Advances in AI: Can We Protect Ourselves? -- Techslang

Introducing a new technology often leads to unintended consequences. The development of the Dutch fluyt in the 16th century, for example, resulted in the discovery of coal tar. This, in turn, led to the development of a rubber substitute called "nylon." Nylon, in turn, ushered in the era of plastics, which helps sustain our industries, but also pollute our seas and release toxic chemicals into the environment as they decompose. Now we are on the cusp of unleashing another technology that has the potential to change lives and the power to redirect the course of human civilization, perhaps in an even more impactful way than the fluyt did.