Scott Alexander speculates on a future 'ascended economy' where AI-run corporations dominate, discussing potential implications and risks of such a system. Longer summary

This post explores the concept of an 'ascended economy', where economic activity becomes increasingly detached from human control. Scott Alexander speculates on a future where corporations are run by algorithms, workers are replaced by robots, and even investment decisions are made by AI. He discusses the potential implications of such a system, including the formation of self-sustaining economic loops that don't involve humans, the difficulty of regulating AI-run corporations, and the risks of goal misalignment in superintelligent economic entities. While acknowledging that this scenario is highly speculative and unlikely to occur exactly as described, Scott uses it to explore important questions about AI safety, economic evolution, and the long-term consequences of automation. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander reviews Robin Hanson's 'Age of Em', praising its creativity while critiquing its assumptions and arguing the future may be even stranger. Longer summary

Scott Alexander reviews Robin Hanson's book 'Age of Em', which predicts a future where human brain emulations ('ems') dominate the economy. The book explores in great detail how an em society might function, with copied minds running at different speeds and bizarre social dynamics. While praising Hanson's creativity and rigor, Scott critiques some of the assumptions and argues the future may be even stranger and potentially more dystopian than Hanson envisions, possibly resembling Nick Land's idea of an 'Ascended Economy' detached from human values. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander analyzes Moloch as a metaphor for destructive societal coordination problems, using various examples to show how competing incentives can lead to negative outcomes. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of Moloch as a metaphor for destructive coordination problems in society, drawing on Allen Ginsberg's poem and various examples to illustrate how competing incentives can lead to negative outcomes for all. Shorter summary