Ask the Mates anything | MOONSHOTS AMA #289

Griff (0:00)

I've been working in AI for 42 years, and this question is directed to my hero, AWG. I haven't been this excited since my wedding night to meet you, sir.

SPEAKER_2 (0:09)

I don't know how to take that grip.

Ramani (0:12)

If I look at this progress, how close or how far are we to really say that the AI is gonna get consciousness?

Alexander Wissner-Gross (0:18)

The top-down theory says that we're like localized antenna for consciousness, and we connect into it. But there's no reason why AI at some point can't tune in to that same type of phenomena.

Richard (0:30)

I just turned 18, and I started an AI startup business with my dad.

Peter Diamandis (0:34)

I hope a lot of 18-year-olds listening are gonna hear what you're doing and try and emulate you.

Alexander Wissner-Gross (0:39)

I wish I was god damn 18 today.

Peter Diamandis (0:42)

We're working on it.

Ken Wilson (0:44)

Do you leave any room in your analysis for an all-powerful, all-knowing sort of ultimate intelligence?

Alexander Wissner-Gross (0:50)

Either there is no god and we're just moving towards a wonderful future driven by technology, or there's a simulation in which case it kind of doesn't matter anyway.

SPEAKER_8 (1:02)

Now that's the Moonshot, ladies and gentlemen. This episode is brought to you by the Abundance Summit and Link Ventures.

Peter Diamandis (1:12)

Everybody, welcome to our first Moonshots AMA. Hopefully we'll do this on a not too infrequent basis. Can't promise a time right now, but it is wonderful to be spending time with all of you. We already have 300 people on the Zoom, over 1,000 people registered. And this is a chance for all of us to get a chance to meet you guys and really get feedback on Moonshots.

We've got here with me our very own ASI AWG. Alex, hello. Good to see you, pal.

Good to be here. You do not disappoint in your normal VR background there.

Alexander Wissner-Gross (1:54)

We do what we must because we can.

SPEAKER_8 (1:56)

Yes.

Peter Diamandis (1:57)

And Dave, here you are, your normal haunt and Salim.

Dave Blundin (2:00)

Normal haunt.

Peter Diamandis (2:01)

Yes. Salim, where on the planet are you, pal?

SPEAKER_8 (2:04)

I'm home.

Alexander Wissner-Gross (2:04)

I'm home.

Peter Diamandis (2:05)

Amazing.

Alexander Wissner-Gross (2:06)

Yes.

Dave Blundin (2:07)

We don't even recognize that it's so rare.

SPEAKER_2 (2:09)

I know. Everybody's like, where are you?

Peter Diamandis (2:12)

Well, everybody, thank you.

I want to say that we read your comments and the outpouring of support and love means a huge amount to us.

And it really drives us to do all that we can do. And so our agenda here today is to answer your questions. And we're going to do that as much as we can. Use the raised hand emoji and we'll go person by person. I'll call out the name and you can unmute. You can also put questions in the chat and we'll try and monitor those. Great. And I'm going to ask my Moonshot mates to keep our answers as succinct so we can get through as many as we can. And I think we scheduled this for an hour. We're going to go 90 minutes, give you guys some extra time. Yes, we are recording this. So everybody, if your camera is on and you're speaking, you're being recorded, we may post some of this. So please, if you don't want to be recorded, turn your camera off and don't ask questions. Okay. With that, Dave Morris, your question, where are you calling in from?

Dave Blundin (3:20)

Going to the bridge, obviously.

John (3:22)

Oh, there you go. Well, it's in Sydney, Australia, so it doesn't really look like it's behind me.

Good morning, all. And firstly, thanks for everything that you guys do. And it's such a refreshing podcast, and I'm sure everyone on today is in the green with that. Quick question from my side of things. I feel like Australia is really lacking and falling behind the AI space.

Just having conversations and to Salim's comments the other day in the latest podcast, when he talks to CEOs and that, everyone feels like they're too busy to even think about it. They're just doing a normal thing in their businesses. And I think that's the biggest thing that I'm struggling with at the moment. And it'd be great to get your feedback on that about how to break through the challenge of the rush that will come down the track. But it's more this initial side of things that I think is really a struggle at the moment. And as a single entrepreneur, that's probably the biggest challenge that I'm facing at the moment.