AGI will be the biggest, and likely the last, technological prowess of humanity. At this point, the most important focus of the world should be on ensuring that the transition to AGI happens smoothly. This endeavor can be divided into 3 actionable categories: ensuring pre-AGI survival, enabling AGI, and ensuring post-AGI survival.
All other technologies will be able to be accelerated by AGI, and thus, working on anything that does not relate to the narrative of AGI is a waste of time at this point. And I say that as a science nerd who admires anyone working on hard problems. However, pragmatically, it is becoming clearer by the day that every smart person should focus their energy on a successful AGI transition for humanity.
With this perspective, here is the list of technologies that are worth working on at this moment:
1. Pre-AGI Survival
Climate: Prevent climate change-led extinction. Arguably secondary as the climate change timelines are so long compared to AGI.
Defense: Prevent WW3.
Longevity: Minimize the number of people dying prior to AGI.
AI safety: Minimize the probability of destructive AGI.
Aerospace: Mars humanity backup.
Of course, those categories are very broad and they utilize a wide array of technologies and infrastructures upstream; and these are, by transition, important too, despite not being listed.
We would benefit from more focus on all of those topics. But more specifically, we need more focus on: Neurotech, AI safety, and Longevity.
Overall, keeping in mind this mental model helps evaluate how your work relates to the AGI narrative.
Humanity’s Last Prowess
AGI will be the biggest, and likely the last, technological prowess of humanity. At this point, the most important focus of the world should be on ensuring that the transition to AGI happens smoothly. This endeavor can be divided into 3 actionable categories: ensuring pre-AGI survival, enabling AGI, and ensuring post-AGI survival.
All other technologies will be able to be accelerated by AGI, and thus, working on anything that does not relate to the narrative of AGI is a waste of time at this point. And I say that as a science nerd who admires anyone working on hard problems. However, pragmatically, it is becoming clearer by the day that every smart person should focus their energy on a successful AGI transition for humanity.
With this perspective, here is the list of technologies that are worth working on at this moment:
1. Pre-AGI Survival
Climate: Prevent climate change-led extinction. Arguably secondary as the climate change timelines are so long compared to AGI.
Defense: Prevent WW3.
Longevity: Minimize the number of people dying prior to AGI.
2. Enable
Compute: More compute.
Energy: More energy.
Robotics/Drones: More robots.
AGI: AGI genesis.
AGI infrastructure: AGI-ready socio-economic infrastructures.
3. Post-AGI Survival
Neurotech: BCI and brain emulation.
AI safety: Minimize the probability of destructive AGI.
Aerospace: Mars humanity backup.
Of course, those categories are very broad and they utilize a wide array of technologies and infrastructures upstream; and these are, by transition, important too, despite not being listed.
We would benefit from more focus on all of those topics. But more specifically, we need more focus on: Neurotech, AI safety, and Longevity.
Overall, keeping in mind this mental model helps evaluate how your work relates to the AGI narrative.