menu Home chevron_right
PHILOSOPHY

How ancient philosophers would shape AI | Brendan McCord

Big Think | September 30, 2024



We made this video in partnership with the Cosmos Institute, a network of thinkers and builders advancing human flourishing in the AI era.

Read the Cosmos Institute Substack â–º https://bit.ly/3XK5T7k
Subscribe to the Cosmos Institute on YouTube â–º https://www.youtube.com/@CosmosInstituteAIxHF?sub_confirmation=1
Follow Brendan McCord on X â–º https://bit.ly/3Y9pFLb

Artificial intelligence is transforming our world, prompting us to revisit fundamental philosophical questions about human existence and purpose. In this interview, Brendan McCord, founder of the Cosmos Institute, examines how philosophical insights from thinkers like Aristotle, John Stuart Mill, and Alexis de Tocqueville can inform our approach to AI, ensuring it enhances rather than undermines human flourishing.

McCord outlines three crucial steps to align AI with the principles of autonomy, reason, and decentralization. By drawing on ancient wisdom, we can navigate the complexities of modern technology and create a future where innovation and human values coexist.

Reflecting on the transformative ideas from Copernicus to Turing, this interview offers a roadmap for finding our place in the cosmos amidst the AI revolution. Explore how we can build a society that prioritizes human potential in the age of technology.

———————————————————————————-

Go Deeper with Big Think:

â–ºBecome a Big Think Member
Get exclusive access to full interviews, early access to new releases, Big Think merch and more. https://members.bigthink.com/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

â–ºGet Big Think+ for Business
Guide, inspire and accelerate leaders at all levels of your company with the biggest minds in business. https://bigthink.com/plus/great-leaders-think-big/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=youtube_description

———————————————————————————-

About Brendan McCord:

Brendan McCord is the founder and Chair of the Cosmos Institute and a key thinker at the intersection of AI and philosophy. In the private sector, Brendan was the founding CEO of two AI startups that were acquired for $400 million. In the public sector, Brendan was the principal founder of the first applied AI organization for the US Department of Defense and author of its first AI strategy. Brendan is a graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School and was a Visiting Fellow at St Catherine’s College at the University of Oxford. After MIT, he spent 610 days underwater on a submarine. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife and two children.

Written by Big Think

Comments

This post currently has 23 comments.

  1. @nihilgeist666

    September 30, 2024 at 7:44 pm

    Stop sniffing farts! You have a fart sniffing addiction. The first step is admitting you are powerless over farts. Learn to accept the farts you can change and the farts you cannot change….

  2. @ErinMagner82

    September 30, 2024 at 7:44 pm

    If we hit the pause button before nuclear weapons we'd have no nuclear weapons instead of hitting the pause button after nuclear weapons and two countries stockpiled enough to blow up the entire planet.

  3. @maan100283

    September 30, 2024 at 7:44 pm

    Maybe we should hit the pause, and first discuss what AI should be focused on, and what not. And how this is enforced.
    This north star and compass already sound very individualistic. Which is capitalisms 'divide and conquer'. What if Facebook wouldn't just maximize microengagement for individuals, to monetize on ad sales, but enhance understanding withing society to help members contribute? It sure wouldnt be such polarized times…

Leave a Reply





This area can contain widgets, menus, shortcodes and custom content. You can manage it from the Customizer, in the Second layer section.

 

 

 

Newsletter

  • play_circle_filled

    92.9 : The Torch

  • cover play_circle_filled

    01. Cyborgphunk
    Grover Crime, J PierceR

    file_download
  • cover play_circle_filled

    02. Glitch city
    R. Galvanize, Morris Play

    add_shopping_cart
  • cover play_circle_filled

    03. Neuralink
    Andy Mart, Terry Smith

    add_shopping_cart
  • cover play_circle_filled

    04. Chemical happyness
    Primal Beat, Kelsey Love

    add_shopping_cart
  • cover play_circle_filled

    05. Brain control
    Grover Crime

    add_shopping_cart
  • cover play_circle_filled

    01. Neural control
    Kenny Bass, Paul Richards

    add_shopping_cart
  • cover play_circle_filled

    02. Prefekt
    Kenny Bass, Paul Richards, R. Galvanize

    add_shopping_cart
  • cover play_circle_filled

    03. Illenium
    Grover Crime, J PierceR

    add_shopping_cart
  • cover play_circle_filled

    04. Distrion Alex Skrindo
    Black Ambrose, Dixxon, Morris Play, Paul Richards

    add_shopping_cart
  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 010
    Kenny Bass

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 009
    Paula Richards

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 008
    R. Galvanize

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 007
    Kenny Bass

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 006
    J PierceR

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 005
    Gale Soldier

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 004
    Kelsey Love

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 003
    Rodney Waters

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 002
    Morris Play

  • cover play_circle_filled

    Live Podcast 001
    Baron Fury

play_arrow skip_previous skip_next volume_down
playlist_play