Michael Nielsen on being a wise optimist about science and technology

This is my conversation with Michael Nielsen, scientist, author, and research fellow at the Astera Institute. Timestamps: - (00:00:00) intro - (00:01:06) cultivating optimism amid existential risks - (00:07:16) asymmetric leverage - (00:12:09) are "unbiased" models even feasible? - (00:18:44) AI and the scientific method - (00:23:23) unlocking AI's full power through better interfaces - (00:30:33) sponsor: Splits - (00:31:18) AIs, independent agents or intelligent tools? - (00:35:47) autonomous military and weapons - (00:42:14) finding alignment - (00:48:28) aiming for specific moral outcomes with AI? - (00:54:42) freedom/progress vs safety - (00:57:46) provable beneficiary surveillance - (01:04:16) psychological costs - (01:12:40) the ingenuity gap Links: - Michael Nielsen: - Michael Nielsen on X: - Michael's essay on being a wise optimist about science and technology: - Michael's Blog: - The Ingenuity Gap (Tad Homer-Dixon): Thank you to our sponsor for making this podcast possible: - Splits: Sina: - Sina Habibian: - Sina Habibian on X: Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only. It is not financial advice nor a recommendation to buy or sell securities. The host and guests may hold positions in the projects discussed.

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Michael Nielsen on being a wise optimist about science and technology is an episode from Into the Bytecode by Sina Habibian.

This episode is 76:51 long.

This episode was published on Mar 27, 2025.

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