Right, everybody buckle up because today we're taking a deep dive into the future, like way
into the future with AI.
But not just any AI.
We're talking about AI so powerful, it could change what it even means to be human, you
know?
And what's really interesting is that this isn't just some like far off sci-fi thing.
We're talking about predictions from Dario Amode.
He's the CEO of Anthropic.
So he's like really in the thick of it when it comes to AI.
Exactly.
And he points out his whole vision in this essay called Machines of Loving Grace, which
okay sounds pretty optimistic, right?
But the big question is how do we actually get there?
How do we go from AI that can barely write a decent email to AI that's like solving humanity's
biggest problems?
So Amode starts by, he kind of throws out this idea of what he calls the compressed
21st century.
And it's this idea that all the amazing progress, you know, all the scientific breakthroughs
that we expect to happen over like a hundred years.
They get like squeezed down, compressed into just a few years.
It's like fast forwarding through time.
Okay, so that's a lot to take in.
So before we get too far ahead of ourselves, like what are we even talking up here when
we say powerful AI?
This isn't just like my Roomba figuring out how to do the dishes, right?
No, no, no.
We're talking AI that's smarter than like Nobel Prize winners.
Okay.
AI that can do all sorts of things from like designing groundbreaking experiments to composing
incredible music and developing technologies we haven't even dreamed of yet.
Okay, now that's some AI I can get behind.
But even with all that brain power, wouldn't there still be like limits?
I mean, AI can't just like rewrite the laws of physics, right?
You're totally right.
And Amode actually talks about this.
He has this concept of marginal returns to intelligence.
And it's kind of like you can have the fastest car in the world, but if there's no road,
you're not going anywhere.
So even with all the smarts in the world, AI still needs like the right tools and resources
to actually make things happen.
It's like a world-class chef needing ingredients, right?
Exactly.
And just like a chef can be limited by what ingredients they have, AI can be held back
by things like the speed of scientific experiments or the availability of funding for research.
So it's not enough to just build a super intelligent AI.
It's about creating the right environment for it to like thrive and do its thing.
Exactly.
And Amode believes that as AI gets more powerful, it'll actually find ways to work around those
limitations.
So it's not like an overnight revolution.
It's more like a gradual, but ultimately like a transformative shift in how things work.
Exactly.
Gotcha.
And one of the first places Amode sees this happening is in the world of biology and healthcare.
So imagine like a world where we've basically kicked all the worst diseases to the curb,
and we're not just living longer, but we're actually healthier too, you know?
Like our biology isn't holding us back anymore.
Okay, yes.
Sign me up for that future.
Yeah.
But how does that even work?
How does AI actually make all that happen?
I mean, you keep saying powerful AI, but what does that even look like when we're talking
about like curing cancer, right?
Well, remember how we were talking about AI having those marginal returns to intelligence?
Yeah.
So Amode thinks biology is like the perfect example of a field where those returns could
be huge.
It's like there's so much potential for breakthroughs, but it's also super complex.
Right.
Tons of data.
Yeah.
And that's where AI really shines.
So it's like instead of researchers having to like sift through all this data themselves,
AI can be their like super powered research assistant.
Exactly.
It's like giving every scientist in the world their own personal like research army, you
know?
They can run experiments, analyze data, connect the dots way faster than any human ever could.
And Amode talks about how this could lead to things like personalized medicine, right?
So your treatment is tailored to your specific genes and everything.
Yeah, exactly.
It's like imagine getting treatment that's designed just for you so it's way more effective
and has fewer side effects.
That's amazing.
But it's not just about treating what we already have, right?
It's about preventing these diseases in the first place.
Right.
Like Amode talks about AI being able to see early warning signs of diseases like Alzheimer's
way before any symptoms even show up.
Wow.
So we could actually get ahead of the curve instead of always playing catch up.
Exactly.
And you know, Amode takes it even further with this idea of like biological freedom.
Biological freedom.
OK, now we're getting really futuristic.
What does that even mean?
So it's this idea that, you know, we're not just stuck with the biology we're born with.
We can actually use technology to like enhance it, push the boundaries of what's possible.
So are we talking about like biohacking our way to immortality here?
Well, Amode doesn't necessarily go that far, but he does talk about extending the human
lifespan like significantly.
He uses the example of how life expectancy basically doubled in the 20th century.
And he thinks AI could help us do it again in the 21st.
Wow.
So double our lifespans again.
That's wild.
But it's not just about living longer, right?
It's about like the quality of life too.
Exactly.
Amode is talking about a future where we're not just living longer, but we're healthier
and more like vibrant, you know.
We have more control over our own bodies and how we age.
Okay.
But with all this talk about, you know, reshaping our biology and like rewriting the rules of
aging, I have to ask, what about our minds?
Like how does all of this impact our psychology, our mental health?
It's a super important question and it's something Amode definitely thinks about.
He actually believes that just like AI can revolutionize our physical health, it can
totally transform how we approach mental health too.
So we're talking about like a whole new approach to mental health.
Yeah, like imagine instead of just treating symptoms, we can actually address the underlying
causes of mental illness at like a neurological level.
Okay.
Now that sounds like a game changer, but how do we actually get there?
I mean, the brain is still this big mystery, right?
So how can AI help us crack the code?
Well Amode points to this really cool example in his essay.
Remember that computational mechanism he talked about?
The one that was discovered in an AI system and then like married in the brains of mice?
Yeah, yeah, that was crazy.
So that's just one tiny example of how studying AI could give us this whole new understanding
of like how our own brains work.
Right.
Like AI is almost like a mirror reflecting back at us, helping us understand our own
minds better.
Exactly.
And as we learn more, Amode thinks we could start developing AI powered tools to actually
address a bunch of different mental health challenges.
Like imagine personalized therapies that are tailored to your like unique brain chemistry.
Wow.
So instead of just like throwing different medications or therapies at a problem and
hoping something sticks, we can have treatments that are way more precise and effective.
Exactly.
It's like AI could help us target the root of the problem instead of just like putting
a bandaid on the symptoms.
That's amazing.
But Amode doesn't stop there, does he?
He also talks about AI actually being able to like enhance our cognitive abilities, right?
Like our focus, our memory, even our creativity.
Yeah, it's wild, right?
He believes that AI could help us kind of unlock the full potential of our minds, like
not just treating illness, but actually making us like sharper, quicker, more creative.
OK, so now this is where I have to ask, are we like playing God here, messing with our
brains, enhancing our abilities?
It all sounds a little, I don't know, unnatural.
I totally get that.
It's definitely something to think about.
But Amode's point is that like any advancements in this area would have to be approached really
carefully and ethically.
We have to make sure everyone has equal access to these technologies, not just a select few.
That's a really important point.
We can't just create a world where like the rich and powerful get to enhance themselves
while everyone else gets left behind.
Exactly.
It's about creating a future where these technologies are used to like empower everyone, not divide
us.
It's not just about what's technologically possible.
It's about making sure these advancements are used for good, for the benefit of all
humankind.
Exactly.
It's about using this technology responsibly and thoughtfully to create a better future
for everybody.
Well, on that note, I want to thank you both for joining us today for this deep dive into
the future of AI.
It's a future filled with mind blowing possibilities, but also some really big questions that we
all need to be thinking about.
If you want to learn more about the topics we discussed today, be sure to check out the
show notes for links to all the sources we mentioned.
And as always, thank you for listening.