The Human Survival Podcast

Can We Have A Successful A.I. Future?: Sam Samanne, author and tech entrepreneur

In public conversations about artificial intelligence, we hear how AI will solve all of our problems and make us all happy and prosperous, or how it will destroy society or make humans extinct.  How do we balance these extremes, and figure out how to manage AI properly?
Here on The Human Survival Podcast we have usually expressed alarm about the potential dangers of AI and other technology, and urged strong public policy to manage them.  But in this episode, we speak to someone with a more optimistic view on AI, and explore many ways AI could help solve humanity’s existential threats and strengthen our society.
Sam Sammane envisions a world where the rapid advancements in AI and technology are harnessed for the greater good, leading to a new age of global prosperity.  He is a seasoned entrepreneur and has co-founded and led multiple successful companies in the life sciences, IT and real estate industries.
He earned a Bachelor's and Master's in Applied Physics, a Master's in Digital Circuit Design, and a Ph.D. in Nanotechnology, and has authored several articles on high-order logic, symbolic simulation, and automatic theorem proving. 
He is the author of the upcoming book, "The Singularity of Hope”, which aims to guide readers through the challenges and opportunities of the AI era, advocating for a harmonious fusion of human intelligence and machine capabilities.
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.
This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations, so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats.  We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** 
Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect  
This show is also on YouTube.  Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/4xefk47v5rE?si=G0y0Lm4ODnnKDfSN 
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
Find us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/thehumansurvivalproject/ https://www.facebook.com/thehumansurvivalproject  https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumansurvivalproject  https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-survival-project/    
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RESOURCES:
Sam’s website:https://www.sammane.com/
Buy Sam’s book, The Singularity of Hopehttps://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVNLBGSG
80,000 Hours Podcast#120 – Audrey Tang on what we can learn from Taiwan’s experiments with how to do democracyhttps://80000hours.org/podcast/episodes/audrey-tang-what-we-can-learn-from-taiwan/
The Human Survival PodcastBuilding the AI Pause Button: Joep Meindertsma - Pause AIhttps://youtu.be/PUdAysiU4_s?si=Em2k7aAv3oiP-rqu
The Human Survival PodcastKeeping Technology from Breaking Society: Wendell Wallach - Carnegie Councilhttps://youtu.be/PXAlbG7M3s8?si=iceQy3JX_tUZzqOf
 

IMMIGRATION - What We’re Not Talking About: Shelby Mertes, The Human Survival Project

Immigration seems to be the biggest issue discussed in this year’s U.S. presidential campaign between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.  The United States (and the world) is struggling to handle the large migrations of people due to poverty, war, political turmoil and environmental catastrophe.  Trump and other Republicans are calling immigrants murderers, rapists, drug dealers and pet eaters.  Democrats are calling Republicans racists, and not really addressing their concerns about crime, jobs, housing and economic impacts.  And neither party is talking about the dramatic increases in migration that are likely in the coming years, and how to manage that.  Most people are just spewing anger at each other, without much problem solving.
The Human Survival Project works to promote solutions to migration, among other issues, and prides itself on explaining complicated issues in ways that everyone can understand.  So in this episode, we get beyond the angry soundbites to address some misunderstandings about immigration, and offer real solutions that might actually work.
This episode is based on a LOT of research.  We want you to see the resources we used, to verify what we’ve offered in this talk, and to support you in learning more.  You can find all these resources on our website here:  https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/post/immigration-what-we-re-not-talking-about-shelby-mertes-the-human-survival-project 
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.
This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations, so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats.  We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** 
Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect 
This show is also on YouTube.  You can watch this episode here:https://youtu.be/xgTfavIrWTc?si=P9lNHAVquDeqcE_G
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
Find us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/thehumansurvivalproject/https://www.facebook.com/thehumansurvivalprojecthttps://www.tiktok.com/@thehumansurvivalprojecthttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-survival-project/ 
Thanks for listening!

