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Advancing Our Mission inĀ 2024
Thank you for caring deeply about advancing science and technology for beneficial futures. Like you, we believe that great futures require progress beyond the scope of current efforts. As we step into 2024,Ā your continued support is vital. We are a non-profit that relies entirely on donations in order to support our community of brilliant scientists and technologists, pushing the boundaries of human capability. Your contribution would:
This Giving Season,Ā please support us in supporting our special community, which you are an integral part of.Ā
Please seeĀ this write-upĀ for an in-depth summary of our 2023 progress and 2024 plans, or exploreĀ this reportĀ for a shorter summary.Ā
This giving season, please help us develop ourĀ Biotech,Ā Nanotech,Ā Space,Ā Neurotech,Ā Computation, andĀ Existential HopeĀ programs!
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Vision Weekend France: Highlights and Acknowledgements
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Highlights of Vision Weekend France 2023!Ā
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We’re looking forward to seeing you all at Vision Weekend USA this coming December 1st-3rd in the Bay Area!
We are completely amazed, as tickets have officially sold out; however, pleaseĀ join our waitlistĀ if you’re eager to attend last minute.
Sponsorship ticketsĀ are still available, as this helps us support our community ā such as enabling junior researchers to attend workshops on a subsidized ticket and travel our Foresight fellowsĀ toĀ eventsĀ to grow their careers.
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We’re thrilled toĀ announce the 2023Ā Feynman PrizeĀ winners! These awards have been a longstanding part of Foresight Institute. Inaugurated inĀ 1993, they honour those who have made significant strides in the field ofĀ Nanotechnology.
Professor Alexandre Tkatchenko was awarded his Feynman Prize during Vision Weekend France.Ā Professor James J. Collins andĀ Qiancheng Xiong will be awarded their prizes during an upcoming virtual ceremony and Vision Weekend USA, respectively.Ā
The Feynman Prizes
Inspired by the groundbreaking physicist Richard Feynman, these accolades recognize remarkable achievements in nanotechnology. From innovations in atomically precise manufacturing to game-changing nanosystems, theĀ Feynman PrizesĀ celebrate the best in the field. For a glimpse of the significance of these awards, look no further than 2016, when Sir J. Fraser Stoddart, a former Feynman Prize recipient, was honoured with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
2023 Feynman Prize Winners
This upcomingĀ Wednesday, 6th December, we will be hosting a virtual prize ceremony for ourĀ Molecular Machines Group.
For more information about our 2023 winners, please seeĀ our press release. For more information on the Feynman Prizes and about nominating, please visitĀ our website.
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As 2024 is drawing nearer, weāre excited to announce that applications are open for our first events of 2024:Ā
If you are interested in sponsoring either event in order to help junior researchers attend on a subsidized ticket or to help Foresight Fellows attend on a travel subsidy, please get in touch with [email protected]
Existential Hope AI Institution Design Hackathon
Dates:Ā February 5 – 6, 2024
Location: The Institute, Salesforce Tower, San FranciscoĀ
Explore Transformative AI scenarios to identify and evaluate existing and potentialĀ future institutions for the beneficial development of AI!Ā
Advancements in science, technology, and specifically AIĀ are ushering us into an era filled with both extraordinary challenges and possibilities. While acknowledging the risks, we must also diligently work toward the AI futures we wish to achieve.Ā
This hackathon will explore near-term Transformative AI scenarios to identify and evaluate existing and possible future institutions or coordination architectures for the safe and beneficial development of transformative AI technologies. Explore new opportunities, form lasting collaborations, and join us in driving cooperation toward shared long-term goals.
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AGI: Cryptography, Security & Multipolar Scenarios 2024 Workshop
Dates:Ā May 14-15, 2024
Location: The Institute, Salesforce Tower, San FranciscoĀ
Uncover the emerging intersection of AI, cryptography & security and shape the future of human-AI cooperation.Ā
To help AI development benefit humanity, Foresight Institute has held various workshops over the past years, such asĀ AGI & Great Powers,Ā AGI: Toward Cooperation, in addition to two technical meetings inĀ 2022Ā andĀ 2023Ā focusing on Cryptography, Security, and AI.Ā
While these and other efforts have shed light on a diversity of promising projects to support, the intersection between the AI domain and the cryptography and security domain remains nascent but promising. This is why our 2024 workshop will invite leading researchers, entrepreneurs, and funders to collaborate across fields and explore tools and architectures that help humans and AIs cooperate.
