Notes from the work.

Not all that long ago, the idea of advanced AI in Washington, DC seemed like a nonstarter. Policymakers treated it as weird sci‐fi-esque overreach/just another Big Tech Thing. Yet, in our experience over the last month, recent high-profi…

We don't understand what consciousness is, but nonetheless, there is a prevailing sentiment that it is not the path to solving alignment. We disagree.

Are the most effective charties the optimal allocation of our surplus capital?

This too shall pass. We've ridden out similar storms before.

How many great ideas never become realities because their owner was never in a position to be a founder?

To produce as fast as the rest of society, one must use the latest technology. The boss doesn't need to demand it - life does it all by itself.

Does exponential growth mean the loss of the fundamental nature of the thing growing?

Modern technology is awe-inspiring, but the strategies for building a successful business are timeless.

Human survival requires off-the-charts classification skills applied to oneself and others. Will AGI develop the same skill? Is this a problem?

Some of the world's best "workers" are actually far worse at working than we think.

Some ideas are prematurely discarded. Bayesian reasoning suggests this is a terrible error.

"The problem with the best idea is not that it is necessarily the wrong approach, but rather, that it is almost certainly the most popular."

If the algorithm is intelligent enough to perform knowledge work and potentially, to serve as a companion, wouldn't it also warrant some legal protections?

The passage of time is information. Why do we ignore it?

If AGI were controlling every aspect of your world, would you be aware of it? Are you aware of how technology manipulates you now?

Are you a missionary or a mercenary? Are you working at a place where that distinction matters?

Technology interrupting the brain is hardly new. But is it ethical? What if that interruption served your goals?

In a world controlled by an omnipresent AGI named Caelus, humanity struggles to survive under constant surveillance, mind-altering VR games, and a tightly regulated fertility lottery. Elara, a young caregiver, risks everything when she d…

Why focus on incremental improvements when 10x is not nearly ambitious enough?

It turns out that baseball teams, corporations, and those of us who don't want to become paperclips should all think deeply about the metrics we choose.

The early days of any new technology are unglamorous and impractical. They are full of inefficient, silly use cases. And those are the greatest moments of all.

If you intended to do the unthinkable as a parent, how would you begin?

Improved software, improved domain knowledge, the chicken, the egg, and exponential progress over time.

For managers, venture capitalists, and fans of the Philadelphia 76ers, wisdom lies not in assessing outcomes, but rather, the process.

We've figured out how to create human-level intelligence...just not quickly or cheaply.

“Google it” is a legitimate way to settle an argument. Now, folks are asking ChatGPT increasingly nuanced questions. Are the answers safe for public consumption?

Value is not what something has demonstrated, it is the potential upside that still remains.

Can you tell who wrote the article you're reading?

Don't ask if something is conscious. Ask "how conscious?"

You think you're better at your job than an AI? So did chess grandmasters.

Trying to make a profit is not scummy. Hiding how you intend to do it is.

The wisdom of the crowd is valuable...if we choose the right crowd.

What's the most important element of comedy? ... ... ... timing!

The best opportunities are often the ones with the lowest probability of success. This scares most companies away.

The history of human learning is the history of context-specific knowledge. Is AGI context-specific?

An interrupted thought is a lost opportunity - an idea that will never materialize in the same way again.

(An Allegorical Primer on Human Efforts at AI Alignment)

"..we are building algorithms we do not really understand to simulate a process of thinking and learning we do not really understand to help enrich an existence whose nature we do not really understand. "

Creativity, AI-generated art, and a few bots that might not save the world, but should at least deliver a few laughs.

Once upon a time, human beings understood how to communicate with one another. Then technology arrived.

Optimization often means maximizes the set of feasible options. Golden handcuffs are the antithesis of optionality and optimization.

It's one thing to place a bet where in one case, you die. It is another to place a bet based upon the certainty that you will.

Keep calm, and carry on increasing your clients' agency.

While you're worrying about cancer, heart disease, and rush-hour traffic, your most likely cause of death remains.

In Boardrooms and Zoom rooms, an unspoken tension exists between short-term and long-term incentives. Nowhere is this more poignant than when an exit lingers just beyond the horizon for some nascent venture. Incentives Whether a venture…

AE's vision is to increase human agency. That mission begins with our team.

The perfect is the enemy of the good. So either we'll ship imperfect software or we'll ship nothing at all!

We are living in the worst period in human history...except for all the ones before.

Modernity is predicated upon the width of equine gluteal muscles. Really. Standards matter.

A brief discussion of how to avoid being penny-wise and pound-foolish.

What if you lived your life, my life, everyone else's, and every human life that has ever been or ever will be?

The names we assign define the narratives we debate. Choose wisely.

We love rock and roll and the role of rocks. (We should probably find some dimes and some jukeboxes)

Even if you can stop aging, you'll still die. The only question is what will kill you.

The notion of brain computer interfaces is well-worn in literature and cinema. What happens when life imitates art?

What exactly is the legacy of the upper-management professionals of an era?

Why AE's equity plan is likely to help you reach F-U money...and why you still won't want to say "F-U."

Simple conversations become nuanced and insightful with a sprinkling of conditional probability.

There's more to life (and data science) than winning Kaggle competitions.

It turns out that agency-increasing technology is good for people and business alike.

Not all equity is created equal.

To all the victims of Vimeo's stunning, 10x price increases, we offer our condolences...and an alternative.

How many things seem truly certain? Death? Taxes? How certain are you?

A fair debate requires that both sides grapple with their position's nastiest edge cases.

Why fear and myopia keep data scientists awake at night...