Enter the Neo-Luddites: Transcendence, The Singularity, and Technological Resistance

Enter the Neo-Luddites: Transcendence, The Singularity, and Technological Resistance

On January 15, 1813, fourteen men were hanged outside York Castle in England for crimes associated with technological activism. It was the largest number of people ever hanged in a single day at the castle. These hangings were a decisive move against an uprising protesting the impacts of increased mechanization, one that became known as the Luddite movement after its alleged leader, Ned Ludd.

Superintelligence: From Chapter Eight of Films from the Future

Superintelligence: From Chapter Eight of Films from the Future

In January 2017, a group of experts from around the world got together to hash out guidelines for beneficial artificial intelligence research and development. The meeting was held at the Asilomar Conference Center in California, the same venue where, in 1975, a group of scientists famously established safety guidelines for recombinant DNA research. This time, though, the focus was on ensuring that research on increasingly powerful AI systems led to technologies that benefited society without creating undue risks.