Big Think

Andrew Ross Sorkin: Have you talked to folks like Sam Altman who runs OpenAI or the folks at Microsoft — I know Bill Gates was a big fan of your books in the past — or the folks at Google? What do they say when you discuss this with them and do you trust them as humans when you've met them? Do you go, "I trust you, Sam Altman." Yuval Noah Harari: Most of them are afraid. They understand-- Sorkin: Afraid of you, or afraid of AI? Harari: No, afraid of what they are doing, afraid of what is happening. They understand better than anybody else the potential, including the destructive potential, of what they are creating. And they are very afraid of it. At the same time, their basic schtick is that "I'm a good guy and I'm very concerned about it. Now, you have these other guys — they are bad, they don't have the same kind of responsibility that I have. So it would be very bad for humanity if they create it first. So I must be the one who creates it first. And you can trust me that, that I will know — I will at least do my best to keep it under..." And everybody is saying it. And I think that to some extent they're genuine about it. There is of course also this another element in there of extreme kind of pride and hubris that they are doing the most important thing in, basically, not just the history of humanity, the history of life. Sorkin: Do you think they are? Harari: They could be, yes. If you think about the timeline of the universe, at least as far as we know it — so you have basically two stops: First stop, 4 billion years ago, the first organic life forms emerge on planet Earth. And then for 4 billion years, nothing major happens. Like for 4 billion years, it's more of the same, it's more organic stuff. So you have amoebas and you have dinosaurs and you have humans, but it's all organic. And then here comes Elon Musk or Sam Altman and does the second important thing in the history of the universe: the beginning of inorganic evolution. Because AI is just at the very, very beginning of its evolutionary process. It's basically like 10 years old, 15 years old. We haven't seen anything yet. GPT-4 and all these things, they are the amoebas of AI evolution. And who knows how the AI dinosaurs are going to look like. But the name on the inflection point of the history of the universe, if that name is Elon Musk or that name is Sam Altman, that's a big thing. Watch the interview: https://lnkd.in/g9rzZ4mQ

“Who would you be without labels?” Ryan Holiday explains how his life changed when he started doing the verbs, instead of just being the nouns. Explore more of our work with Unlikely Collaborators through our shared hub, Perception Box: https://lnkd.in/eRaw9_UJ

For my latest column in Big Think, I wrote about the art of asking good questions. https://lnkd.in/gZyYtqRC

“Part of what's happening now in the world is a tension between organic animals and an inorganic digital system which is increasingly controlling and shaping the entire world.” – Yuval Noah Harari In a world that is becoming increasingly more digital, humans are being forced to adapt to the “always on” schedule of these systems, says Yuval Noah Harari, the best-selling author of 'Sapiens' ‪(Sapienship) and ‘Nexus,’‬ while in conversation with journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin. Adapting to these schedules has made our lives more and more public, creating a life that mirrors “one long job interview,” as any of our actions can be chronicled and follow us around for decades. At its crux, this is destructive to how we function. Here’s how we got here, and how we can course-correct, according to the historian.

What is "umwelt" and how can it make you a better leader? It’s easy to mistake our own reality for the *only* reality. Umwelt is the idea that we don’t experience the world as it truly is – we experience our own private version of it. As a leader, understanding and applying umwelt can improve collaboration, engagement, and communication. Here’s how: 1. Remember the Individual: Acknowledge various drivers (such as career growth, work-life balance, or creative freedom) and tailor support to each person's motivations. 2. Connect the Dots: People pay attention to what’s relevant to their world — make connections that resonate widely and show them why the subject matters to them. 3. Know Your Audience: Tailor messaging to speak to each group's unique world. A toy ad for toddlers differs from one for teens; likewise, content on Snapchat needs to fit that audience better than LinkedIn. Understanding Umwelt can help us better connect, motivate, and communicate with others by seeing things from their perspective.

Michael Watkins is on fire right now. Check out his Big Think Interview on Youtube to see why.

In Big Think Business Issue #10, Semyon Dukach of One Way Ventures shares insights for startup founders, navigating the co-founder dynamic, and recruiting self-driven managers to scale successfully. Check it out!

These 3 biases are fueling the surge of conspiratorial thinking. Featuring: Brian Klaas, PhD

We're looking for talented freelance writers to pitch and contribute feature articles to the Freethink publication. If you're passionate about exploring the intersection of tech, business, and society, we want to hear from you. Reach out with your ideas here: https://lnkd.in/eNx5dprv

Your brain is wired to repeat the familiar. Change this wiring, and it will change your life. Explore more of our work with Unlikely Collaborators through our shared hub, Perception Box: https://lnkd.in/gQruQBDi