Unbox Your World Maria Selting

What if we let a plant rule the world? 



It is, in fact, already possible. 



In this episode, we discover Herbie, a plant that has been given autonomy through the power of AI to make its own decisions based on its own health. Herbie can decide to invest in things like replanting a forest or protecting wetlands. 



Mark Bünger is the co-founder and CTO of Futurity Systems, who has built Herbie as part of the 'Plantiverse' project. 



In this episode, you’ll learn: 


How a plant can be given autonomy to rule the world
How the project could be scaled to large ecosystems, like Antarctica or rainforests
How a piece of land could sue the government 
What a future of 'non-humans' ruling the world could look like

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About the the guest Mark Bünger

Mark is co-founder and CTO of Futurity Systems an observatory for deeptech: science-driven technologies that will have disruptive impacts on industry, such as synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, private spaceflight, or quantum computing. His clients include venture capitalists, product developers, and R&D teams at more than 150 of the world’s largest companies.


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The word artificial in artificial intelligence, is the polar opposite of nature's natural intelligence. What if we could find some answers on how to navigate the AI disruption in nature itself?



In today's solo episode, we'll dive into five ways to navigate the AI disruption, drawing inspiration from nature's intelligence itself.



We'll discuss:


AI from an Anti-Fragility Point of View
AI from the Lens of Parenthood
AI Ethics from a Biological Evolutionary Perspective
AI from an Ecosystem Point of View
AI from a Religious Point of View

Happy to heard your thoughts and ideas for future episodes. For more content or to book a talk, go to phuturist.se. Talk to you in the next episode!


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In today's episode, I'm stepping out of my comfort zone to share my own thoughts in a solo podcast format. In this debut episode, we'll explore AI through the lens of parenting. I wrote an article a few years ago about how we don't truly understand the potential of what we can become, until we've already become. The current AI boom is no different.

In the recent AI safety discussions, I've come to think of parallels between AI creation and parenting. Who's responsible for ensuring well-behaved children, or creations? Just as parents shape their kids, creators shape AI, but to what extent? These are the topics we'll dive into today.



We'll discuss:


The Parenting Analogy. Most would agree that parents are responsible for their children's actions until they grow up - but to what extent?
The Transition to Adulthood. When does this responsibility end? Is it at age 18 or does it extend further? The choice to become a parent is sometimes not planned, but with AI, creators have a conscious decision. Control is another factor; you can't choose your children, but you can design your own AI. Lastly, we'll dive into accountability—should AI creators bear the burden of every action taken by their creations?
The Ripple Effect. A single invention or child can lead to paradigm shifts. Inventions always have unforeseen side effects. Should scientists bear responsibility for these ripple effects, even if they can't predict them?
Societal Responsibility. Like parenting, laws regulate certain aspects, rights, and obligations. As we debate AI regulations and solutions, do we need a similar infrastructure for AI as with parents?
Reflections and Conclusion. Just like in parenting, AI creators birth new entities into the world, and we can't predict their potential until they've evolved. We cannot know the answers, but we can spark essential questions.

I'd love to hear your reflections on this episode and whether you enjoyed this format. If you did, and if you would like to reach out to me or book a talk, visit phuturist.se/talks. Stay curious and keep questioning. See you in the next episode!


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Finding Answers to Human Challenges in Outer Space?In this episode, we go on a cosmic journey with the space entrepreneur Mattias Hansson, CEO and Founder of I.S.A.A.C International Space Asset Acceleration Company AB, who is passionate about finding answers to some of our most pressing earthly challenges through insights from the space industry. Join us as we dive into the intriguing world of space exploration and its unexpected lessons for life on our planet.

You'll learn: 


Why Space Entrepreneurship? First things first, our guest Mattias Hansson shares his personal journey into the world of space entrepreneurship. Discover what drove him to reach for the stars and explore the cosmos.
Circularity Lessons from Space. Explore the unexpected concept of circularity in the context of the space industry. Mattias explains how we can learn from space missions to create more sustainable and regenerative systems right here on Earth.
Leadership Insights from Space. Uncover the leadership lessons that can be learned from the space industry and whether they can be applied to solve global challenges like climate change. Explore the dynamics of smaller, tight-knit space teams and their potential for addressing pressing matters.
Making an Impact through Space. As we wrap up, Mattias offers advice to those who aspire to make a meaningful impact on Earth by harnessing the power of space technology. Learn how you can get involved and be part of the solution.

Whether you're a space enthusiast or space research critic, this episode opens up some fresh new perspectives on the possibilities for humanity that lie beyond our atmosphere.


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In today's episode, we're interviewing the crypto-professional Ludvig Öberg, co-founder of Safello and the Swedish Bitcoin Association, currently developing an open-source blockchain at ChromaWay. In other words, he is a true blockchain expert. He has recently pioneered one of the first theses on management controls within so-called Decentralized Autonomous Organizations, which are members-driven organizations powered by Blockchain technologies.



Blockchain technologies have opened new possibilities for how we organize ourselves. In the past, it has been challenging to maintain control in decentralized organizations as the number of members grows, however, blockchain technologies enable control in decentralized organizations at scale through so-called smart contracts, voting rights, ownership through tokens etc. This way, we can avoid the "tragedy of the commons" as members feel invested with clear owner rights and responsibilities.



However, is it really possible to maintain a decentralized organization at scale? How do you maintain management controls in large Decentralized Autonomous Organizations as they grow? Is it even possible to avoid corporate governance, or is it an inevitable must?



In today's episode you'll learn:


What is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization
What are some common management control systems
The findings from his research studying different types of DAOs

Tune in to learn more!


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Two years ago, ⁠Devin Gonier,⁠ TEDx speaker and CTO at ⁠Wageup⁠, joined the show to talk about how AI can be taught morality and ethics by replicating the way humans learn ethics as kids. 

Devin has now founded a new company, ⁠DebaterHub⁠, hoping to help secure AI safety through another process humans use to learn ethics: debate. He also has a Master’s degree in machine learning and a double major in philosophy and religion. 

In today’s episode, Devin provides an overview of the methods and research on AI safety that exist as of today, along with their respective pros and cons. 

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode: 


Three methods to teach AI morality and ethics (including the method OpenAI used)


How debate could be used to teach ethics to machines


How we can think of consciousness as a gradient in the AI space



Tune in to learn more!


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