Sunday, November 8, 2015

Brad DeLong — Are We Approaching Peak Human?


Interview with Brad that ranges over a lot of ground. Much is devoted to the history of technology. "Peak human" would occur with the proliferation of AI.

WCEG — The Equitablog
Are We Approaching Peak Human?
Brad DeLong

3 comments:

Calgacus said...

Much is devoted to the history of technology.

Perhaps he should learn something about it, rather than repeating corporate advertising nonsense about it - like technology, technological disruption, accelerating, moving twice as fast now as 100 odd years ago. Half as fast is more like it. The 50 years or so before and after 1900 were the fastest period of technological progress / disruption in human history, before or since. David Graeber's complaint of "where's my flying car" is much more accurate & representative of actual academic scholarship.

Ignacio said...

Not only is the pace slowing down, we are not even close to the 'singularity'. More scifi than reality.

Btw we are still ripping off the benefits of fundamental research 50 years ago in almost every field (specially in programming and "AI" or electronics).

When that's over...

Calgacus said...

I tend to agree. But I feel that the heyday of the ripping off period is over, things have been changing recently, quietly, but decisively. People think that the year is 2015. They're wrong. It is more like 1775 or 1855, or 1785 or 1845.