval-Augmented GenerationDigital Operational Resilience Act (impacts banking)The Productivity J-Curve (PDF), by Erik Brynjolfsson, Daniel Rock, Chad SyversonAgentic AI: The Next Big Breakthrough That's Transforming Business And Technology, by Bernard MarrMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Climate change and populism: Grounds for optimism? with Matt Burgess

Climate change and populism: Grounds for optimism? with Matt Burgess

Our guest in this episode is Matt Burgess. Matt is an Assistant Professor at the University of Wyoming, where he moved this year after six years at the University of Boulder, Colorado. He has specialised in the economics of climate change.Calum met Matt at a recent event in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and knows from their conversations then that Matt has also thought deeply about the impact of social media, the causes of populism, and many other subjects.Selected follow-ups:Matt Burgess at the University of WyomingGuided Civic Revival - Substack of Matt BurgessHow polarization will destroy itselfRoger A. Pielke Jr. - Wikipedia‘My Life as a Climate Lukewarmer’ - National ReviewShared Socioeconomic Pathways - Wikipedia (includes climate scenario SSP5-8.5)Exceeding 1.5°C global warming could trigger multiple climate tipping points - ScienceFat-Tailed Uncertainty in the Economics of Catastrophic Climate Change (PDF) - explains "The Dismal Theorem"Sri Lanka’s organic farming disaster, explained - VoxSolar panel prices have fallen by around 20% every time global capacity doubled - Our World in DataSpecial guest speech by Mark Carney - YouTubeYounger Dryas - Wikipedia (prehistoric period with rapid climate change)Platform policies of Jill Stein, US Green Party leaderAgrowth – should we better be agnostic about growth? - degrowth‘4°C of global warming is optimal’ – even Nobel Prize winners are getting things catastrophically wrong - The ConversationEconomists' Statement on Carbon DividendsWho Is Favored To Win The 2024 Presidential Election? - Nate SilverMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Rejuvenation biotech - progress and potential, with Karl Pfleger

Rejuvenation biotech - progress and potential, with Karl Pfleger

Our guest in this episode is Karl Pfleger. Karl is an angel investor in rejuvenation biotech startups, and is also known for creating and maintaining the website Aging Biotech Info. That website describes itself as “Structured info about aging and longevity”, and has the declared mission statement, “Everything important in the field (outside of academia), organized.”Previously, Karl worked at Google from 2002 to 2013, as a research scientist and data analyst, applying AI and machine learning at scale. He has a BSE in Computer Science from Princeton, and a PhD in Computer Science and AI from Stanford.Previous London Futurists Podcast episodes mentioned in this conversation:Ep 74: The Longevity Singularity, with Daniel IvesEp 45: Generative AI drug discovery breakthrough, with Alex ZhavoronkovEp 12: Pioneering AI drug development, with Alex ZhavoronkovOther selected follow-ups:AgingBiotech.InfoLifespan.io rejuvenation roadmapAgingDB listStealth BiotherapeuticsNewLimitJuvenityJuvena TherapeuticsImmunisPartnership between Calico and AbbVieHevolutionUnity BiotechnologyHere's Why resTORbio Fell Over 83% TodayA4LI Responds to NIH Reform ProposalGreat Desire for Extended Life and Health amongst the American Public - a paper by Karl Pfleger. Kristen Fortney, Joe Betts-LaCroix and others, LEV achieved for young people before it is achieved for old peopleLongevity Biotech FellowshipForesight InstituteLongevity GlobalVitalism.IOMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