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2023 Whole Brain Emulation Workshop Report
To the best of our understanding, there hasĀ not been a significant or comprehensive evaluation of Whole Brain EmulationĀ since the 2008 publication of The Future of Humanity Instituteās Whole Brain Emulation Roadmap.
Given the recent acceleration in AI development, this workshop invited thirty researchers working in the fields of neuroscience, neurotechnology, AI, and AI Safety, to progress within Whole Brain Emulationās implication for AI Safety. Some of the topics addressed BCIs, connectomics, lo-fi approaches to uploading, and preliminary experiments for Whole Brain Emulation feasibility.
Existential Hope Day 2023 ReportĀ
This day brought together individuals from various fields to reflect upon and explore potential positive trajectories for our shared future. The discussions covered diverse topics, from the transformative potential of AI in learning and conflict resolution to the prospect of expanding human habitats beyond Earth. As these conversations unfolded, it became increasingly evident how essential it is to maintain a balanced approach towards our futureāone that recognizes both risks and opportunities.
In line with this, our primary aim for this workshop was to provide a forum for enhancing our conceptual clarity of what positive futures may look like. This includes understanding the what, how, and why of various ideas to determine their relevance and potential impact. The discussions aimed to deepen our understanding of the term āExistential Hopeā and similar concepts, probe why these concepts might have been sidelined, and examine how they can inspire action.
2023 Longevity Frontiers Workshop Report
As the longevity industry evolves, a multitude of intriguing avenues remain largely uncharted. These include aging biomarkers, the extracellular matrix, young plasma, epigenetic reprogramming, bioelectricity and aging, alongside machine-learning approaches for data processing.Ā
We invited distinguished researchers, entrepreneurs, and funders to pinpoint areas of potential progress, followed by collaborative workgroups to probe into ways of fostering advancement in the identified sectors. Some of the topics addressed include the use of biomarkers in clinical trials, brain aging, partial reprogramming rebound, master aging regulators, and a longevity-focused AI atlas, among others. We were also honored to present the inauguralĀ Longevity Hypothesis PrizeĀ to Carlos Galicia from the Buck Institute, whose proposal aims at leveraging embryogenesisā rejuvenation processes for longevity.
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2023 Intelligent CooperationĀ Workshop Report
This workshop expanded on our 2022 workshop and other efforts to explore the role of cryptography and security in securing cooperation among humans and emerging AIs. It invited sixty researchers, engineers, and funders working on cryptography, security, and AI technologies to make progress on the following questions. Firstly, how can cryptography and security technologies help secure cooperation across humans? Secondly, how can these technologies be extended to secure cooperation across humans and emerging AIs?
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Join usĀ as we discuss Trent’s comprehensive vision of AI integration. We explore strategies for environmentalism via climate-focused DAOs, Nature 2.0, and jurisdictional arbitrage; and consider the role of BCIs and UBI in human self-actualization. We also discuss his most ambitious goal for the future of humanity, which includes Dyson spheres and reshaping the cosmos.
Explore his visionĀ of the future inĀ this podcast episodeĀ and through anĀ AI artwork inspired by his hopeful vision.
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Congratulations toĀ Bill Halal,Ā Professor Emeritus ofĀ Management, Technology, and Innovation at George Washington University, has published two incisiveĀ Op-Eds on AI.Ā
A Sobering Forecast of AI Threats āĀ Could the Singularity Be the Next Y2K?Ā āĀ Databird Business Journal.Ā
What Is Consciousness, Really? Either AI Rules or Human Spirit PrevailsĀ ā CEO Insider.Ā
David ManheimĀ has written a paperĀ discussingĀ designing metrics. Topics covered includeĀ design considerations and processes; the presentation of specific strategies for mitigating perverse impacts; and continuing with importantĀ desiderataĀ and tradeoffs involved with examples of how they can complement each other or differ.
