Tim Ventura Interviews

Artificial Intelligence may be humanity's greatest achievement, but without proper safeguards it could mean the end of the human race. Dr. David Wood discusses the risks posed by AI, AGI & The Technological Singularity. Earlier this year, a State-Department commissioned report highlighted an immediate need for the United States to "Move ‘Decisively’ to Avert ‘Extinction-Level’ Threat From AI". In addition to the manipulation of AI by bad actors, the technology itself is unpredictable, and the development of Artificial General Intelligence and possibility of Kurzweil's Technological Singularity may lead to superintelligent entities with goals & ambitions that aren't aligned with humanity's best interests - and the speed and capabilities to act with impunity. David will be discussing themes from 3 manifestos on AI: “A Narrow Path”, “The Compendium”, and “The Singularity Principles” - along with a discussion on the possibility of an Economic Singularity from his book, "Future Visions: How to Survive and Thrive in the Upcoming Economic Singularity: A Variety of Perspectives". Dr. David Wood is a well-known futurist, author, singularitarian, and chair of the London Futurists. Dr. Wood has an MA in Mathematics, graduate studies in the Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge, an honorary doctorate in science from the University of Westminster, and over 30 years of experience in the technology industry ranging from mobile software & OS development to corporate advisory and leadership. As a futurist, Dr. Wood has served as the Co-Founder of Transhumanist UK, Executive Director of Transpolitica, Node Co-Chair of The Millennium Project, Fellow at the Institute for Ethics and Emerging Technologies, and his current role as Principal at Delta Wisdom. He also holds board positions at SingularityNet, Sustensis, the LEV Foundation, and is a former board member of Humanity Plus. David is the author of numerous books, and is one of the T3's "100 most influential people in technology". His focus is on radical transformation in society and humanity enabled by technological disruption. LINKS & RESOURCES: AI Poses "Extinction-Level Threat" (Time Magazine, 2024) https://time.com/6898967/ai-extinction-national-security-risks-report/ Future Visions: How to Survive and Thrive in the Upcoming Economic Singularity: A Variety of Perspectives https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CTGHJCT4 A Narrow Path https://www.narrowpath.co/ The Compendium https://www.thecompendium.ai/ The Singularity Principles https://transpolitica.org/projects/the-singularity-principles/ The London Futurists Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/7dKD21Omh16ogAL9qu6gnl https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/london-futurists/id1642832645 Post-Scarcity Economy Delta Wisdom: https://deltawisdom.com/ David's Blog: https://dw2blog.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dw2cco/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/dw2 London Futurists: https://londonfuturists.com/

Lt. Col. Joseph Chapa discusses the moral & ethical implications of drone warfare & remote targeting from his book, "Is Remote Warfare Moral?: Weighing Issues of Life and Death from 7,000 Miles". In this interview we're discussing the rapid evolution of drone warfare, beginning with Predator surveillance missions in the 1990s to today's current drone-to-drone air combat over Ukraine. We also discuss the question of remote targeting vs assassination as highlighted by high-profile cases such as the killing of Iranian high government official General Qasem Soleimani. Dr. Joseph Chapa is a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force and author of "Is Remote Warfare Moral?: Weighing Issues of Life and Death from 7,000 Miles". He has served as a Predator pilot and instructor pilot, an instructor of philosophy at the US Air Force Academy, and a staff officer at the Pentagon. He holds a PhD in philosophy from the University of Oxford and an MA in Philosophy from Boston College. Dr. Chapa's work on military ethics has been published in several online, print, and peer-reviewed publications. he currently serves as a military faculty member at the US Marine Command and Staff College, Quantico VA. LINKS & RESOURCES: Is Remote Warfare Moral?: Weighing Issues of Life and Death from 7,000 Miles https://www.amazon.com/Remote-Warfare-Moral-Weighing-Issues/dp/1541774450