ChatGPT runs for president, with Pedro Domingos

ChatGPT runs for president, with Pedro Domingos

Our guest today is Pedro Domingos, who is joining an elite group of repeat guests – he joined us before in episode 34 in April 2023.Pedro is Professor Emeritus Of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. He has done pioneering work in machine learning, like the development of Markov logic networks, which combine probabilistic reasoning with first-order logic. He is probably best known for his book "The Master Algorithm" which describes five different "tribes" of AI researchers, and argues that progress towards human-level general intelligence requires a unification of their approaches.More recently, Pedro has become a trenchant critic of what he sees as exaggerated claims about the power and potential of today’s AI, and of calls to impose constraints on it.He has just published “2040: A Silicon Valley Satire”, a novel which ridicules Big Tech and also American politics.Selected follow-ups:Pedro Domingos - University of WashingtonPrevious London Futurists Podcast episode featuring Pedro Domingos2040: A Silicon Valley SatireThe Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our WorldThe Bonfire of the VanitiesRon HowardMike JudgeMartin ScorsesePandora’s BrainTranscendenceFuture of Life Institute moratorium open letterOpenAI working on new reasoning technology under code name ‘Strawberry’Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach - by Stuart Russell and Peter NorvigGoogle's AI reasons its way around the London Underground - NatureConsciumIs LaMDA Sentient? — an Interview - by Blake LemoineCould a Large Language Model be Conscious? - Talk by David Chalmers at NeurIPS 2022Jeremy BenthamThe Extended Phenotype - 1982 book by Richard DawkinsClarion West: Workshops for people who are serious about writingMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

The rise of digital pandemics, with James Ball

The rise of digital pandemics, with James Ball

Our guest in this episode is the journalist and author James Ball. James has worked for the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, The Guardian, WikiLeaks, BuzzFeed, The New European, and The Washington Post, among other organisations. As special projects editor at The Guardian, James played a key role in the Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of the NSA leaks by Edward Snowden.Books that James has written include “Post-Truth: How Bullshit Conquered the World”, “Bluffocracy”, which makes the claim that Britain is run by bluffers, “The System: Who Owns the Internet, and How It Owns Us”, and, most recently, “The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated the World”.That all adds up to enough content to fill at least four of our episodes, but we mainly focus on the ideas in the last of these books, about digital pandemics.Selected follow-ups:James Ball (personal website)The Other Pandemic: How QAnon Contaminated the World - book by James BallGuardian and Washington Post win Pulitzer prize for NSA revelationsMeme - as described by Richard DawkinsDreyfus affairBlood libelFuture Shock - book by Alvin and Heidi TofflerHow The Gulf Of Tonkin Incident Sparked The Vietnam WarWhy Narcissists Love Conspiracy TheoriesNigel Farage - UK politician WarGames - 1983 movieGish gallop - rhetorical techniqueDominic Cummings has admitted the Leave campaign won by lyingReality check: how do Farage’s claims on immigration, economy and crime hold up?Facts don’t change minds – and there’s data to prove itMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Thinking more athletically about the future, with Brett King and Rob Tercek

Thinking more athletically about the future, with Brett King and Rob Tercek

In this episode, we have not one guest but two – Brett King and Robert Tercek, the hosts of the Futurists Podcast.Brett King is originally from Australia, and is now based in Thailand. He is a renowned author, and the founder of a breakthrough digital bank. He consults extensively with clients in the financial services industry.Robert Tercek, based in the United States, is an expert in digital media with a successful career in broadcasting and innovation which includes serving as a creative director at MTV and a senior vice president at Sony Pictures. He now consults to CEOs about digital transformation.David and Calum had the pleasure of joining them on their podcast recently, where the conversation delved into the likely future impacts of artificial intelligence and other technologies, and also included politics.This return conversation covers a wide range of themes, including the dangers of Q-day, the prospects for technological unemployment, the future of media, different approaches to industrial strategy, a plea to "bring on the machines", and the importance of "thinking more athletically about the future".Selected follow-ups:The FuturistsBrett KingRobert TercekEpisode of The Futurists featuring David and CalumNeptune's Brood - Wikipedia article on the novel by Charles StrossJobs lost, jobs gained: What the future of work will mean for jobs, skills, and wages - McKinsey Global InstituteWirecutter - New York Times product review siteCould AI create a one-person unicorn? Sam Altman thinks so - FortuneThe book The Rise of TechnosocialismProfessor Richard PettyComparison of economic growth, Europe vs. USA - Centre for European ReformLinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman wants Kamala Harris, if elected, to replace Lina Khan as head of the Federal Trade Commission - MSNBCMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

