#15: Perry Metzger - Extropians, Nanotech, AI Optimism, and the Alliance for the Future

Perry Metzger is an entrepreneur, technology manager, consultant, computer scientist, early proponent of extropianism and futurism, and co-founder and chairman of the Alliance for the Future.

0:00 - Intro

0:47 - How Perry got into extropianism

7:04 - Is extropianism the same as e/acc?

9:38 - Why extropianism died out

12:59 - Eliezer Yudkowsky

17:19 - Perry and Eliezer’s Twitter beef

19:46 - TESCREAL, Baptists and bootleggers

22:34 - Why Eliezer became a doomer

28:39 - Is singularitarianism eschatology?

37:51 - Will nanotech kill us?

45:51 - What if the offense-defense balance favors offense?

53:03 - Instrumental convergence and agency

1:05:35 - How Alliance for the Future was founded

1:12:08 - Decels

1:15:52 - China

1:25:52 - Why a nonprofit lobbying firm?

1:28:36 - How to convince legislators

1:32:20 - Can the government do anything good on AI?

1:39:09 - The future of Alliance for the Future

1:44:22 - Outro

Perry’s Twitter: https://x.com/perrymetzger

AFTF’s Twitter: https://x.com/aftfuture

AFTF’s Manifesto: https://www.affuture.org/manifesto/

An Archaeological Dig Through The Extropian Archives: https://mtabarrok.com/extropia-archaeology

Alliance for the Future: https://www.affuture.org/

Donate to AFTF: affuture.org/donate

Sci-Fi Short Film “Slaughterbots”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-2tpwW0kmU

Transcript: https://www.theojaffee.com/p/15-perry-metzger

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My Twitter: https://x.com/theojaffee

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