Facing Superintelligence (with Ben Goertzel)

What this episode covers

On this episode, Ben Goertzel joins me to discuss what distinguishes the current AI boom from previous ones, important but overlooked AI research, simplicity versus complexity in the first AGI, the feasibility of alignment, benchmarks and economic impact, potential bottlenecks to superintelligence, and what humanity should do moving forward. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Preview and intro 00:01:59 Thinking about AGI in the 1970s 00:07:28 What's different about this AI boom? 00:16:10 Former taboos about AGI 00:19:53 AI research worth revisiting 00:35:53 Will the first AGI be simple? 00:48:49 Is alignment achievable? 01:02:40 Benchmarks and economic impact 01:15:23 Bottlenecks to superintelligence 01:23:09 What should we do?

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How long is this episode of Future of Life Institute Podcast?

This episode is 1 hour and 32 minutes long.

When was this Future of Life Institute Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on May 23, 2025.

What is this episode about?

On this episode, Ben Goertzel joins me to discuss what distinguishes the current AI boom from previous ones, important but overlooked AI research, simplicity versus complexity in the first AGI, the feasibility of alignment, benchmarks and economic...

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