By David Harder on April, 10, 2017

Silicon Valley’s Bizarre, Shocking, Exciting, & Scary New Conversation

Last year, Elon Musk was speaking at Recodes annual Code Conference in Palos Verdes, California. He said something that captured my imagination to such a bizarre degree that I think about his statement on a daily basis. He said, “We could already be playthings in a simulated-reality world run by an advanced civilization. In fact, there is a one-in-a-billion chance this is not a reality game.”

Recently, during a lengthy dream, I died, opened my eyes, and there were a bunch of friends clapping and yelling, “Well done!” After the festivities around my return, I took a walk around the digs, which resembled a far better version of our best studio lots. There was a story department. They also had a casting department, which was hosting an alumni party. There, I met two of the world’s most iconic religious figures who told me their experiences had been, “Great fun” and “Exciting.” Later, in the middle of lunch, I exclaimed, “This is an upload, isn’t it?”

Here’s the rub. Larry Page, Bill Gates, and many others are taking Elon’s conversation very, very seriously. They are also taking strident sides for and against the growth of artificial intelligence. Steve Wozniak being Steve indicates, “I’ll be quite happy to be a well-tended human pet.” Page is making it clear that he views the future of AI as the pathway to his own immortality. Gates and Musk view that uncontrolled development of AI represents the probable end to humanity. After all, carbon-based life can be so messy. Oh Arnold, Keanu – – you were all trying to tell us.

Is it doomsday, Valhalla or just quants?

The dialogue is becoming serious. Read Vanity Fair’s article, Elon Musk’s Billion Dollar Crusade to Stop AI and give us your thoughts.

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Brought to you by David Harder, President – Inspired Work, Inc.,