Why Solving Global Poverty Helps Wealthy Countries: Kim Thelwell, The Borgen Project

People in wealthier countries often see helping poorer countries as an act of charity, of “doing the right thing”.  Of course it’s good.  But overcoming poverty around the world should be seen as an act of self-preservation for all of us.  It’s a smart move to keep our global civilization from crumbling, since poverty keeps us from solving climate change, the destruction of nature, pandemics, war, and massive destabilizing migration.  Overcoming inequality is not just an issue of morality - we have no choice if we want to survive.
To help us unpack this is Kim Thelwell, VP of Policy and Communications with The Borgen Project, a fantastic advocacy organization urging wealthier nations to address global poverty.
Related to this topic, you may enjoy these previous episodes:– Where Is the Money To Save Humanity? Wealthy People Have It: Chuck Collins, Inst. for Policy Studieshttps://youtu.be/CP8iScGkewI?si=xqVTcbQsobFHMAcy– Re-Thinking Morality Amid Existential Threats: Old Issues Need a Fresh Outlookhttps://youtu.be/LM9rB4iCG1o?si=AvaGFhuOtDBjAm2X
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.
This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations, so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats. We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** 
Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect 
This show is also on YouTube.  You can watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/vMIQ0EXSOI4?si=9ZTMXEc6t5WhUQnb
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
Find us on social media:--  https://www.instagram.com/thehumansurvivalproject/--  https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumansurvivalproject--  https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-survival-project/ 
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RESOURCES:
The Borgen Projecthttps://borgenproject.org/
 

Where Is the Money To Save Humanity? Wealthy People Have It: Chuck Collins, Institute for Policy Studies

For years, politicians have told us we cannot afford important investments in solving climate change, poverty, pandemics and many other problems - even on issues that are critical to the survival of human civilization.  But it’s not true.  Wealthy people have Trillions of dollars (not billions, Trillions) that could be redirected toward solving our existential threats.  They even have Trillions of dollars that have not been counted because they’re hidden in offshore accounts and complex, opaque financial instruments in order to avoid taxation.  To save humanity, our society needs to use these resources in more helpful ways.
Our guest today teaches us how this system of hidden wealth works, how wealth is used to influence politics and society, and how wealth can be redirected toward humanity’s important needs.
Chuck Collins is Director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies, where he co-edits Inequality.org.  He is an expert on U.S. inequality, authoring over ten books and dozens of reports covering climate disruption, philanthropy, the racial wealth divide, affordable housing, and billionaire wealth dynasties.  He is a founding member of the Patriotic Millionaires, and in 1995, he co-founded United for a Fair Economy (UFE) to organize, educate, and shift narratives to fight inequality.  Collins’ newest book is a novel, Altar to an Erupting Sun (Green Writers Press), a near-future story of one community facing climate disruption in the critical decade ahead.  His other titles include The Wealth Hoarders, Born on Third Base, Wealth and Our Commonwealth (co-authored with the late Bill Gates Sr.), and The Moral Measure of the Economy (co-authored with Mary Wright).
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.
This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations, so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats. We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** 
Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect 
This show is also on YouTube.This episode can be watched here: https://youtu.be/CP8iScGkewI
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
Find us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/thehumansurvivalproject/https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumansurvivalprojecthttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-survival-project/ 
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RESOURCES:
Chuck Collins’ websitehttps://www.chuckcollinswrites.com/This site includes info on his recent book Altar to an Erupting Sun, which Shelby has read and highly recommends.
Institute for Policy StudiesProgram on Inequality and the Common Goodhttps://ips-dc.org/ips-project/inequality-and-the-common-good/
https://inequality.org/
Patriotic Millionaireshttps://patrioticmillionaires.org/
 
 

Keeping Technology from Breaking Society: Wendell Wallach - Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs

