Show Notes
Being pessimistic about progress will make you sound smart. You'll look rational by not assuming any breakthroughs, just extrapolating current trends until every technology plateaus. You'll probably also be wrong, for exactly the same reason: throughout history, people keep delivering solutions that almost no one anticipated.
Jason Crawford, founder of the Roots of Progress Institute, joins the podcast to discuss The Techno-Humanist Manifesto, his book on his philosophy of progress for the 21st century.
We dive into the core arguments of the manifesto: How we are more in control of our lives than ever before in human history Why the goal of "stopping climate change" should be reframed as "achieving climate control" Being optimistic about technological progress while acknowledging risks, but also proactively looking for solutions to problems Why two common fears around the slowing of progress – that we could run out of natural resources or new ideas – are actually unfounded Whether AI represents a transformation as big as the Industrial Revolution or the invention of agriculture How to rebuild a culture of progress and celebrate human achievement in the 21st century
Timestamps 00:00 Cold open 00:59 Who is Jason Crawford? The Techno-Humanist Manifesto introduced 03:39 What human progress actually means, and its relationship to agency 05:45 How to live a more meaningful life through the lens of agency 09:36 Climate change solutions and climate control: why we need a thermostat for the Earth 12:55 Is nature more important than humans? The case for anthropocentrism 19:10 Why we should celebrate human achievement 20:22 How to be optimistic about the future without ignoring risks 25:55 Why pessimism sounds smart but keeps being wrong 30:58 Are we running out of natural resources? 33:56 Are good ideas running out? Why innovation keeps accelerating 38:32 The Intelligence Age: is AI as transformative as the Industrial Revolution? 40:48 How to preserve human agency in an AI-driven world 42:38 How to use AI without losing your ability to think 45:57 Why did we stop believing in the future? The culture of progress 49:39 How to build a global progress movement 53:23 Getting progress into schools and mainstream culture 57:02 High-leverage regulations for progress: from nuclear to supersonic flight 58:26 Jason Crawford's vision for a better future
On the Existential Hope Podcast hosts Allison Duettmann and Beatrice Erkers from the Foresight Institute invite scientists, founders, and philosophers for in-depth conversations on positive, high-tech futures.
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