Hachette The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity

Amazing Book

This is a very hands-on approach to the doomsday scenarios. It discusses our moral obligation to keep humanity thriving and actually goes over the probability of these rhings happening.

A great read! Insightful and interesting!

Los tiempos actuales deben entenderse y solo ver noticias no ayuda. Este libro nos hace entender los tiempos que vivimos y hacia dónde vamos.

Philosophy is, generally, considered a very dry subject, and one only fit for academia with people arguing about very fine details of history, ethics and morals. Our young people rarely learn about the consequences of making minor changes to personal, group or country wide thoughts. Increasingly, as adults, we don't have the time to 'think' a lot about the consequences of our life styles, our political decisions or what we allow our elected representatives to do in our names for - and to us. Toby Ord is an extraordinary scientist, and philosopher; he is also a relatively young person who has, on our behalf, done an extraordinary amount of work and research to make complex ideas accessible to most of us, regardless of age, education or culture. Increasingly his analysis is being sought by governments, corporations and Think Tanks pondering the consequences facing Humanity, Planet Earth, Communities everywhere, Families and each of us, as 8 billion people and corporations introduce technology quicker and quicker - all while our climate changes are happening with unpredictable aggregate effect. The Precipice is a 400+ resource that is accessible, readable and compelling; it's a book that each of us can read slowly and it has useful ideas and information that may help all of us, and our children, lead more peaceful and productive lives. On the subject of the AI technology, and how it may move us, help us or control us, he has this to say (p. 146-147): For the most damaging people in history have not been the strongest. Hitler, Stalin and Genghis Khan achieved absolute control over large parts of the world using words to convince millions of people to win the requisite physical contests. So long as an AI system can entice or coerce people to do its physical bidding, it wouldn't need robots at all......The most realistic scenarios may involve subtle and non-human behaviors which we can neither predict, nor truly grasp. And these behaviors may be aimed at weak points in our civilization to which we are currently blind... The AI section is interestingly shedding much needed light on how complex commercial systems already are bending entire countries to their will by controlling and monitoring our media, purchase habits and cell phone use. Mr. Ord has shown us that philosophy may need to be re-introduced into our schools and Book Clubs, as a matter of survival of the species.

An insightful and eye opening book. Highly recommended