In today’s world, there is so much technology at our fingertips that we don’t know how to manage it all. Technologies like artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, nanotech and chemicals have important benefits, but they could also destabilize society, destroy democracy, crash the economy, create the next pandemic or ruin the environment. And competition between companies and countries is driving advancement SO FAST. How can we reap the benefits of technology, while seriously managing the risks? And who should have the power to make these decisions?
Wendell Wallach offers promising approaches to regulating humans’ use of technology. Wendell is a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, where he co-directs the AI and Equality Initiative (AIEI). He is also a senior advisor to the Hastings Center and a scholar at the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics, where he has chaired Technology and Ethics studies for 11 years. Wendell has written several books on how to avoid misusing technology and the moral considerations that factor into those actions.
By improving our governance systems, we humans can be more thoughtful, forward-looking, organized and international in our management of technology. In truth, the consequences of mismanaging technology are already here. But it’s not too late for positive change. If we act quickly and collaboratively, we can shape our future for the better.
#technology #artificialintelligence #existentialthreats #ai #bioethics #governance #TechGovernance #EthicalInnovation #EthicalTech #FutureLeaders #CollaborativeChange #FutureReadiness
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations, so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats. We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect
This show is also on YouTube.  Watch this episode here:https://youtu.be/PXAlbG7M3s8?si=eJH7kjSDRUuIz38e
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
Find us on social media:https://www.instagram.com/thehumansurvivalproject/https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumansurvivalprojecthttps://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-survival-project/ 
RESOURCES:
Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs:https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/ 
Wendell Wallach Bio:https://www.wwallach.com/
AI & Equality Podcast:https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/media/series/aiei 
Article - A Framework for the International Governance of AI:https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/media/article/a-framework-for-the-international-governance-of-ai
A Dangerous Master: How to Keep Technology from Slipping Beyond Our Control by Wendell Wallachhttps://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Master-Technology-Slipping-Control/dp/0465058620 
Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right from Wrong by Wendell Wallachhttps://www.amazon.com/Moral-Machines-Teaching-Robots-Right/dp/0199737975 
TIMESTAMPS:0:00 - Introduction2:53 - Description of Wendell Wallach.5:01 - Where is humanity at?7:16 - Problems with technology and governance.16:15 - Seeing risks before they happen.18:44 - Computers consume lots of energy.20:52 - AI is worsening the unequal distribution of wealth.22:37 - Humans mismanage their technological powers.23:50 - Who should control the frameworks?28:30 - OpenAI and commercialization.30:14 - We need governments to put up guardrails.35:55 - Salt March Moments, like Gandhi.41:42 - Teaching citizens to create their own sense of meaning.43:01 - Managing competition between countries.44:55 - Acting with a global mindset.49:50 - Short-term and long-term risks of AI.53:22 - We need rules.56:30 - Executive agency with multidisciplinary expertise.59:34 - How do we enforce rules?1:03:10 - Reevaluating our focus on other issues.1:04:56 - America needs immigrants to fill jobs.1:06:17 - Laws of armed conflict and unnecessary wars.1:08:10 - We need a trustworthy system to enforce our agreements.1:10:12 - Keep working and acting on opportunities.1:15:21 - Direction of government funding.1:19:50 - Responding earlier.1:23:09 - Good change can happen quicker than we think.

Preparing for the Next Pandemic: David Quammen - Author and Journalist

After the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s easy to think we won’t face another global outbreak in the next century. But viruses don’t have a schedule — the next pandemic could be tomorrow. And it could be much more fatal than COVID-19. So, how do we prepare ourselves?
With us to explain the best ways to both prevent and face these outbreaks is David Quammen, an award-winning author, and journalist on science and humans’ relationship with the natural world. He regularly contributes to many distinguished news sources, including the New York Times, the NY Times Book Review, and National Geographic. His 18 books include two on pandemics. “Spillover,” in 2012, accurately predicted a major pandemic could happen soon. In 2022, “Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus” thoroughly analyzed the world’s reaction to COVID-19. Quammen has traveled the world extensively, allowing him to contribute to today’s conversation with his personal experiences in third-world countries and what he’s seen in the availability of resources for those communities.
Luckily, the threat of viral outbreaks is rooted in something we can change: our actions. By regulating humans’ contact with animals, overconsumption of animal-based products, and the distribution of vaccines and education, we can act proactively on our planet. To save human and non-human creatures, we must adopt a future-oriented approach and find solutions now. If the next pandemic is tomorrow, we can be prepared.
#virus #outbreak #pandemic #pandemicawareness #protectourplanet #publichealth #existentialthreats #grassroots #globalcommunity #unitednations #diseaseprevention #coronavirus #outbreak #overconsumption #biodiversityloss #vaccine
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.
This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats.  We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.
 