After years of careful testing, measurement & analysis, Maximus Energy founder Dr. Max Fomitchev-Zamilov may have finally "cracked the code" on Bubble fusion. Bubble fusion (technically called "sonofusion") describes a nuclear fusion reaction hypothesized to occur inside extraordinarily large collapsing gas bubbles created in a liquid during acoustic cavitation. Claims for Bubble fusion have been surrounded by controversy for decades, including allegations ranging from experimental error to academic fraud. Despite the uncertainties, the idea continues to inspire innovators like Fomitchev-Zamilov to work independently in hopes of a breakthrough. Dr. Max Fomitchev-Zamilov is the founder of Maximum Energy, a startup offering software & hardware solutions for nuclear testing. He is a former Associate Professor of Computer Science & Engineering at Penn State University, and has a both a PhD in Computer Engioneering from the National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET) and a PhD in Computer Science from The University of Tulsa. LINKS & RESOURCES: Maximus Energy (Official Website) https://www.maximus.energy/ Nature Science Reports https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-024-62055-6 Dr. Max Fomitchev-Zamilov (LinkedIn) https://www.linkedin.com/in/maximusenergy/ IEEE Spectrum: "Bubble Fusion Bubbles Up Again" https://spectrum.ieee.org/bubble-fusion-bubbles-up-again Bubble fusion (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bubble_fusion

Dean Reuter discusses the historical legacy & mysterious disappearance of Hans Kammler, the SS General responsible for the top secret V-weapons program described in his book, "The Hidden Nazi: The Untold Story of America's Deal with the Devil". "The Hidden Nazi", published in 2019, has been described as the unofficial sequel to Nick Cook's runaway hit, "The Hunt For Zero Point", which describes Kammler's work on the secretive V-weapons programs in Nazi Germany. In "The Hidden Nazi", authors Dean Reuter, Colm Lower and Keith Chester dig deeper into Kammler's military career, provide additional information, context and perspective on the V-weapons program at Peenemunde, and ultimately find evidence suggesting that Kammler's death may have been staged during the final days of the war as Kammler found his way to either the United States or South America. Dean Reuter is the principal author of the non-fiction book, "The Hidden Nazi: The Untold Story of America's Deal with the Devil", and editor of "Liberty’s Nemesis: The Unchecked Expansion of the State", and "Confronting Terror: 9/11 and the Future of American National Security". Among his many notable accomplishments, Dean was appointed by the President and served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, and currently serves as an appointee on the U.S. Commission on Presidential Scholars. He is also the Senior Vice President and General Counsel at the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, and has as served in the Offices of the Inspector General, as Counsel to the Inspector General and Deputy Inspector General, responsible for policing the use of federal funds granted and contracted through those agencies. LINKS & RESOURCES: The Hidden Nazi: The Untold Story of America's Deal with the Devil https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Nazi-Untold-Story-Americas/dp/162157735X The Hunt For Zero Point (by Nick Cook) https://www.amazon.com/Hunt-Zero-Point-Classified-Antigravity/dp/0767906284/ Dean Reuter (The Federalist Society) https://fedsoc.org/staff/dean-reuter Dean Reuter (National Security Institute) https://nationalsecurity.gmu.edu/dean-reuter/

Professor James Boyle revisits the debate over human, corporate, and animal personhood - and introduces new topics, including artificial intelligence, transgenic species, and extraterrestrial intelligence from his book, "The Line: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Personhood". James Boyle is the William Neal Reynolds Professor of Law at Duke Law School and founder of the Center for the Study of the Public Domain. He was one of the original Board Members and served as chairman of the Board of Creative Commons, as well as co-founder of Science Commons. Professor Boyle was awarded the Electronic Frontier Foundation's "Pioneer" Award for his work on digital civil liberties. He also received World Technology Network Award for Law for his work on the public domain and the "second enclosure movement" that threatens it. James is the author of numerous books and articles on intellectual property, internet regulation and legal theory, and his latest book is entitled, "The Line: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Personhood", which we're discussing today. LINKS & RESOURCES: The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood https://www.amazon.com/Line-AI-Future-Personhood/dp/0262049163