Like breathless techno-optimism, breathless techno-catastrophism is easy to dismiss as a twisted, misguided form of hype unsupported by the historical record.

but that is heightened when seen through the lens of the greater wave’s cross-pollinating potential.

Altos Labs, which has raised $3 billion, more start-up funding than for any previous biotech venture, is one company seeking to find effective anti-aging technologies. Its chief scientist, Richard Klausner, argues, “We think we can turn back the clock” on human mortality. Focusing on techniques of “rejuvenation programming,” the company aims to

Technologists and the general public alike will have to accept greater levels of oversight and regulation than have ever been the case before.

Does the technology enable asymmetric impact? Think of a drone swarm against the conventional military or a tiny computer or biological virus damaging vital social systems.

Are there resource or engineering constraints on its invention, development, and deployment? Silicon chips require specialized and highly concentrated materials, machines, and knowledge. The talent available for a synthetic biology start-up is, in global terms, still quite small. Both help containment in the near term.

Quite simply, any technology is capable of going wrong, often in ways that directly contradict its original purpose.

Here it’s about making sure AI outputs provide citations, sources, and interrogable evidence that a user can further investigate when a dubious claim arises.

HYPER-EVOLUTION: ENDLESS ACCELERATION