This is a conversation with my friend Natasha Vita-More.
The video of this conversation is published on YouTube by Mindplex.
We first met on the Extropians mailing list nearly 30 years ago. Reflecting on those early days, I said that our initial technology timelines seemed over-optimistic to me. However, I now believe the rapid advancement of AI acts as a “framework technology” that could finally bootstrap the progress of other extropian dreams like nanotechnology, life extension, and mind uploading. Natasha agreed, noting that while not every forecast came true exactly as imagined, the underlying “architecture” of those early conversations was correct.
We discussed the status of molecular manufacturing. While I observed a shift toward more conservative “atomic precision manufacturing,” Natasha remains a visionary for the potential of assembling and disassembling matter at the molecular level. She pointed out that AI is now solving the complex mathematical problems that once stalled nanotechnology, potentially leading to major leaps in nanomedicine and regenerative cellular manufacturing.
We touched on the current cultural climate, including “woke” mentality, the “witch hunts” that have targeted figures like Nick Bostrom, and the fact that many people now feel the need to apologize for contacts they had with Jeffrey Epstein long before his questionable activities were known.
Natasha shared her perspective on a recent debate she hosted featuring Eliezer Yudkowsky, who has shifted toward a “doomer” stance on AI. She criticized his reliance on frightening metaphors and absolute negativity, arguing instead for critical thinking and a focus on how we can adapt, adopt, and evolve alongside AI.
Looking toward the future, I mentioned a recent milestone that may be a precursor to mind uploading: the integration of a fruit fly’s connectome with a simulated robotic body. Natasha envisions a future where we coexist across multiple substrates, emphasizing that she does not wish to leave the body behind but rather to upgrade and augment it.
Finally, we discussed the origins of cryptocurrency on the Extropians list and its future pathways toward sound money and decentralized coordination. We concluded by reflecting on our political evolution, moving toward a “classic liberal” sensibility that prioritizes inquiry and long-term human flourishing over the tribalism and grievances that dominate today’s discourse.