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** 
Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect
You can watch this episode on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/slmCOt5na3Y 
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
 
Find us on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/thehumansurvivalproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumansurvivalproject
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-survival-project/
 
RESOURCES:
 
David Quammen’s Website
https://davidquammen.com/ 
 
New York Times - 12/19/23
Mystery Amid an Anthrax Outbreak in Africa
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/19/health/anthrax-africa.html?smid=url-share
 
Grist - 4/27/20
Deadly Leaps: These scientists saw the coronavirus coming. Now, they're trying to stop the next pandemic before it starts.
https://bit.ly/3ecYmIJ
 
Vox - 610/20
The meat we eat is a pandemic risk, too
https://bit.ly/3xH2Qz3 
 
Timestamps:
0:00 - Introduction
2:20 - Description of David Quammen.
5:38 - What is the size of this risk, and what drives it?
8:00 - The three big human-caused problems (“three rivers of woe”) on Earth.
9:07 - Human contact with animals leads to most diseases.
14:30 - Dangers of wet markets.
16:24 - Domesticated meat production and its risks.
21:01 - Leaks of diseases from labs.
24:36 - Adopting a future-oriented approach to find solutions.
26:16 - Communication of information and public trust in science.
28:57 - Science is a gradual and self-correcting process.
32:15 - The next pandemic could be tomorrow (and worse than COVID-19).
38:36 - Rapid development of successful vaccines.
40:41 - Making vaccines and disease education available to ALL countries.
44:12 - Public/private funding and partnerships.
46:45 - Proactive surveillance, containing outbreaks and predictions of viruses.
52:00 - Lack of capacity and resources in hospitals.
55:13 - What is the state of the World Health Organization?
57:19 - Inspecting labs and hospitals would be valuable.
1:00:16 - We need to have more conversations on these issues.
1:01:10 - Pandemic threats and biodiversity loss are co-equal to climate change.
1:03:06 - Losing the world’s creatures.

How to END War: John Reuwer - World BEYOND War

How to END War: John Reuwer - World BEYOND War
 
Historically, war has seemed natural for humans. It is everywhere. However, at its core, conflict always comes down to a choice. When making these decisions, we need to understand the right tools to respond to all conflict levels, from neighborly disputes to global warfare.
 
With the help of expert John Reuwer, we learn the value of settling wars with nonviolence and civil resistance. John is the treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors at World BEYOND War (WBW), a global movement that aims to abolish the institution of war. The organization currently has signatories to their two-sentence peace pledge in 194 countries. John has had many firsthand experiences with violent conflict as a retired emergency physician and has spent decades examining the benefits of nonviolence.
 
In this episode, we discuss ways to manage conflict on a global scale, including the enforcement of gradual disarmament, incentivization for countries, reallocation of military budgets, and the removal of nuclear weaponry. The dangers of war continue to grow with the advancement of artificial technology; this means that humans have the power to regulate our systems and weaponry to redesign our world for a better and more peaceful future.
#betterfuture #hopeforhumanity #abolishwar #civilresistance #nonviolence #worldpeace #peacepledge #globalconflict #grassroots #globalsecurity #conflictresolution #nonviolence 
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.
This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations, so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats.  We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.
 
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** 
Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect 
 
This show is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/PUdAysiU4_s
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
 
Find us on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/thehumansurvivalproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumansurvivalproject
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-survival-project/ 
 
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
 
RESOURCES:
 
World BEYOND War’s Website
https://worldbeyondwar.org/ 
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction.
4:26 - What is World BEYOND War? How does it work? What are its goals?
8:28 - War is not inevitable or “natural” for humans.
10:51 - Nonviolence and the Golden Rule.
13:49 - War/violence mainly keeps the powerful in control.
16:40 - Manipulation of citizens’ and soldiers’ perspectives in the Russia-Ukraine war.
19:45 - What would happen if we didn’t fight? Civil resistance.
28:03 - Enforcing nonviolent approaches.
32:35 - Redesigning the United Nations.
38:38 - Cultural violence to empower the people.
40:39 - Humanity making decisions for humanity.
41:14 - Making war illegal and gradually disarming everyone.
44:37 - Difficulties of having a representative voice in government.
45:50 - Disarmament in peace policies.
47:33 - Redirecting the military budget to non-military purposes.
48:59 - How do we help countries feel safe enough to disarm?
52:47 - Transparency in policies is a choice.
55:03 - Nuclear weapons and incentivization for disarmament.
1:00:08 - International courts.
1:02:37 - To what extent is warfare economic?
1:05:05 - Humans built nuclear weapons. Humans can take them apart.
1:08:26 - World BEYOND War’s peace pledge.

