Prof. Lee Cronin is the Regius Chair of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow. His research aims to understand how life might arise from non-living matter. In 2017, he invented “Assembly Theory” as a way to measure the complexity of molecules and gain insight into the earliest evolution of life.
Today we’re debating Lee's claims about the limits of AI capabilities, and my claims about the risk of extinction from superintelligent AGI.
00:00 Introduction
04:20 Assembly Theory
05:10 Causation and Complexity
10:07 Assembly Theory in Practice
12:23 The Concept of Assembly Index
16:54 Assembly Theory Beyond Molecules
30:13 P(Doom)
32:39 The Statement on AI Risk
42:18 Agency and Intent
47:10 RescueBot’s Intent vs. a Clock’s
53:42 The Future of AI and Human Jobs
57:34 The Limits of AI Creativity
01:04:33 The Complexity of the Human Brain
01:19:31 Superintelligence: Fact or Fiction?
01:29:35 Final Thoughts
Lee’s Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leroy_Cronin
Lee’s Twitter: https://x.com/leecronin
Lee’s paper on Assembly Theory: https://arxiv.org/abs/2206.02279
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Lee Cronin vs. Liron Shapira: AI Doom Debate