I Read Andreessens ‘technooptimist Manifesto So You Dont Have To
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When you read Marc Andreessen's Techno-Osceptical Manifesto, it's natural to get lost and wonder: are the billionaire venture capitalists backing Bitcoin safe?
Finally, the 5,000-word essay, published Monday on the venture capital fund site a16z, includes the following sentence: “Love cannot be measured. . . Let's stick to the money"; "We believe in the love of technology. . . Trains, cars, electric lighting" and, perhaps more dramatically, "We believe that any slowdown in AI will cause death.” Deaths that can be prevented by AI are murders.
But many representatives of Silicon Valley have read Andreessen's investigation, the main argument of which was: "There are no material problems." . "Technically insoluble" - not only seems to see something unusual in it, but generally believes that it is a work of genius.
Brian Armstrong, founder of cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase, is happy with X. @a16z Thanks for the breath of fresh air,” he added. The fact that a16z is an investor in the company should make things even cooler.
Now, if you're wondering what Armstrong might have been talking about when he said "less narrative," let me explain. "Decel" is short for "Decelerationist" and is a somewhat derogatory term used by those who consider themselves part of the young "e/acc community".
"E/acc", meaning "effective acceleration", is Andreessen's ideology based on the idea that technological progress - particularly artificial intelligence - cannot continue indefinitely. This must be accelerated.
“We believe that we were, are and will be technology experts, not just technology experts,” Andresen wrote. “Victim mentality is a curse on all aspects of life, including our relationship with technology – useless and doomed to failure. We are not victims, we are winners ."
He offered a similar perspective on a recent episode of the Making Meaning with Sam Harris podcast when he explained to Harris what he considers to be the most interesting and compelling aspects of artificial general intelligence (AGI).
“If it works, it will be the biggest breakthrough because we... . . It's like the largest and most detailed mirror in the world. “It’s incredible,” he smiles. When Harris suggested to Andresen, a little too optimistically, that if AGI is a reflection of humanity, then it reflects the worst of humanity, Andresen simply replied: "But what is the morality of history ? The moral of every story is: the good guys win.
I don't know if I'll be considered a "dealer" - firstly, I'm not sure it's logical or possible to stop the development of AI, especially when it's not just Western countries doing it. make. But I think Andreessen's blind faith in all technology is dangerous.
Of course, it is also a deep personal interest. Back to Armstrong's tweet: You may be wondering how a man worth an estimated $3.3 billion behaves when trading one of the 242 essentially worthless cryptocurrencies he offers on its platform. In doing so, he would have become the direct face of the “elite” with a net worth of $1.8 billion. But this is the kind of techno-populist rhetoric the crypto bros have been advocating for years – and it's emptying their pockets.
Given the direction a16z has taken since launching its $4.5 billion crypto fund last year, it's surprising that Andresen never mentioned cryptocurrencies or "Web3" (you know, remember) in his techno-utopian sermon on this subject?). But he rejected the classic proposition: “Decentralization benefits everyone because of its complexity; Centralization makes you hungry. It is difficult to take seriously this proposal from the head of a venture capital fund with $35 billion in assets under management. »
Given the moral bankruptcy of cryptocurrencies, it is difficult to accept the idea that the technology is entirely positive and should be accelerated indefinitely. But beyond artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies, there are many other areas where technology is causing significant harm: for example, smartphones and social media are having a detrimental effect on children's mental health and young people.
Having more is not the solution to our worst problems. The only thing that cannot be “measured” can be understood: compassion, kindness, empathy and, yes, love.
jemima.kelly@ft.com
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Three joys for the intrepid financial writer / Paul Drexler, Seattle, Washington, USA