Building the AI Pause Button: Joep Meindertsma - Pause AI

Recently, the development of artificial intelligence has become exponential. As more programs like ChatGPT have been released to the public, many people see benefits of continuing investment in this growth. Some believe it might even help solve our existential threats.
But with its unregulated advancements, AI itself could be an existential threat to our world. From cybersecurity risks to autonomous weapons, artificial intelligence poses countless threats to the safety of humankind. How should we regulate AI development?
With us to talk about managing our uses of artificial intelligence is Joep Meindertsma, founder of Pause AI. Pause AI is an organization proposing a worldwide pause in development of the most powerful AI systems, through the regulation of their training and publication, alongside the creation of an international safety agency. Joep is also the CEO of Ontola and of Argu in the Netherlands. As a software engineer, he has lots of experience with technology and has seen the dangers of AI firsthand.
It’s comfortable to ignore the risks of artificial intelligence. And building a globally-functioning pause button won’t be easy. But the threat of AI has become urgent. We can’t afford to ignore its dangers to humanity any longer. Humans created artificial intelligence. It’s time for us to take responsibility and use our real intelligence to control AI before it controls us.
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.
This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization pushing for a redesigned and much stronger United Nations, so humanity has the global tools to manage its global existential threats. We’re working to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** 
Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect 
 
This show is also available on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/PUdAysiU4_s
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
 
Find us on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/thehumansurvivalproject/
https://www.tiktok.com/@thehumansurvivalproject
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-human-survival-project/ 
 
RESOURCES:
Pause AI’s Website:https://pauseai.info/ 
Pause Giant AI Experiments - An Open Letter:https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/ 
 
TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - Introduction
3:39 - What is Pause AI?
6:28 - Cybersecurity risks and rapid development of AI.
10:37 - Consequences of rushed decisions.
15:35 - Building an international pause button.
22:31 - Emotional obstacles to taking responsibility.
25:00 - Big successes are possible.
27:19 - Designing global governance.
35:50 - Urgency of regulating AI.
38:44 - Creating an executive agency, authorized to move quickly.
41:41 - When and what do we pause?
46:57 - Regulating hardware used for AI.
50:20 - Controlling AI democratically and open-sourcing.
53:55 - Problems of promoting AI.
57:03 - When would AI become necessary?
59:14 - Value of AI in solving existential threats.
1:03:51 - Possibilities of AI takeover.
1:13:12 - Optimists vs. pessimists.
1:17:39 - Enforcing policy measures.
1:20:41 - Solving environmental issues with narrowed AI.
1:23:19 - Approaches to different AI models.
1:24:34 - Importance of international regulation.
1:26:35 - Courage to implement treaties.
1:29:27 - Plan for the future.
1:33:06 - Every small action matters.

Israel-Palestine & Other Wars: A New International Approach | Ben Gavin & Sarmad Wali Khan

We are all horrified by the wars in Israel-Palestine, and Ukraine.  And those are just the conflicts we hear about.  There are 21 wars in the world right now - most of them barely make the news.  We tend to feel hopeless as we watch the death and suffering.  But what if we didn’t have to feel helpless?  What if the world had ways to actually DO something, and SOLVE wars?
The Human Survival Project proposes redesigning and strengthening the United Nations, so humanity can have the global tools to manage violence, and the many other existential threats humanity faces.  Today we talk about what might be possible if we had those tools.
With us to discuss this are two members of The Human Survival Project Team - Ben Gavin and Sarmad Wali Khan.
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes.
This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a global grassroots organization to protect the future of humanity and create a world we can be proud of.  We push for the United Nations to be redesigned and strengthened, so humanity has the global tools to manage its existential threats.
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** 
Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/connect 
This show is also on YouTube.  Watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/zDI0BYklGTQ
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show. 
 
