Colonize the universe? No thanks
The oligarchy has lost its collective mind
These dipshits will kill us all so a handful of them can either live forever or enjoy the apocalypse as entertainment.
The details of the dream don’t actually make much of a difference. Because they all take us roughly to the same place. What matters now is whether the masters of the universe – invested in harnessing the energy of the stars, tempted by a moral calculus that posits that the wellbeing of the people of the present is of inferior value to the vastly more numerous humanoids of the future – will have the patience to care for the rest of us.
The signs are not great. Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, for instance, wants to “ensure the techno-capital upward spiral continues forever”. His list of enemies encompasses pretty much any person or idea that might stand against technological endeavor. That includes “sustainability”, “social responsibility” and “tech ethics”.
Our tech overlords are planning for conscious AI to conquer the cosmos. What could go wrong? | Eduardo Porter
A new belief set is uniting some of the wealthiest men in the world around a ‘transhuman’ future – actual humanity be damned