AI generated image based on the prompt will we be able to design and create synthetic consciousness

The future of being human initiative

We are a unique community of bold, audacious and visionary thinkers who are inspired by what it might mean to be human in a technologically transformed futureand who are passionate about exploring how this influences our thinking and actions in the present.

UpcomingEvents

  • What happens when AI and cooperation science collide?
    DECEMBER 19, 2023 Could research on interspecies cooperation transform how we think about living with advanced artificial intelligence in the future?  Join us for a live streamed conversation on Future of being Human … Unplugged between Athena Aktipis (Arizona State University), Mark Daley (University of Western Ontario), and host Andrew Maynard, as we explore how the emerging science of cooperation sheds light on how we might think about our relationship with AI in the future.

CompellingConversation

  • Do AI’s dream of electric people?
    Could AIs develop a sense of self and an inner world – and should this concern or excite us? Compelling conversation with Mark Daley (University of Western Ontario), Blake Richards (McGill University), and host Andrew Maynard, exploring the cutting edge of consciousness, artificial intelligence, and where current developments may be leading us.
  • Living with your AI Symbiont
    Is deep and meaningful human-AI cooperation possible? What could it look like given what we know about human nature? Join us for a live streamed conversation on Future of being Human … Unplugged between Athena Aktipis (Arizona State University), Paul Rainey (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology), and host Andrew Maynard, as we explore the possibilities of developing symbiotic relationships with artificial intelligence in the future.

Whoare we?

We are thought leaders, researchers, scholars, students, entrepreneurs, investors, business executives, and ordinary people with extraordinary ideas from every background. Together, we are intrigued by what it might mean to be human in the future, obsessed by how emerging technologies are rewriting the rulebook of what is possible, and inspired by the idea of exploring the future of being human with other creative thinkers.

Whatdo we do?

We create and curate ways of bringing people together to explore compelling questions and transformative ideas around the future of being human.

Some of these are intimate informal hangouts, others are cutting edge online discussions. And some are high profile public events and even retreats.

We are even developing educational opportunities unlike anything you’ll find anywhere else!

All of these are driven by a passion to bring together audacious, original and passionate thinkers to push the boundaries of how we imagine the future of being human in a technologically complex world, and how this can inform our ideas, aspirations, and actions, in the present.

Whatinspires us?

As a community we are captivated andinspired by compelling questions around the how emerging technologies may challenge and transform what it means to be human.

Questions like:

  • Will we live our future lives in a computer simulation?
  • Will aging one day become a thing of the past?
  • Will artificial intelligence upend our notions of personhood and autonomy?
  • Could cryopreservation transform how we think about the future?
  • What will life in a post-scarcity future look like?
  • Will we be able to design and create synthetic consciousness in the future?
  • How will quantum computing change our understanding of ourselves and what is possible?
  • How could atomically precise manufacturing transform our lives?
  • Will we be able to upload our memories and personalities to the cloud in the future?
  • How will advanced technologies transform the future of travel?
  • Could advanced gene editing allow us to radically rethink our biological selves?
  • How do we successfully navigate Advanced Technology Transitions?
  • Is longtermism a viable approach to designing the future?
  • Will future technologies radically catalyze our creative potential?

The possibilities are endless, and the implications to how we think, act, and live in the present, are profound.

What brings ustogether?

Together, we are a community that embraces:

Obsessive curiosity as we revel in the joy of discovery;

Radical creativity as we enthusiastically embrace unconventional, fantastic, and whimsical possibilities;

Respectful inclusivity as we actively transcend conventional, implicit, and socialized perspectives of someone’s worth, value, and ability to make meaningful contributions to new ideas;

Grounded exuberance as we freely and joyfully push at the boundaries of conventional thinking while remaining grounded in reality; and

Catalytic serendipity as we embrace the transformative nature of serendipitous insights and discoveries that arise from casual and unexpected situations, conversations, and interactions, and actively work to translate these into societally beneficial impacts.

Stay intouch

We are actively seeking to connect with bold and audacious thinkers who are passionate about exploring the future of being human with us. If you’re interested in staying in touch, or getting more involved with the community, please check out the link below.