Graphic by Pablo Ortega
TD Events
What’s Behind the Race to Create Artificial General Intelligence? Understanding the TESCREAL Bundle of Ideologies
Featuring Dr. Émile P. Torres 28th July 2023, 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM PDT DescriptionArtificial general intelligence has been all over the news recently, with some hailing it as a transformative technology that will usher in a new age of abundance and prosperity, while others warn that it poses dire threats to humanity. Making sense of this discourse requires understanding the “TESCREAL bundle” of ideologies: a cluster of movements and worldviews that begins with transhumanism — the “T” — and ends with longtermism — the “L.”
In this live event, Dr. Timnit Gebru and Dr. Émile P. Torres will explain what the TESCREAL bundle is, how it developed and why its neo-eugenic vision of techno-utopia could be profoundly dangerous. Join us for an hour-long discussion of the topic, which will include a live Q&A with the audience. Given the impact that AI companies are having on society today, it’s imperative for the public to understand the ideologies lurking behind the multibillion-dollar race to create machines as “intelligent” as humans.
Read Dr. Émile P. Torres’ Dig Series: “Eugenics in the Twenty-First Century: New Names, Old Ideas.”
People
Dr. Émile P. Torres
Dr. Émile P. Torres is a philosopher and historian whose work focuses on global catastrophic risks and the ethics of human extinction. They are a contributing writer at 'Truthdig' and have published widely in outlets like 'The Washington Post', 'Motherboard', 'Aeon', 'Salon' and the 'Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists'. Their most recent book is 'Human Extinction: A History of the Science and Ethics of Annihilation.' Follow them @xriskology.
Dr. Timnit Gebru
Dr. Timnit Gebru is a world-renowned computer scientist whose work focuses on algorithmic bias and data mining. She co-founded Black in AI and, in 2021, founded the Distributed Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, “an independent, community-rooted institute set to counter Big Tech’s pervasive influence on the research, development and deployment of AI.” In 2021, Fortune named her one of the “World’s 50 Greatest Leaders,” while Nature listed her as one of “10 people who helped shape science in 2021.” Time magazine included her in their list of “the 100 most influential people of 2022.” Follow Gebru @timnitGebru.