The hottest Future Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

Language models and language change, redux

The Counterfactual • 39 implied HN points • 07 Sep 22
🕹 Technology AI Language Communication Innovation Future
  1. Language models like GPT-3 could have different effects on how language evolves, including slowing it down, speeding it up, or having no effect at all.
  2. One possible outcome is that language models might make our communication more concise, which could lead to unusual and harder-to-understand language forms.
  3. While GPT-3 can generate reasonable ideas about language change, it's important to be skeptical of its understanding and treat its responses as interesting but not always reliable.

Life in the time of superintelligence

Thoughts • 12 HN points • 10 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Artificial Intelligence Ethics Future Humanity Superintelligence
  1. Life in the time of superintelligence raises questions about the future of humanity and its role in a world with superintelligent AI.
  2. Our society functions as a form of superintelligence, where collective knowledge is leveraged for greater achievements.
  3. Developing superintelligence involves reconciling concerns about aligning AI values with human values, which poses challenges and uncertainties.

Blockchain: Fad or future?

A Bit Gamey • 27 implied HN points • 30 Jul 23
🕹 Technology Blockchain Cryptocurrencies Applications Security Future
  1. Blockchain is a secure and tamper-proof way of storing information through a distributed database.
  2. Blockchain has diverse uses beyond cryptocurrencies, including financial transactions, supply chain management, healthcare, voting, and intellectual property.
  3. The future of blockchain involves potential applications like smart contracts, decentralized applications, IoT security, and government transparency, indicating it's more than just a passing trend.

The Monthly Salon: November

New World Same Humans • 17 implied HN points • 22 Nov 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Future Debate
  1. David Mattin hosts a Monthly Salon for online discussions on trends, technology, and society.
  2. The Monthly Salon encourages lively and engaging discussions similar to a 17th-century London coffee house.
  3. The current theme for discussion is the topic of AI doom - exploring worries, concerns, and perspectives on the potential risks and benefits of artificial intelligence.
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New Week #116

New World Same Humans • 34 implied HN points • 18 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Future Society Innovation Work
  1. GPT-4 is a powerful AI tool that can perform various tasks like code writing and image reasoning
  2. The integration of GPT-4 into common software like Office 365 will lead to significant transformations in how knowledge and information are processed
  3. AI advancements challenge the role of human imagination, shifting focus towards creativity and human connection

A Design for Life

New World Same Humans • 27 implied HN points • 21 May 23
🕹 Technology AI Future Politics Ethics Relationships
  1. The primary force shaping our shared future is the technology revolution.
  2. There are differing views on the relationship between humans and emerging technologies like AI.
  3. It's essential to acknowledge human plurality in approaching the challenges posed by technology and allow for diverse perspectives and solutions.

Techno-Optimism for Townies

Seeking Tribe • 16 implied HN points • 25 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Optimism Future Innovation Progress Community
  1. Techno-optimists should consider how their ideas can improve the lives of people in small towns and communities.
  2. Progress should not just be about grand technological advancements, but also about improving daily life for everyone.
  3. The best future is one that enables various positive outcomes simultaneously, including greater prosperity and opportunities for all.

Searching for the Exit Routes

New World Same Humans • 28 implied HN points • 24 Apr 23
🕹 Technology Future AI Tech Ethics Humanity Philosophy
  1. The conversation about technology and human limits revolves around the dichotomy of transcension and limits, with different perspectives on embracing technological progress or imposing new restrictions.
  2. The tension between transcension and limits reflects the inherent duality of human nature - the infinite and finite parts - leading to the need for new accommodations and ways to negotiate this conflict.
  3. There is a call for a renewed liberalism that accommodates diverse ways of life in the face of technological modernity, providing exit routes out of the current trajectory towards a more inclusive and multi-layered future.

The Technological Acceleration Paradox

Mind Prison • 9 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Future Implications Society
  1. Accelerating towards goals may lead to achieving less - a paradox where faster acceleration can actually impede progress.
  2. Technological anticipation gap causes misplaced enthusiasm - the difference between what we imagine future tech can do and its reality can lead to disappointment.
  3. Rapid technological advancement can disrupt societal stability - the inability to keep up with technology can lead to obsolescence of plans and skills.

A Skeptic’s Guide to Tech Hype

Kibao • 1 HN point • 12 Jun 24
🕹 Technology Innovation Skepticism Impact Future Investments
  1. Hype is a double-edged sword in tech innovation - it can drive attention but also derail resources.
  2. Judging tech solely on hype can miss its real impact - tech can be influential even if it doesn't meet hyped expectations.
  3. Tech hype acts as both a bug and a feature, pushing innovation forward while also risking distraction - maintaining diverse research and ideas is key.