The low-cost future of preserving brains, with Jordan Sparks

The low-cost future of preserving brains, with Jordan Sparks

Our guest in this episode is Jordan Sparks, the founder and executive director of Oregon Brain Preservation (OBP), which is located at Salem, the capital city of Oregon. OBP offers the service of chemically preserving the brain in the hope of future restoration.Previously, Jordan was a dentist and a computer programmer, and he was successful enough in those fields to generate the capital required to start OBP.Brain preservation is a fascinating subject that we have covered in a number of recent episodes, in which we have interviewed Kenneth Hayworth, Max More, and Emil Kendziorra.Most people whose brains have been preserved for future restoration have undergone cryopreservation, which involves cooling the brain (and sometimes the whole body) down to a very low temperature and keeping it that way. OBP does offer that service occasionally, but its focus – which may be unique – is chemical fixation of the brain.Previous episodes on biostasis and brain preservation:The case for brain preservation, with Kenneth HayworthCryonics, cryocrastination, and the future: changing minds, with Max MoreStop cryocrastinating! with Emil KendziorraAdditional selected follow-ups:Oregon Brain PreservationThe costs of the services provided by Oregon Brain PreservationFocused Ultrasound: A Promising Tool for Cryonics - Tomorrow BioInvestigation of Electromagnetic Resonance Rewarming Enhanced by Magnetic Nanoparticles for Cryopreservation - LangmuirPre-epithelialized cryopreserved tracheal allograft for neo-trachea flap engineering - Frontiers in Bioengineering and BiotechnologyAldehyde-stabilized cryopreservation by Robert McIntyre and Gregory Fahy - CryobiologyOregon's Death with Dignity Act14-year-old girl who died of cancer wins right to be cryogenically frozen - The GuardianMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Surveillance and diversity: surprising insights from the Gulf, with Holly Joint

Surveillance and diversity: surprising insights from the Gulf, with Holly Joint

Our guest in this episode is Holly Joint, who was born and educated in the UK, but lives in Abu Dhabi in the UAE.Holly started her career with five years at the business consultancy Accenture, and then worked in telecomms and banking. The latter took her to the Gulf, where she then spent what must have been a fascinating year as programme director of Qatar’s winning bid to host the 2022 World Cup. Since then she has run a number of other start-ups and high-growth businesses in the Gulf.Holly is currently COO of Trivandi and also has a focus on helping women to have more power in a future dominated by technology.Calum met Holly at a conference in Dubai this year, where she quizzed him on-stage about machine consciousness.Selected follow-ups:Women for Tech UAETrivandi appoints Holly JointTrivandi - "Creating Events and Venues, Better"With a Few Bits of Data, Researchers Identify ‘Anonymous’ People - New York TimesThe Age of Surveillance Capitalism - Shoshana ZuboffRankings out of 142 cities - Smart City Observatory (Abu Dhabi ranked #10 in 2024)Women in Tech: Time to close the gender gap - A PwC research reportWhy are so many big tech whistleblowers women? - The ConversationFalcon - the Arabic language LLMCollapse of Silicon Valley Bank - WikipediaMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