Building less-flawed metrics: Understanding and creating better measurement and incentive systems, Cell, Patterns.Ā
Congratulations toĀ Nora Ammann,Ā PIBBSS, whose work on “Value Malleability and its implication for AI alignment” has been accepted toĀ MP2.Ā
The Value Change Sequence (Sequence)Ā ā LessWrong.Ā
The core claim can be summarised as follows:Ā AI alignment must address the problem of (il)legitimate value change; that is, the problem of making sure AI systems neither cause value change illegitimately, nor forestall legitimate cases of value change in humans and society.
Thank you to all of our 2023 Fellows!Ā
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the 78+ distinguished fellows of our 2023 cohort of the Foresight Fellowship. Representing our technological tracks of Biotech, Nanotech, Space, Neurotech, Computation, and Existential Hope, our fellows have truly enriched our community.Ā
We are thrilled about any continued collaborations and are proud to welcome all Fellows as valued Foresight alumni. Their contributions and insights have been instrumental in shaping a brighter future.
Kevin ParkinĀ |Ā Inference Engines, Thermal Rockets, and Lightsails
Kevin Parkin, an accomplished physicist and engineer, is the driving force behind Parkin Research, a cutting-edge space technology company that is relentlessly pioneering tomorrow’s technologies to unlock the boundless potential of space exploration. Parkin Research is dedicated to dramatically reducing the prohibitive costs of rocket launches and making interstellar travel a tangible reality within a few short decades.
Home Blood Testing for Longevity Science and Self-experimentation
Michael Dubrovsky, Leon Peshkin, and Edouard Debonneuil presentĀ Home Blood Testing for Longevity Science and Self-experimentation.Ā They give an overview of todayās and tomorrowās home blood testing technology, and how we can leverage it to increase human healthspan and lifespan.
Xhope Special with Gus Docker
Gus Docker hosts The Future of Life Institute podcast, which features conversations with prominent researchers, policy experts, philosophers, and influential thinkers of all kinds. Gus studied philosophy and computer science at the University of Copenhagen and is active in Effective Altruism Denmark.
Scott Hubbard | Exploring Mars: Following the Water
Dr. Scott Hubbard has been a leader in space exploration for almost 50 years. His career includes a National Lab, a start-up venture, NASA, and Stanford.
Mark Hamalainen |Ā A Coherent, Executable Plan to Achieve Unlimited Healthy Lifespan
The Longevity Biotech Fellowship‘sĀ mission is to enable a future where everyone can access a healthy, unlimited lifespan. This roadmap includes research, technology, and institutional innovations on the path to that post-aging future. It categorizes efforts into key strategies: Acceleration, Replacement, Bioengineering, Pharmacology, Cryostasis, and Longevity Lifestyle. They highlight underfundedĀ areas like Replacement and Cryostasis.Ā
OpenCivics Genesis Round: Apply Before November 15th
Submit your application for the OpenCivics Genesis Round by November 15th. This opportunity is for civic innovation projects seeking to join a growing network of change-makers ā utilize the Grants Portal for a guided application process.Ā This is a unique opportunity for those interested in contributing to groundbreaking initiatives in governance, research, and more.
ApplyĀ here!
SBIR Funding Opportunity in the Nanotechnology sphere
Focus on atomically precise membranes and nanoscale coatings for efficient gas separation.Ā Don’t miss this opportunity! Deadline: Jan 3, 2024.Ā
More info:Ā https://www.sbir.gov/funding
Can blockchain supply the guardrails to keep AI on course?
ā Andrew Singer, CoinTelegraph.Ā
This article asks whetherĀ AI and blockchain be integrated in a way that benefits humanity, and features insights from Allison Duettmann on AI and blockchain integration.Ā
Read the articleĀ here.Ā
The Premier Conference on Biomarkers of Aging
This event will be held this upcoming December 4th, at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, California. This is a full-day, in-person event aimed at establishing a robust foundation for our collaborative longevity R&D efforts in order to augment human healthspan and lifespan. The key themesĀ will be:Ā
Holonym Foundation’s Research Survey
Holonym FoundationĀ is conducting anthropological research at the intersection between global access to private digital identity and secure key auto-custody. TheyĀ are seeking organizations and participants in aĀ research survey to help us inform the next iteration of privacy tools and improved key custody UX.
This research is being done in collaboration with a project funded by the European Research Commission. More informationĀ can be found here.Ā
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