James Barrat on the Singularity, AI and Our Final Invention

For 20 years James Barrat has created documentary films for National Geographic, the BBC, Discovery Channel, History Channel and public television. In 2000, during the course of his career as a film-maker, James interviewed Ray Kurzweil and Arthur C. Clarke. The latter interview not only transformed entirely Barrat's views on artificial intelligence, but also made him write a book on the technological singularity called Our Final Invention: Artificial Intelligence and the End of the Human Era.

I read an advance copy of Our Final Invention and it is by far the most thoroughly researched and comprehensive anti-The Singularity is Near book that I have read so far. And so I couldn't help it but invite James on Singularity 1 on 1 so that we can discuss the reasons for his abrupt change of mind and consequent fear or the singularity.

During our 70 minute conversation with Barrat we cover a variety of interesting topics such as: his work as a documentary film-maker who takes interesting and complicated subjects and makes them simple to understand; why writing was his first love and how he got interested in the technological singularity; how his initial optimism about AI turned into pessimism; the thesis of Our Final Invention; why he sees artificial intelligence more like ballistic missiles rather than video games; why true intelligence is inherently unpredictable "black box"; how we can study AI before we can actually create it; hard vs slow take-off scenarios; the positive bias in the singularity community; our current chances of survival and what we should do...

[SingularityFM]

You are most welcome friend - I hope you enjoy this interview!

[apostolapostolov]

Благодаря ти Никола за всички интервютата които правиш. Сигурен съм че ти отнема доста време и ресурси, но не са напразно. Доста нови и интересни неща научавам.


Thank you Nikola for all the interviews you are doing. I am sure that it's taking you lots of time and resources but they are not in vain. I have learned many new and interesting things.

[FuriousImp]

39:44 wow... 2020, now we have GPT-3. Crazy to think how accurate this was.

[JackPassmore]

Cheers James and Nikola!
I have an instant admiration for James. He not only has unusual wisdom in his words (referring to his offhand tells), but also a strong, gentle bearing which is full of kindness.
I really like this interview, it is extremely worthwhile to me.
Thanks! :0)

[bwall]

good job Nikola...you are asking pertinent, thoughtful questions.

[kaasvaag]

Awesome interview and guest. Really appreciate your uploads!

[antoniotulioseverojr]

the most interesting in this interview is that Barrat is not a scientist, he is a curious and intelligent guy about one of the most intriguing discussion about our future as humans. As a communication man, he uses simple words to tell about how AI will change our way of life, and predict the future of humans on earth. Amazing good.

[kevinfairweather]

Another great interview, thanks guys :)

[gkochanowsky]

I think that any successful artificial intelligence will think as much like a human as a Boeing 747 flies like a bird. As such if it is given the chance to act as a free agent, it will behave in ways that we will find as understandable as a bird understands the flight of a 747.

[SingularityFM]

Sorry Ian, this Friday I have an interview with Frank J. Tipler on the omega point ;-)

[SingularityFM]

Happy you like it Ian! By the way, when are we going to finally meet each other?! ;-)

[StephenPaulKing]

The risk to humanity that AGI may generate seems to be contingent upon the quantity of competition of resources that may be involved and an answer to the question of whether or not the AGI (assuming they could exist) will see humanity as competitors for resources. If there is no competition, we are safe.

[StephenPaulKing]

Are we sure that AGI level entities already do not exist and are completely isolated from us? Or might they exist and are already interacting with us in ways that we do not recognize as such?

[saeidmomtahan]

What an excellent interview! Enjoyed it thoroughly.

I do agree with James on the potential for things to go very wrong, very fast. And if NSA or Darpa are in there with their deep pockets, that just makes for an eminent worse scenario. 

[nevuejohn]

Bravo, Socrates, for a fantastic series of video blogs!  I've only watched 4-5 interviews so far, and have found all of them very intriguing.  The one thing I always have a hang up with, though, is when someone starts talking about the possible good or bad outcomes of this technological evolution.  First you have to define a value system by which to judge!  Good for humans?  Good for the planet?  Good for other species?  Good for the recently evolved ASIs?  Good for Rock-n-Roll? LOL!!!  Many are afraid that a post Singularity world may not include humans, as we define them.  But this seems almost inevitable.  After all, when we Homo Sapiens came on the scene, we seem to of displaced all the previous pre-human species that came before us!!!  It does all seem to boil down to the quest for personal immortality, which is selfish by definition.  One may feel the desire to live forever, but that only means they want their own "self" to persist into eternity.  I also have a problem differentiating certain concepts like "mind" and "consciousness" and "self-awareness"....

[StephenPaulKing]

Nikola, you are wonderful questions! 

[allanweisbecker]

Excellent. I'm reading his book right now, just after throwing Bostrom's book out half way through, after realizing that Bostrom doesn't even bring up the dangers of connecting an ASI to the Internet. Barrat, on page 14 puts in italics words to the effect that SAI SHOULD NEVER BE CONNECTED TO THE NET. That Bostrom is silent on this matter (inc his blabbing on the net) is a dead giveaway that he is a gatekeeper with bad intent. Barrat's book is a must read.

[apostolapostolov]

Nikola, did u check out Amelia? A partnership between IPSOFT and IBM

[yosivin]

I kind new in your chanel, but " i try to close the gap.
I would like to hear more about your "personal view"
Learn alot from your interviews thank you.

[bntagkas]

we ought to do those things, but we have no control over the unstoppable wave that is technology, its like it has a mind of its own..in this circumstance we are in it seems the only thing left to do is hope for and work towards some sort of merging with ai and digital immortality, even if the chances
we are not left behind are slim its the only thing we can say we seem to have the power to attempt to do