The double-edged sword of technology, with Wendell Wallach

The double-edged sword of technology, with Wendell Wallach

How do we keep technology from slipping beyond our control? That’s the subtitle of the latest book by our guest in this episode, Wendell Wallach.Wendell is the Carnegie-Uehiro fellow at Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, where he co-directs the Artificial Intelligence & Equality Initiative. He is also Emeritus Chair of Technology and Ethics Studies at Yale University’s Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, a scholar with the Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, a fellow at the Institute for Ethics & Emerging Technology, and a senior advisor to The Hastings Center.Earlier in his life, Wendell was founder and president of two computer consulting companies, Farpoint Solutions and Omnia Consulting Inc.Selected follow-ups:Wendell Wallach Personal WebsiteWendell Wallach - Carnegie Council for Ethics in International AffairsThe Artificial Intelligence & Equality InitiativeNobel Peace Prize Lecture by Christian Lous Lange (1921)Thomas Midgley Jr. - WikipediaMontreal Protocol - WikipediaRobot Dog Highlighted at China-Cambodia Joint Military Exercise (video)For Our Posterity - essay by Leopold AschenbrennerCampaign by Control/AI against deepfakesMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Stop cryocrastinating! with Emil Kendziorra

Stop cryocrastinating! with Emil Kendziorra

Our guest in this episode is Dr. Emil Kendziorra. Emil graduated summa cum laude, which means, with the highest honours, from the University of Göttingen in Germany, having previously studied at the University of Pécs in Hungary. For several years, he then devoted himself to cancer research with the hope of contributing to longevity science. After realizing how slowly life-extension research was progressing, he pivoted into entrepreneurship. He has been CEO of multiple tech and medical companies, most recently as a Founder and CEO of Medlanes and onFeedback, which were sold, respectively, to Zava and QuestionPro.Emil then decided to dedicate the next decades of his life, he says, to advancing medical biostasis and cryomedicine. He is currently the CEO of Tomorrow Bio and the President of the Board at the European Biostasis Foundation.A special offer:Thanks to Tomorrow Bio, an offer has been created, exclusively for listeners to the London Futurists Podcast who decide to become members of Tomorrow Bio after listening to this episode. When signing up online, use the code mentioned toward the end of the episode to reduce the cost of monthly or annual subscriptions by 30%.Small print: This offer doesn’t apply to lifetime subscriptions, and is only available to new members of Tomorrow Bio. Importantly, this offer will expire on 15 September 2024, so don’t delay if you want to take advantage of it. Selected follow-ups:tomorrow.bioEuropean Biostasis FoundationDignitasThe case for brain preservation - Our episode featuring Kenneth HayworthCryonics, cryocrastination, and the future: changing minds - Our episode featuring Max MoreMy next 20+ years towards a moonshot - Blogpost written by Emil Kendziorra in May 2020The Cryosphere - A Discord server for discussion of anything cryonics relatedGlobal Cryonics Summit - Miami, Florida, 20 & 21 July 2024Music: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Introducing Conscium, with Daniel Hulme and Ted Lappas

Introducing Conscium, with Daniel Hulme and Ted Lappas

This episode is a bit different from the usual, because we are interviewing Calum's boss. Calum says that mainly to tease him, because he thinks the word “boss” is a dirty word.His name is Daniel Hulme, and this is his second appearance on the podcast. He was one of our earliest guests, long ago, in episode 8. Back then, Daniel had just sold his AI consultancy, Satalia, to the advertising and media giant WPP. Today, he is Chief AI Officer at WPP, but he is joining us to talk about his new venture, Conscium - which describes itself as "the world's first applied AI consciousness research organisation".Conscium states that "our aim is to deepen our understanding of consciousness to pioneer efficient, intelligent, and safe AI that builds a better future for humanity".Also joining us is Ted Lappas, who is head of technology at Conscium, and he is also one of our illustrious former guests on the podcast.By way of full disclosure, Calum is CMO at Conscium, and David is on the Conscium advisory board.Selected follow-ups:ConsciumSataliaSix categories of application of AISix singularities - TEDx talk by Daniel HulmeProfessor Mark SolmsProfessor Karl FristonA recent paper on different theories of consciousness, by Patrick Butlin, Robert Long, et alProfessor Nicola ClaytonProfessor Jonathan BirchWPPThe Conscious AI meetupAI for organisations - Previous episode featuring Daniel HulmeHow to use GPT-4 yourself - Previous episode featuring Ted LappasMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Taming the Machine, with Nell Watson