RESOURCES:
Wikipedia - List of Current Armed Conflictshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ongoing_armed_conflicts

Changing Our Approach to Climate Change: James Jylkka - Natural Resource Specialist

With the growing conversation on climate change, many people are now helping the planet and trying to get rid of the damaging policies and products that are worsening climate change - which is great. But we need to widen our focus from not only getting rid of the bad, but to also pushing for the good. Our response to saving our world from this existential threat needs to pick up the pace, and in order to do that, we have to be more strategic about where we’re directing our time and resources. How can we change our approach to climate change?
With us to share his thoughts on where we’re at and where we should be heading is James Jylkka, a natural resource specialist with the US Army Corps of Engineers. His work puts him at the nexus of flood risk management, recreation, and natural resource management. He began his journey toward environmental justice when he left the corporate world to embark on a solo hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. Since then, he has worked as an environmental policy analyst for the State of California and as a science teacher in underserved communities. He is passionate about issues of environmental equity and sustainability, which inform his daily life, both at home and work.
With his help, we consider how we can cut back on consumption, help third-world countries make the green transition, redirect government involvement in climate projects, and promote a value system that’s more meaningful and productive than our culture’s heavy focus on money and technology. These things can get us closer to our goal for humans, animals, and ecosystems to all thrive in our shared world.
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The Human Survival Podcast, hosted by Shelby Mertes. This show is offered by The Human Survival Project, a grassroots organization helping the human race become an intentional and forward-looking species, with the global tools to improve ourselves and protect ourselves from global catastrophic threats.
** Connect and learn more at: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.org/ ** Sign up for our email newsletter, or send Shelby a message with any questions or suggestions: https://www.thehumansurvivalproject.o...
This show is also on YouTube.  You can watch this episode here: https://youtu.be/QnioxSXFnE8 
Please subscribe and tell your friends about the show.
Theme music by Moby: https://mobygratis.com/
RESOURCES:
NY Times, 3/13/22 Government Is Flailing, in Part Because Liberals Hobbled It https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/13/op...
OUTLINE:
0:00 - Intro 6:01 - Less focus on getting rid of the bad and more focus on pushing for the good 7:36 - Changes are not moving quickly enough 9:33 - But moving too fast could lead to problems 13:11 - Managing the complexity of having many involved agencies 14:51 - Solutions aren’t new and shiny; we already have them, but they just aren’t implemented 15:03 - Need to incentivize rooftop solar 16:39 - Carbon tax or heavy subsidy of green energy is important, not a complete solution 17:28 - Motivating change on a broad scale by setting standards in huge markets like California 18:19 - Charge what things actually cost 19:26 - Incentivize the good by making it more accessible/affordable. Competitive economies. 23:14 - Government should provide guidance, regulation, incentives, and financial support 26:42 - Government bureaucracy is a huge problem 28:15 - Wealth and opportunity gap 29:20 - One additional layer of agency to coordinate all the other agencies 32:37 - Different levels of government are not aligned 33:53 - U.N. model that comes up with codes and guidelines that can adopted all the way down to the municipality level would improve alignment 34:33 - International climate change agreement can level the global playing field 35:40 - Economic sanctions 40:18 - Poverty is an existential risk that hinders the fight against climate change 44:39 - Wealthier countries need to cut back consumption. 48:52 - Artificial intelligence is going to make many of us obsolete in the workforce 49:20 - Value system 52:44 - More money to be made in solving climate issues. Makes the expenses worth it. 54:13 - Liberal vs. conservative divide gets in the way. Make the government work better. 57:00 - Difference of opinions in current news outlets 58:06 - Advocacy organizations and nonprofits bridge the divide between the government and the average voter 59:46 - Redirection of funding and resources 1:01:50 - Caring about people you can’t see, instead of self-interest 1:04:33 - Life is complex. It’s hard to keep making perfect choices. 1:06:58 - Goal is for people, animals, and ecosystems to all thrive. Compromise. 1:10:29 - Be respectful of people, show appreciation for what people do well 1:13:20 - The Human Survival Project team’s summer goals