Nick Bostrom
“Human life, at its best, is fantastic. I’m asking you to create something even greater. Life that is truly humane.”
Why: To develop “macrostrategy”, the study of how the value of ultimate outcomes may be connected to present-day actions.
What: A Swedish philosopher and polymath at the University of Oxford who is known for his work on existential risk, the anthropic principle, human enhancement ethics, whole brain emulation, superintelligence risks, and the reversal test. He is the founding director of the Future of Humanity Institute and the author of more than 200 publications.
How: Nick’s fondness of interdisciplinary thinking began at an early age when he developed an avid fascination with philosophy, anthropology, science, art, and literature, as well as theoretical physics, computational neuroscience, logic, and artificial intelligence. His wide interests all share a common aim: figuring out how to orient humans with respect to important values. From competing in academic tournaments to dabbling as a stand up comedian, he eventually became a world-renowed researcher, philosopher, and leader in the field of existential risks. He’s known for poignant remarks such as “We’re like children playing with a bomb,” underscoring the severe consequences of humanity’s cavalier actions around AI. He established the Future of Humanity Institute to cultivate an intellectual microclimate, providing individuals from diverse disciplines the freedom to engage with and explore profound questions concerning the future of humanity.
Image credits: Wired
