From the New World

From the New World explores the interplay of political ideologies, technology, and society's moral perspectives. It critiques equalitarianism, effective altruism, and AI's impact, highlighting the tension between liberal and conservative viewpoints, and the rise of machine learning. It debates societal norms, policy implications, and the future of democracy.

Political Ideologies Technology and Society Machine Learning and AI Moral and Ethical Debates Societal Norms and Policies Democracy and Authoritarianism

The hottest Substack posts of From the New World

And their main takeaways
199 implied HN points β€’ 12 Mar 24
  1. The Alliance for the Future opposes blind panic and over-regulation around artificial intelligence, aiming to educate and advocate for the benefits of AI in society and politics.
  2. AI is a process, not an object, and regulating it is complex and infeasible. History shows that negative actions should be condemned, not the technology itself.
  3. Encouraging open source development in AI can lead to a diverse range of models, efficient training, and easier detection and prevention of issues, benefitting all involved.
172 implied HN points β€’ 07 Mar 24
  1. The evolution of human behavior involves self-deception as an adaptive strategy, which influences decision-making.
  2. Understanding the impact of legislation on industries is crucial, as many tech companies may lack awareness of its effects.
  3. The defense of basic freedoms and the need for effective policy-making is essential to navigate changing social and technological landscapes.
237 implied HN points β€’ 19 Feb 24
  1. The New Soviet Man concept was imaginary, as evident from the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
  2. Egalitarian sentiment persists despite evidence of biological differences, leading to challenges in discussing individual disparities.
  3. Institutions like rule of law and free markets can serve as solutions to counteract egalitarian pathologies and promote rational behavior.
97 implied HN points β€’ 05 Mar 24
  1. AI is a process, not an object, and regulating or licensing it is like regulating statistics itself.
  2. The widespread use of AI in the economy would make it impractical to micromanage its regulation.
  3. Managing AI would be like managing the entire economy due to its extensive integration and impact.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:
75 implied HN points β€’ 04 Mar 24
  1. Technology has historically eliminated dangerous jobs and enabled improvements in quality of life, challenging the assumption that automation always eliminates meaningful work.
  2. Conservatives should not let nostalgia cloud their vision of a more prosperous and human future driven by current technological advancements like artificial intelligence.
  3. The last 20 years of automation may be considered a historical anomaly, and current technologies are aimed at reducing mundane tasks rather than eliminating meaningful work.
86 implied HN points β€’ 28 Feb 24
  1. The goal of AI Pluralism is to ensure that machine models are not manipulated by third parties to conform to specific ideologies.
  2. Machine learning typically involves two stages: developing the model's capabilities and fine-tuning, which can influence the model's ideology and style.
  3. Requiring the release of both stages of the model can help curb extremist influence, but it may not completely eliminate ideological contamination in AI development.
16 implied HN points β€’ 15 Mar 24
  1. Isekai is a genre of fantasy where characters are transported to new worlds, often focused on contrasting present-world features with historical or fantastical elements.
  2. Isekai narratives can serve as a tool to explore and recover Christian heritage, highlighting true teachings amidst modern distortions.
  3. The concept of Isekai serves as a modern form of 'two worlds mythology' where Christian interpretations and themes can be reexamined in a new light.
53 implied HN points β€’ 01 Mar 24
  1. Girard's mimetic theory explains how people copy desires from others, leading to a cycle of scapegoating in communities.
  2. The Christian story transformed how societies perceive innocence and persecution, changing the axis of rulership from strong vs. weak to good vs. evil.
  3. Girard's concept of the antichrist warns of a corruption of Christian teachings, leading to persecution disguised as defense of victims.
32 implied HN points β€’ 06 Mar 24
  1. Incentivizing open-source development in AI can increase efficiency in training, lower barriers to entry for engineers, and make fixing security issues easier.
  2. Outdated government policies are hindering technological advancements in AI, as highlighted by recent scandals at companies like Google.
  3. Promoting 'dual-use' technologies that have civilian and military applications is crucial for national defense and economic prosperity, restricting them could harm national security and competitiveness.
21 implied HN points β€’ 08 Mar 24
  1. The Christian afterlife is often depicted with the concepts of heaven, hell, and purgatory, each with its unique perspective on innovation and agency.
  2. Agency plays a significant role in how individuals respond to the Christian revelation, with the rejection of agency leading to a vision of persecution and societal systems.
  3. Innovation in a Christian society is compared to living according to the Kingdom of God, embracing a way to end mimetic rivalry and foster a more fundamental approach.
404 implied HN points β€’ 29 Oct 23
  1. Ethnic hatred stems from an innate desire to sympathize with those seen as more successful or civilized.
  2. Blaming ethnic groups for societal issues can fuel desire for ethnic persecution.
  3. Egalitarianism can lead to persecution of successful ethnic groups, posing an existential risk.
291 implied HN points β€’ 17 Sep 23
  1. Richard Hanania advocates for conservatives to focus on actionable reforms and take responsibility for reversing decline.
  2. Hanania demonstrates how woke culture in universities and businesses stems from government regulations forcing diversity quotas.
  3. Conservatives should strategically fund policy entrepreneurs in important areas to overcome the imbalance with left-wing policy influencers.
188 implied HN points β€’ 12 Aug 23
  1. Michael Lind opposes the idea of a biological elite to prevent support for certain political factions.
  2. There is a division in the right between those who focus on policy and those who prioritize the interests they are fighting for.
  3. Lind's arguments are driven by his class interests and fear of a cross-elite coalition, rather than objective facts or truth.
134 implied HN points β€’ 26 Jul 23
  1. The allegory in the post highlights the importance of accepting dissenting opinions for societal growth and decision-making
  2. Machine learning techniques that introduce randomness can lead to more freedom and subversion within regimes
  3. Taboos and conformity can be tools used by the illegitimate against the legitimate, but confronting these can inspire hope for Western dissidents
177 implied HN points β€’ 06 May 23
  1. AI can displace problems with lesser problems in various aspects of life, including machine learning and relationships.
  2. AI's ability to mass-produce intimate relationships raises concerns, but similar issues already exist in politics and media.
  3. AI's impact on empathy and parasocial relationships leads to discussions on societal values and preferences for real vs. artificial connections.
134 implied HN points β€’ 15 Feb 23
  1. Prompt engineering is the process of designing specific inputs for machine learning models.
  2. Creativity in prompt engineering can lead to novel results and opportunities beyond bypassing censorship.
  3. Artificial intelligence, like OpenAI, presents both benefits and challenges, particularly in terms of legal considerations and activism.