Can AI Be a “Worthy Successor” to Humanity?

These days, it’s not unusual to encounter “doomers” in AI circles—people who think that superintelligent AI will wipe out humanity either because it wants our stuff or finds us annoying. And there are plenty of serious AI researchers working on “alignment,” or ensuring that AI systems’ goals match our own, so that AI will support human flourishing rather than ending it. But not too many people are thinking about how to provide the best outcome for the universe if, indeed, superintelligent AI is ready to leave humanity in the dust. Enter Daniel Faggella. The founder of the AI research company Emerj, Faggella argues that it’s critical that we build AI systems that are “worthy successors“ to humanity. A few weeks ago, he hosted a symposium at a cliffside mansion in San Francisco, where AI insiders aired their hopes and fears about a post-human future. IEEE Spectrum caught up with Faggella to hear more about his controversial and provocative vision. How would you explain the concept of the