Greetings Singularitarians,
Today is an exciting day – we as a community have reached a significant milestone for our initiative focused on crowd-sourcing global human wisdom on ethical AI and the governance of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
As AI increasingly impacts the lives and futures of people around the world, it is important that all peoples have an understanding and a sense of empowerment around how these technologies are built and deployed.
This initiative will become a Nexus for global understanding and contribution to the development of beneficial AI and AGI.
Today, we celebrate our progress since the BGI Summit by sharing two important announcements.
First and foremost, we would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in our naming contest.
Your suggestions and votes have been invaluable in defining the very identity of our initiative.
We are delighted to announce the new name: BeGIN EthicalAI (Beneficial General Intelligence Nexus for EthicalAI), incorporating elements of the original ‘BGI Collective’ and our winning name vote for Nexus EthicalAI. BEGIN is a powerful encapsulation of our focus on beneficial AGI, and our vision to become the Nexus of global ethics discussions and activities.
BEGIN EthicalAI is an initiative under the BGI Collective, supported by SingularityNET and Humanity+, among others. Our mission is to harness collective intelligence to shape the ethical frameworks and governance structures necessary for the responsible development of AI and AGI.
By fostering dialogue, promoting ethical standards, and encouraging collaborative action, we want to lead the way in shaping beneficial AGI so its development is always steered toward the greater good of all humanity.
BEGIN EthicalAI stands as a testament to our commitment to fostering ethical AI development and ensuring that AI technologies evolve in alignment with universal ethical principles, safeguarding our dignity, rights, and our world. It is only through *your* participation and action that this initiative is now a reality, and we thank you for your invaluable contributions.
Second, we are excited to announce the launch of the first collective engagement activity, the BEGIN EthicalAI Book Club.
The new BGI book club will be an engaging environment where participants can dive into rich discussions, share insights, and explore a variety of thought-provoking books related to AI ethics, AGI and the singularity, governance, the nature of consciousness, and beyond.
Mark your calendars! Our first meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 16th, 2024 at 18:30 UTC. Subscribe for updates, and to receive the session link.
We are starting with an exceptional book:
Join us and let’s converge our thoughts on the fascinating ideas presented in the “The Consciousness Explosion” by Ben Goertzel and Gabriel Axel Montes!
About the Book:
The pace of engineering and science is speeding up, rapidly leading us toward a “Technological Singularity” — a point in time when superintelligent machines achieve and improve so much so fast, traditional humans can no longer operate at the forefront. However, if all goes well, human beings may still flourish greatly in their own ways in this unprecedented era.
If humanity is going to not only survive but prosper as the Singularity unfolds, we will need to understand that the Technological Singularity is an Experiential Singularity as well, and rapidly evolve not only our technology but our level of compassion, ethics and consciousness.
The aim of The Consciousness Explosion is to help curious and open-minded readers wrap their brains around these dramatic emerging changes– and empower readers with tools to cope and thrive as they unfold.
Our first book club session will cover:
Part Zero: The Coming Consciousness Explosion
Chapter 1: Introduction: The Coming Consciousness Explosion pg. 25
Extra:
Prelude: A Beneficial AGI (BGI) Manifesto pg. 10
This insightful work delves into the rapid advancements in AI and their implications for human consciousness and society, and we are excited to kick off this book club with such a wide ranging and potentially impactful book. To learn more about the book, visit the website (where you can also subscribe to receive a free PDF version!).
Reading Selections: Each meeting will cover specific chapters or sections of a book. This structured approach ensures that everyone has ample time to read and reflect before each discussion. This guided approach will help the group have shared relevance and discussion points – however everyone is welcome to join the conversation, even if they haven’t read the selection!
Engaging Discussions: Our sessions may feature pre-planned questions and topics to guide the conversation, alongside opportunities for participants to bring their own questions and insights.
Guest Speakers: We are thrilled to have both authors, Ben Goertzel and Gabriel Axel Montes, join our first session, providing their unique perspectives and answering your questions.
Interactive Elements: Share your favorite quotes, suggest related works, and participate in creative activities that enrich our collective understanding.
Collaborative Participation: Each session may rotate roles such as co-moderator and note-taker, ensuring diverse leadership and comprehensive documentation of our discussions for those who wish to volunteer their time aiding our collective intelligence.
We invite all community members to participate in the BEGIN EthicalAI Book Club and contribute to our broader mission of shaping a beneficial future for AI. Your insights, questions, and perspectives are essential as we navigate the complexities of AI ethics, understanding, and growth together.
Our book club will meet biweekly, providing a steady yet manageable pace for participants to engage deeply with the material. Below is a glimpse of our proposed timeline:
Full details on book club dates and sessions coming soon. Subscribe here to receive updates and session links, and join the AGI Book Club telegram group to jump start the conversation!
Note: The timeline may be edited or changed when necessary.
Thank you for being an integral part of this journey.
Together, we can ensure that the evolution of AI serves the greater good of humanity and all sentient beings.
Don’t forget to follow our journey toward decentralized governance in the world of Artificial General Intelligence! Join the Beneficial AGI LinkedIn Group, explore the BGI Collective website and sign up for email updates from the BEGIN newsletter.
Our journey has been marked by groundbreaking advancements, both on the technological and ethical fronts, and they have all been backed by our commitment to ensuring that AI technologies serve the greater good of humanity and all sentient beings.
The BEGIN EthicalAI initiative is a significant step forward in that journey, and we thank you for being a part of it.
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