Anish Mohammed – Path to Singularity: How Authentic Are Thoughts?

This talk will examine medium term challenges of ethics, authenticity, and privacy leading towards the Singularity. It will cover design of ethical of algorithms, which might help create more generalised AGIs. It will take a peek at the possible path of brain computer interfaces. It will discuss questions about authenticity of thoughts, and privacy of thoughts, that arise even before we get to full silicon existence. It will quickly survey technologies needed to enable a world with the properties described above

Anish is a multi-disciplinarian who has worked as a medical doctor, bio-informatician and cryptographer. His research interests include AI and the ethics of AI. He is also a Singularity University alumnus. Follow him on Twitter.

Dr. Trent McConaghy – Reflections of a Recovering Bio-Narcissist on the Singularity (Or, Why Elon is Wrong)

I will describe the current most likely singularity scenario (AI waking up), why that is, and the forces catalyzing it (e.g. Google’s biz plan). I will discuss the OpenAI approach of Elon Musk et al, its assumption (that we can actually regulate AI, or create friendly AI), why that assumption is mistaken, and therefore why it may actually be worse for humanity (catalyzes AI even more, without real protection on the downsides). Then I will talk about ways to frame what “humanity” actually is, and why our bio selves are not the essence of humanity, why it’s rather the patterns of intelligence. In other words, it’s the software not the substrate. I will point to 100 years in the future where no matter the route, the majority of intelligent entities will be thought patterns on silicon; and how “AI waking up” is only one path, and how that actually could be framed as a next evolution of “humanity”, albeit not that palatable to us because our personal thought patterns don’t continue. I will describe a couple other singularity scenarios that *do* preserve our thought patterns and which are therefore more happy scenarios: the Em scenario, and the BW++ scenario. I will describe the state of the art of tech behind each, and what we can do to give a better chance to one of these scenarios happening.

Trent is an AI researcher, blockchain engineer, entrepreneur and global citizen. After completing his PhD in electrical engineering, he worked for the Canadian Department of National Defense. Thereafter, 12 years ago, he started his first AI company. Currently, he is the founder of ascribe, Solido and BigchainDB. He has published several books, papers and holds 20 patents. Follow Trent on Twitter.

Location: betahaus – Prinzessinnenstraße 19-20 Innospace (4th floor), 10969 Berlin, Germany – View Map

—Event Producer