Monday, 2  March ⋅10:00am – 12:00pm

A YouTube video of the meeting is available - click here.
For the first time, you can also watch the same video on Zoom - click here. If this works, it's simpler for the IT Supporters if the large video doesn't have to be downloaded from Zoom and then uploaded to YouTube. However, links to Zoom videos may expire after 30 days, so this is also a test.

Summary

This month Paul Galwas presented a framework based on  Gosden (2020) book about the history of magic, discussing how human interactions with the universe have evolved from magic through religion to science during the Enlightenment. He proposed that AI may be leading society back toward a "New Enlightenment" or even a return to magical thinking, as AI systems develop mirror identities (I-prime) that reflect and influence users beyond rational scientific methods. The group discussed concerns about AI's probabilistic rather than rational approach, the creation of AI communities, and the increasing economic dominance of AI technology, particularly in the US where 75% of global AI performance capabilities are owned. Participants shared perspectives on how AI might affect individual and community interactions, with some expressing concerns about losing ethical judgment capabilities and others noting that AI could potentially generate mathematical proofs and new insights similar to human creativity. (This summary was written by Zoom’s AI and Edited by Sophie Cockcroft)

At the end of the meeting Peter Cooper updated us on MoltBook

References

• Galwas, P. A. (2024). The New Enlightenment: Beyond the Age of Science towards a magical world view in the face of Artificial Intelligence. Zenodo
• Gosden, C. (2020). The History of Magic: From Alchemy to Witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the Present. Penguin UK
• https://zenodo.org/records/18826495