I've been busy with some book stuff and some astrophysics, including a wonderful October Craigfest organized by some of my ex-students to celebrate my retirement.
On the book side, The Path to Singularity has moved well into the production phase. Neil DeGrasse Tyson contributed his foreword justifying why, as a scientist and a concerned citizen, I'm entitled to write such a book. The jacket has been designed. I had to scare up some quotes, blurbs, for the jacket and am hugely grateful for the busy colleagues who contributed, some at the last minute. Nobel Prize winner Brian Schmidt wrote from an airport in Dubai. He called it "one hell of a book" in an email and wrote "Wheeler prepares the reader to be aware of the rapid changes that are now ongoing. A highly informative and unsettling book." Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees seemed to resonate more deeply than I anticipated. Martin said he was "hugely impressed with the book" and wrote "Advanced technology—bio, cyber, and AI—can be our salvation; it can also trigger devastation that cascades globally. This comprehensive, clear, and authoritative book is just what's needed to raise awareness of these issues." John Holdren is an old friend from my undergraduate days at MIT with a long string of laurels who served as President Obama's Science Advisor. John wrote, ""Wheeler thinks big thoughts about everything, with deep insight and crystal clarity. It's all on display in this wonderfully wide-ranging and terrifically accessible book about science, technology, and the future of humanity. Everybody should read it!" My ex-student and current director of the marvelous enterprise The Austin Forum on Science and Society, Jay Boisseau, wrote "This timely and essential book empowers readers to grasp the intricacies of our rapidly evolving world and become proactive participants in shaping our future." I met Chad Jenkins, professor of robotics at the University of Michigan at a local symposium organized by the Good Systems group for ethical AI here in Austin. Chad said, "The Path to Singularity gives entree into the mind of scientists and roboticists as we grapple with these emerging forms of intelligence. Through its coverage of the essential history, insights, and questions of AI, this book is sure to become required reading for my students."
The book is scheduled for release on November 19. I have a publicist at Prometheus Books, Chloé Hummel, and, at the urging of my agent Regina Ryan, I have engaged an independent publicist, Joanne McCall who works out of Oregon. Between the two of them, they have arranged seven podcasts with more likely. Going to be a busy November. I did the first two podcasts in October. Here are my reports:
I did my first podcast today, strictly audio, that Chloé arranged and sat in on. Tech It Out hosted by Marc Saltzman (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/astrophysicist-j-craig-wheeler-joins-us-to-chat-about/id1272785252?i=1000673579728). He does radio broadcasts to 110 stations connected to Radio America and posts to his podcast subscribers. I didn't get a number for the latter. He said he expects to release the radio and podcast this weekend, maybe as soon as Friday.
We only talked for about 10 minutes and Marc greased the wheels by sending questions in advance. I composed some answers and then paraphrased them as we talked. I think it went fairly well. Here is the Q and A.
Before we talk about the book, can you clarify to our audience what "singularity" refers to, exactly
Time when "computers/AI" become more capable in every aspect of human activity and then race ahead at the speed of light rather than the speed of biology.
Congrats on your latest book, The Path to Singularity: How Technology Will Challenge the Future of Humanity. Please tell us about it at a high level
Technology threatens to advance more rapidly than we can adjust as individuals and societies. How did we get here? What is going on now? What are the prospects?
What unique view do you as an astronomer and astrophysicist have on this topic?
I naturally put human life on Earth in the context of the reach of space and swaths of time revealed by astronomers. We live in a Universe that is 14 billion years old, on a planet that is 5 billion years old. We have developed technology that is as smart as we are and the techniques to guide our own biological evolution. What next in the vast sweep of time to come?
As a side note, I'm a fan of Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. How cool is that for him to write the forward to the book. Are you aligned in your view – or concerns – of the future.
Very cool! I think we are roughly aligned in both our views and concerns for the future of humanity.
What's a greater threat to humanity: AI, genetic engineering or exhausting Earth's resources?
Everything, everywhere, all at once! The next decade or two is likely to see simultaneous vast changes in the capability and effects of AI, artificial alteration of human evolution, and huge changes in our environment due to climate change.
Will there be jobs for those willing to work in a future dominated by automation?
It is not clear to me that there will be sufficient jobs for all who care to work as AI becomes rapidly more capable. This is a complex and critical issue.
What implications arise if we solve aging? How will society adapt to the challenges of perpetual youth?
I think insufficient attention has been paid to the attempts to extend human healthspans and lifespans. If we beat biological death, there will be vast implications for our cultures and societies. Where do we put all the babies if the old folks don't fade away?
Where's the best place to pick up your book. Is it a paperback, hardcover, or ebook? All three?
The hardcover is available now for pre-order from Prometheus.com or anywhere else you normally purchase books. The formal release date is November 19. I hope there is a paperback. I'm not sure about the plans for an ebook. Chloe?
Chloé checked in real time. The answer is that the Ebook will be released along with the hardback on November 19. There are no current plans for a paperback. First gotta sell some hardbacks. I also checked on the first print run. 2500 hardbacks.
While Chloé was checking on that, I worked in a comment to Marc on my concerns for AI enabling mind reading and writing and the privacy and ethical issues involved in that. Marc edited that in very smoothly. I spontaneously referred to AI, genetics, climate change, and mind reading as the "the four horsemen of the technological apocalypse."
Marc said my sound was good. I managed to brush the mic twice, but Marc said he did not hear it and would edit out any issue.
My only first-time slip was that Marc asked at the very end about a website that addresses all my writing. I was not prepared for that. He asked if people can just browse for J. Craig Wheeler, and I mumbled something about Google not efficiently finding my Authors Guild site and rattled off the url. We agreed that was too awkward for his listeners, and he will edit that out. Afterward, I checked my site again with my Firefox/DuckDuckGo browser and lo and behold, up came the AG site near the top. So, I checked with Chrome, and it showed up there, too. I guess I've managed to get enough people to look for the site that it is starting to register with the browsers (as Joanne predicted).
I have another podcast tomorrow, 1.5 hours. A different deal, but I think I'm ready.
The next podcast was rather different, about an hour and a half with British podcaster Richard Foster-Fletcher of Boundless (https://www.spreaker.com/episode/ai-humanity-s-evolution-and-our-place-in-the-cosmos-with-professor-j-craig-wheeler--62404997). Turned out I had both the words and the stamina. I don't expect anyone to listen to all this, except maybe for drivetime.
There have also been emails, hundreds of emails!