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

The Dawn of Effective Conservatism

291 implied HN points • 17 Sep 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Conservatism Right-wing Politics
  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.

Licensing AI Means Licensing the Whole Economy

97 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Regulation Economy
  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.
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RLHF is the Problem and the Solution

86 implied HN points • 28 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Ethics Policy Innovation
  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.

Michael Lind Stands Up For The Oppressed

188 implied HN points • 12 Aug 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Social Issues Opinion Political theory Policy Political Commentary
  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.

Accelerationist Means for Vitalist Ends

75 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Automation Technology Trends
  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.

Locke Versus the Apocalypse

5 implied HN points • 06 Dec 24
📖 Philosophy Human nature Political theory Social contract Ethics Individualism
  1. AI shows us who we are by reflecting our behavior and ignoring parts we often overlook. This makes us think about our own nature and how we connect with others.
  2. There are two main views on human nature: one believes in communal consensus for the good of all, while the other supports individual interests leading to social good. Each side has different ideas about how society should work.
  3. The question of political consensus is complex and has been debated for a long time. Understanding these views can help us make sense of modern political disagreements.

AI as the Worst Parasocial Relationship

177 implied HN points • 06 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Social media Empathy Artificial Intelligence
  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.

AI Will Cement Fukuyama’s Legacy

134 implied HN points • 26 Jul 23
🕹 Technology AI History Interpretation Randomness
  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

Girardian Isekai Part 0: Into the New World

53 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Christianity Persecution Mythology
  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.

The Prompt Engineering Layer

134 implied HN points • 15 Feb 23
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Programming
  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.

Three Short Arguments in AI Policy

32 implied HN points • 06 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Policy Machine Learning National Security Open Source Government Policy
  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.

Girardian Isekai Part 1: Agency and the Christian Afterlife

21 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
⛪ Faith & Spirituality Christianity Afterlife Agency Innovation
  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.

Girardian Isekai Part 2: Isekai is Two Worlds Mythology

16 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture Mythology Fantasy Christianity Literature
  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.

Liberalism Versus Democracy 1

0 implied HN points • 22 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Political theory Government Systems Democracy Liberalism State power
  1. The modern European state faces various internal challenges that can cause it to break apart. These issues are important to understand for grasping how political systems function.
  2. Carl Schmitt's work provides insights into the nature of the state and its complexities. His ideas help explain the struggles within government structures.
  3. The balance between liberalism and democracy is crucial in political discussions. It's important to consider how these two concepts interact and influence each other.

Liberalism Versus Democracy 3

0 implied HN points • 14 Feb 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Liberalism Democracy Political theory Metaphysics
  1. Liberalism and democracy can have different goals and values. It's important to understand how they interact and sometimes conflict with each other.
  2. Postliberalism suggests a new way of thinking about society that goes beyond traditional liberal ideas. It may offer solutions to modern political challenges.
  3. The article encourages readers to think critically about existing political frameworks. This can lead to a deeper understanding of how these systems affect our lives.