Intelligence Philosophy

Fifty years ago, a young astronomer named Frank Drake pointed a radio telescope at nearby stars in the hope of picking up a signal from an alien civilization. Thus began one of the boldest scientific projects in history, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI). But after a half century of scanning the skies, astronomers have little to report but an eerie silence---eerie because many scientists are convinced that the universe is teeming with life.

At first glance, human history is full of remarkable feats of intelligence. We invented writing. Produced incredible achievements in music, the arts, and the sciences. We’ve built sprawling cities and traveled across oceans—and space—and expanded to every part of the globe. Yet, human exceptionalism can be a double-edged sword. With our unique cognitive prowess comes severe consequences, including existential angst, violence, discrimination, and the creation of a world teetering towards climate catastrophe. Understood side-by-side, human exceptionalism begins to look more like a curse.

This is an audiobook about AI and AI risk. But it's also more importantly about a community of people who are trying to think rationally about intelligence, and the places that these thoughts are taking them, and what insight they can and can't give us about the future of the human race over the next few years. It explains why these people are worried, why they might be right and why they might be wrong.

Artificial intelligence can answer almost anything. The tragedy is that people have nothing to ask. Surrounded by infinite knowledge, we shrink our curiosity to absurdities: “Do you have legs?” This book is about that paradox. Not about machines, but about us—about how to learn again, how to build methods of thinking, how to cultivate curiosity before it disappears.

As robots are increasingly integrated into modern society - on the battlefield and the road, in business, education, and health - Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times science writer John Markoff searches for an answer to one of the most important questions of our age: Will these machines help us, or will they replace us?

The fruit of the long history of John Brockman's profound engagement with the most important scientific minds who have been thinking about AI - from Alison Gopnik and David Deutsch to Frank Wilczek and Stephen Wolfram - Possible Minds is an ideal introduction to the landscape of crucial issues AI presents. The collision between opposing perspectives is salutary and exhilarating; some of these figures are deeply concerned with the threat of AI, including the existential one, while others have a very different view.

The future is now. Artificial "machine" intelligence is playing an ever-greater role in our society. We are already using cruise control in our cars and automatic checkout at the drugstore and are unable to live without our smartphones. The discussion around AI is largely polarized; people think either machines will solve all problems for everyone or they will lead us down a dark, dystopian path into total human irrelevance. Regardless of what you believe, the idea that we might bring forth intelligent creation can be intrinsically frightening.

Science and politics have collaborated throughout human history and science is repeatedly invoked today in political debates, from pandemic management to climate change. Leading policy analyst Geoff Mulgan here calls attention to the growing frictions caused by the expanding—and unsolicited—authority being heaped upon science. As science increasingly competes with politics, a defined plan of cooperation is urgently needed.

Grounded in extensive research and reporting, Spy Schools reveals how academia has emerged as a frontline in the global spy game. In a knowledge-based economy, universities are repositories of valuable information and research, where brilliant minds of all nationalities mingle freely with few questions asked. Intelligence agencies have always recruited bright undergraduates, but now, in an era when espionage increasingly requires specialized scientific or technological expertise, they're wooing higher-level academics.

Peter Ralston's exceptionally lucid trilogy on the nature of human consciousness culminates here in The Genius of Being, a book of deep contemplations on the unseen elements that create our world. The first volume, The Book of Not Knowing, garnered much praise as a comprehensive exploration of the depths of self and consciousness.

Revolutionary War officer Nathan Hale, one of America's first spies, said, "Any kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary." A statue of Hale stands outside CIA headquarters, and the agency often cites his statement as one of its guiding principles. But who decides what is necessary for the public good, and is it really true that any kind of service is permissible for the public good? These questions are at the heart of James M. Olson's book, Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying.

In Artificial You, Susan Schneider says that it is inevitable that AI will take intelligence in new directions but urges that it is up to us to carve out a sensible path forward. As AI technology turns inward, reshaping the brain, as well as outward, potentially creating machine minds, it is crucial to beware. Homo sapiens, as mind designers, will be playing with "tools" they do not understand how to use: the self, the mind, and consciousness.

Feeling overwhelmed by stress, negativity, or chaos? It's time to take control of your mind and rediscover your inner strength! Stoicism for Beginners: A Complete Collection of Daily Stoic Wisdom is your ultimate guide to calm, clarity, and confidence—through every twist and turn life may bring.

Are you tired of people using deception, manipulation, and other underhanded tactics to control you? You're going to want to invest in this audiobook, where I will personally show you how to identify deception, influence people, become likeable, understand emotional intelligence, and read body language and other paraverbal activities 99 percent of the society is not aware of! Get on top of every social encounter you come across whether at the workplace, school, social settings, or other family functions.

This book presents a timely and significant addition to the ongoing discourse around the ethical implications of AI in general, as well as the new and disruptive AI technologies, such as generative AI platforms like ChatGPT.

Empathy is an extremely powerful ability. It allows one to feel what others are feeling, sympathize with them, and eventually influence their emotions to help them overcome any negative feelings. This sensitivity to emotions can sometimes reflect negatively on empaths - they are often victims of dark psychology techniques. Luckily, there’s a way that allows empaths to protect their mind against emotional predators, and achieve superior control over their empathic powers – Stoicism!

In Westworld and Philosophy, philosophers, filmmakers, scientists, activists, and ethicists ask the questions you're not supposed to ask and suggest the answers you're not supposed to know. There's a deeper level to this game, and this book charts a course through the maze of the mind, examining how we think about humans, hosts, and the world around us on a journey toward self-actualization.

In The Paradox of Progress, Dr. Michael M. Karch delves into the ethical complexities of AI’s rapid evolution. Drawing from a career spanning three decades in robotics, orthopedic surgery, and international disaster response, Dr. Karch investigates AI’s far-reaching impact and initiates critical discussion about its duality. This is a compelling exploration through historical precedents of progress and AI’s challenges today, including fears of data bias, deep fakes, technological hegemony, and job displacement.

Are you an educator, instructional leader, or lifelong learner curious about artificial intelligence—but not sure where to begin? AI in Education: Harnessing Artificial Intelligence Tools to Transform Teaching and Professional Practice is your go-to audio companion for navigating the future of education with clarity and confidence. Whether you're driving, walking, or relaxing at home, this audiobook brings the world of AI to life with practical insights, real classroom examples, and visionary strategies designed to support your growth.

Stoicism: The Timeless Wisdom to Living a Good Life - Develop Grit, Build Confidence, and Find Inner Peace takes you on a journey into yourself and delivers you into the future you desire. It liberates you from the flawed thinking that your happiness and peace is dependent on the people or things in your life. It aims to unlock the greatness within and put the power to change your life squarely in your hands.