Taming the Machine, with Nell Watson

Those who rush to leverage AI’s power without adequate preparation face difficult blowback, scandals, and could provoke harsh regulatory measures. However, those who have a balanced, informed view on the risks and benefits of AI, and who, with care and knowledge, avoid either complacent optimism or defeatist pessimism, can harness AI’s potential, and tap into an incredible variety of services of an ever-improving quality.These are some words from the introduction of the new book, “Taming the machine: ethically harness the power of AI”, whose author, Nell Watson, joins us in this episode.Nell’s many roles include: Chair of IEEE’s Transparency Experts Focus Group, Executive Consultant on philosophical matters for Apple, and President of the European Responsible Artificial Intelligence Office. She also leads several organizations such as EthicsNet.org, which aims to teach machines prosocial behaviours, and CulturalPeace.org, which crafts Geneva Conventions-style rules for cultural conflict.Selected follow-ups:Nell Watson's websiteTaming the Machine - book websiteBodiData (corporation)Post Office Horizon scandal: Why hundreds were wrongly prosecuted - BBC NewsDutch scandal serves as a warning for Europe over risks of using algorithms - PoliticoRobodebt: Illegal Australian welfare hunt drove people to despair - BBC NewsWhat is the infected blood scandal and will victims get compensation? - BBC NewsMIRI 2024 Mission and Strategy Update - from the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI)British engineering giant Arup revealed as $25 million deepfake scam victim - CNNZersetzung psychological warfare technique - WikipediaMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

AI Impacts Survey - The key implications, with Katja Grace

AI Impacts Survey - The key implications, with Katja Grace

Our guest in this episode grew up in an abandoned town in Tasmania, and is now a researcher and blogger in Berkeley, California. After taking a degree in human ecology and science communication, Katja Grace co-founded AI Impacts, a research organisation trying to answer questions about the future of artificial intelligence.Since 2016, Katja and her colleagues have published a series of surveys about what AI researchers think about progress on AI. The 2023 Expert Survey on Progress in AI was published this January, comprising responses from 2,778 participants. As far as we know, this is the biggest survey of its kind to date.Among the highlights are that the time respondents expect it will take to develop an AI with human-level performance dropped between one and five decades since the 2022 survey. So ChatGPT has not gone unnoticed. Selected follow-ups:AI ImpactsWorld Spirit Sock Puppet - Katja's blogSurvey of 2,778 AI authors: six parts in pictures - from AI ImpactsOpenAI researcher who resigned over safety concerns joins Anthropic - article in The Verge about Jan LeikeMIRI 2024 Mission and Strategy Update - from the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI)Future of Humanity Institute 2005-2024: Final Report - by Anders Sandberg (PDF)Centre for the Governance of AIReasons for Persons - Article by Katja about Derek Parfit and theories of personal identity OpenAI Says It Has Started Training GPT-4 Successor - article in Forbes Music: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Cryonics, cryocrastination, and the future: changing minds, with Max More

Cryonics, cryocrastination, and the future: changing minds, with Max More

Our guest in this episode is Max More. Max is a philosopher, a futurist, and a transhumanist - a term which he coined in 1990, the same year that he legally changed his name from O’Connor to More.One of the tenets of transhumanism is that technology will allow us to prevent and reverse the aging process, and in the meantime we can preserve our brains with a process known as cryonics. In 1995 Max was awarded a PhD for a thesis on the nature of death, and from 2010 to 2020, he was CEO of Alcor, the world’s biggest cryonics organisation.Max is firmly optimistic about our future prospects, and wary of any attempts to impede or regulate the development of technologies which can enhance or augment us.Selected follow-ups:Extropic Thoughts - Max More's writing on SubstackThe Biostasis Standard - Max's writings on "the latest in the field of biostasis and cryonics"Neophile - WikipediaThe Time of the Ice Box - Episode of 1970 BBC children's TV series TimeslipCryostasis Revival: The Recovery of Cryonics Patients through Nanomedicine - 2022 book by Robert FreitasResearchers perform first successful transplant of functional cryopreserved rat kidney - news from the University of MinnesotaLarge Mammal BPF Prize Winning Announcement - news from the Brain Preservation FoundationThe European Biostasis FoundationAlcor Life Extension FoundationMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

