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 argues for the importance of starting AI safety research now, presenting key problems and reasons why early work is crucial. Longer summary

This post argues for the importance of starting AI safety research now, rather than waiting until AI becomes more advanced. Scott presents five key points about AI development and potential risks, then discusses three specific problems in AI safety: wireheading, weird decision theory, and the evil genie effect. He explains why these problems are relevant and can be worked on now, addressing counterarguments about the usefulness of early research. The post concludes by presenting three reasons why we shouldn't delay AI safety work: the treacherous turn, hard takeoff scenarios, and ordinary time constraints given AI progress predictions. Shorter summary

Scott compares two visions of a 'wirehead society' in the far future, exploring how framing affects our perception of technologically omnipotent posthuman existence. Longer summary

This post explores two visions of a far future 'wirehead society' where posthuman descendants achieve technological omnipotence. The first vision describes a world where all activities become boring and meaningless due to perfect optimization, leading to potential solutions like imposed artificial limits or wireheading. The second vision reframes wireheading as a more noble pursuit, likening it to enlightened beings in a state of blissful tranquility. Scott reflects on how his perception of these futures shifts dramatically based on presentation, despite their fundamental similarities. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines his doubts about utilitarianism and explores moral contractualism as a potential alternative for grounding morality. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores his doubts about utilitarianism in this post. He discusses three main issues: the complexity of utilitarianism's superstructure, the problem of whose preferences to consider, and the lack of objectivity in consequentialism. He argues that utilitarianism often aligns with his moral intuitions, but when it doesn't, he tends to follow his intuitions instead. This leads him to consider a form of moral contractualism as an alternative. He proposes a system where people imagine and follow a hypothetical perfect contract that balances different moral views. This approach allows for some level of moral communion between groups with similar values, while acknowledging fundamental differences with others. Scott concludes that while this system doesn't solve all problems, it might be a step forward in grounding morality. Shorter summary

A review of David Foster Wallace's 'Infinite Jest', exploring its themes, structure, and critique of postmodern society through comparison with 'Illuminatus' and analysis of its complex narrative. Longer summary

This post reviews David Foster Wallace's novel 'Infinite Jest', comparing it to Robert Anton Wilson's 'Illuminatus' trilogy. The reviewer discusses the book's themes of wireheading, competition, and the need for genuine human connection. They explore the novel's critique of postmodern society, its complex narrative structure, and its use of symbolism. The review also touches on the book's treatment of addiction, entertainment, and the dangers of self-reference. The author concludes by suggesting that 'Infinite Jest' is a postmodern work that paradoxically attempts to reconnect readers with reality through its complexity and demands for engagement. Shorter summary