The Insufficient Weirdness Hypothesis

Gradient Ascendant • 20 implied HN points • 01 Jun 23
🔬 Science Future AI Science fiction Artificial Intelligence Forecasting
  1. The future is consistently weirder than expected because of unknown unknowns and unusual juxtapositions.
  2. AI development and outcomes are expected to be highly weird and unpredictable, not following a smooth exponential path.
  3. Weird and unexpected scenarios are more indicative of potential future risks to consider rather than conventional outcomes.

How AI Will Change Education

Messy Progress • 11 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🚌 Education Tech Learning System Society Future
  1. AI is expected to revolutionize education by providing personalized tutoring, making learning more efficient and engaging.
  2. Current education systems may change with AI tools, enabling on-demand skill learning and reducing the need for extensive pre-existing education.
  3. AI has the potential to transform traditional job recruitment processes by offering virtual interviews, possibly reducing the reliance on college degrees as the primary filter.

Why I Signed the AI Treaty Open Letter

Abstraction • 4 implied HN points • 06 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Future Security
  1. Balancing concerns about advanced AI with its potential to alleviate suffering is important.
  2. Advanced AI has immense potential to create abundance and shared prosperity if utilized responsibly.
  3. It is crucial to proceed with caution and put safeguards in place to prevent potential devastation from AI.

my vision of the apocalypse

the rohn report • 19 implied HN points • 30 Oct 20
🎭️ Culture Innovation Society Future Technology Community
  1. During times of stress, new innovations can appear, like the invention of bows and arrows by ancient ancestors during an encroaching ice age.
  2. Institutions have evolved rapidly due to technology, and there are institutions for studying other institutions.
  3. The younger generation may innovate and rebuild cooperatively and efficiently, utilizing their computer skills to create smart and friendly systems.

It's time to Party like it's Pre-AGI! 🎉

Multimodal by Bakz T. Future • 6 implied HN points • 08 Apr 23
🕹 Technology AI Future Ethics Innovation Social Impact
  1. Summer 2023 is a time of heightened AI hype and excitement, with many believing AGI is near.
  2. AGI Fatalism is a mindset where people anticipate AGI leading to catastrophic outcomes, causing them to give up on long-term goals and indulge in pleasure.
  3. It's important to monitor the prevalence of AI Fatalism and encourage adaptability and growth mindset to navigate the societal shifts brought about by AI advancements.

Unpluggers, Deflators, and Mantic Pixel Dream Girls, Part 1: Why I am Not a Doomer

Donkeyspace • 3 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🕹 Technology AI Ethics Intelligence Philosophy Future
  1. The article discusses the debate around advanced AI potentially leading to catastrophic outcomes.
  2. It highlights the challenge of reasoning about unique, one-off events like a disaster scenario caused by AI.
  3. The author emphasizes the importance of considering different perspectives and being prepared for both negative and positive outcomes.

Summary of and Thoughts on the Hotz/Yudkowsky Debate

Don't Worry About the Vase • 1 HN point • 16 Aug 23
🕹 Technology AI Debate Ethics Future Intelligence
  1. In the debate, Hotz led the discussion while Yudkowsky defended a fixed position.
  2. The conversation often circled around familiar points and metaphors, limiting productivity.
  3. Hotz expressed concern about future ASIs facing challenges similar to humans, while Yudkowsky emphasized the potential cooperation between ASIs and their advanced capabilities.

Duuce by Kévin Jourdan

Newsletter Circle • 0 implied HN points • 10 Jul 23
💼 Business Marketplace Acquisition Growth Future Experience
  1. The newsletter industry is growing with the emergence of platforms like Duuce dedicated to buying and selling newsletters.
  2. Duuce shifted to a vetted marketplace model, focusing on quality newsletters, success fees, and proper due diligence.
  3. Educating and providing tools for growth and monetization are key to preparing for the future of trading newsletters.

Is Gen AI Bad For Sales?

Fully Distributed by Ori Eldarov • 0 implied HN points • 27 Sep 23
💼 Business AI Sales Technology Future Strategy
  1. Gen AI may be making outbound sales more challenging by flooding prospects with personalized cold emails, causing response rates to drop.
  2. The future of sales will likely involve augmented intelligence, shifting the sales landscape towards AI-to-human and potentially AI-to-AI interactions.
  3. Salespeople need to adapt to evolving AI capabilities to stay competitive in the industry.

Digital Public Health Surveillance

Digital Epidemiology • 0 implied HN points • 19 Apr 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Public Health Data Sources Challenges Future
  1. Chapter 8 of the digital epidemiology book is now released, focusing on digital public health surveillance.
  2. The chapter covers a variety of data sources like search queries, social media, and wearables.
  3. One important aspect discussed is participatory surveillance, along with future challenges and opportunities in digital public health surveillance.