Stem cells, lab-grown meat, and potential new medical treatments, with Mark Kotter

Stem cells, lab-grown meat, and potential new medical treatments, with Mark Kotter

Our guest in this episode is Dr. Mark Kotter. Mark is a neurosurgeon, stem cell biologist, and founder or co-founder of three biotech start-up companies that have collectively raised hundreds of millions of pounds: bit.bio, clock.bio, and Meatable.In addition, Mark still conducts neurosurgeries on patients weekly at the University of Cambridge.We talk to Mark about all his companies, but we start by discussing Meatable, one of the leading companies in the cultured meat sector. This is an area of technology which should have a far greater impact than most people are aware of, and it’s an area we haven’t covered before in the podcast.Selected follow-ups:Dr Mark Kotter at the University of CambridgeMeatablebit.bioclock.bioAfter 25 years of hype, embryonic stem cells are still waiting for their moment - Article in MIT Technology ReviewThe Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2012Moo's Law: An Investor’s Guide to the New Agrarian Revolution - book by Jim MellonWhat is the climate impact of eating meat and dairy?Guidance for businesses on cell-cultivated products and the authorisation processWild mammals make up only a few percent of the world’s mammals - Our World In DataBlueRock TherapeuticsTherapies under development at bit.bioStem Cell Gene Therapy Shows Promise in ALS Trial - from Cedars-Sinai Medical CenterMusic: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration

The economic case for a second longevity revolution, with Andrew Scott

The economic case for a second longevity revolution, with Andrew Scott

The public discussion in a number of countries around the world expresses worries about what is called an aging society. These countries anticipate a future with fewer younger people who are active members of the economy, and a growing number of older people who need to be supported by the people still in the workforce. It’s an inversion of the usual demographic pyramid, with less at the bottom, and more at the top.However, our guest in this episode recommends a different framing of the future – not as an aging society, but as a longevity society, or even an evergreen society. He is Andrew Scott, Professor of Economics at the London Business School. His other roles include being a Research Fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research, and a consulting scholar at Stanford University’s Center on Longevity.Andrew’s latest book is entitled “The Longevity Imperative: Building a Better Society for Healthier, Longer Lives”. Commendations for the book include this from the political economist Daron Acemoglu, “A must-read book with an important message and many lessons”, and this from the historian Niall Ferguson, “Persuasive, uplifting and wise”. Selected follow-ups:Personal website of Andrew ScottAndrew Scott at the London Business SchoolThe book The Longevity Imperative: How to Build a Healthier and More Productive Society to Support Our Longer LivesLongevity, the 56 trillion dollar opportunity, with Andrew Scott - episode 40 in this seriesPopulation Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100Thomas Robert Malthus - WikipediaDALYs (Disability-adjusted life years) and QALYs (Quality-adjusted life years) - WikipediaVSL (Value of Statistical Life) - WikipediaThe economic value of targeting aging - paper in Nature Aging, co-authored by Andrew Scott, Martin Ellison, and David SinclairA great-grandfather from Merseyside has become the world's oldest living man - BBC, 5th April 2024Related quotations:Aging is "...revealed and made manifest only by the most unnatural experiment of prolonging an animal's life by sheltering it from the hazards of its ordinary existence" - Peter Medawar, 1951"To die of old age is a death rare, extraordinary, and singular, and, therefore, so much less natural than the others; ’tis the last and extremest sort of dying: and the more remote, the less to be hoped for" - Michel de Montaigne, 1580Music: Spike Protein, by Koi Discovery, available under CC0 1.0 Public Domain Declaration