AI and Leviathan: Part I

This is an audio version of a Substack post titled "AI and Leviathan, Part 1: The Institutional Economics of an Intelligence Explosion" by Samuel Hammond, read by Perrin Walker. The post uses the metaphor of widely available X-ray glasses to illustrate the potential societal impacts of AI, discussing cultural, mitigative, and regulatory responses. It explores AI as a microscope, increasing information resolution and creating both amazing and scary implications. The text draws parallels between the disruptive technological change of the printing press and the current AI revolution, referencing Hobbes' "Leviathan" and the English Civil War. It touches on the schisms within the AI community, the accelerationist ethic, and the potential for AI misuse, comparing it to post-9/11 security measures. The post warns of a future where AI could lead to either an AI Leviathan or state collapse, hinting at a new social order to be further explored in Part 2.