At the top of April I sat with Johnson at a party for people interested in longevity in Berkeley, California. After lunch, we talked to the margins (Conference Cidded Container Meal for me; something that seemed to him freed from plastic, a compostal box of chicken and vegetables), and he was sitting with an impeccable attitude, and his expression neutral.
Earlier this morning Johnson, in used trainers and a sort of hoodie, which is almost actually a deceptive road, told the audience about what he saw as the top of humanity. In particular, he was anxious about artificial intelligence – that we’re coping with a “horizon of events”, at a point where superintelligent and escapes human understanding and control. He got here to Berkeley to persuade people interested in longevity to focus their efforts on AI.
This is a special concern, which ultimately is at the idea of his Don Die mission. First of all, people must accept the ideology of Don Die. Then we want to ensure that artificial intelligence is in line with the behavior of human existence. Were it not for artificial intelligence, he says, he wouldn’t perform any of the actions against mortality and schemes. “I am convinced that we are at an existential moment as a species,” says Johnson, who raised Mormon, but since then left the church. The aging solution will last a long time, he says – we are going to survive for therefore long provided that we ensure that AI is in line with the survival of individuals.
The following questions and answers were barely edited in terms of length and transparency.
Why do you create a new religion?
We are in this new phase where [because of advances in AI] We try to imagine what it means to be human. It requires imagination, creativity and openness, and this is a great query. The approach to this conversation as a community or lifestyle is not enough weight or power. Religions have proven, over the past few thousand years, are essentially the most effective type of organizing human efforts. This is just a methodology attempt.
How do you begin establishing a new religion?
This is a good query. If you take a look at historical [examples]The Buddha underwent its own exploration process and invented the frame. And Muhammad had history. Jesus had a history of origin … You may even say Satoshi [Nakamoto, the mysterious creator of bitcoin] is how [the founder of] Contemporary religion, [launched] With White paper. Adam Smith began capitalism along with his book. The query is: what is contemporary religion and the way does it persuade? This is an open query for me. I do not know yet.
