ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ก.ค. 2024
- Learn how to use philosophy to run your business more effectively
Reid Hoffman thinks a masters in philosophy will help you run your business better than an MBA.
Reid is a founder, investor, podcaster, and author. But before he did any of these things, he studied philosophy-and it changed the way he thinks.
Studying philosophy trains you to think deeply about truth, human nature, and the meaning of life. It helps you see the big picture and reason through complex problems-invaluable skills for founders grappling with existential questions about their business.
I usually bring guests onto my podcast to discuss the actionable ways in which people have incorporated ChatGPT into their lives. But this episode is different.
I sat down with Reid to tackle a deeper question: How is AI changing what it means to be human?
It was honestly one of the most meaningful shows I’ve recorded yet. We dive into:
- How philosophy prepares you to be a better founder
- The importance of interdisciplinary thinking
- Essentialism v. nominalism in the context of AI
- How language models are evolving to be more “essentialist”
- The co-evolution of humans and technology
Reid also shares actionable uses of ChatGPT for people who want to think more clearly, like:
- Input your argument and ask ChatGPT for alternative perspectives
- Generate custom explanations of complex ideas
- Leverage ChatGPT as an on-demand research assistant
This episode is a must-watch for anyone curious about some of the bigger questions prompted by the rapid development of AI.
If you found this episode interesting, please like, subscribe, comment, and share!
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Thanks again to our sponsor CommandBar, the first AI user assistance platform, for helping make this video possible.
www.commandbar.com/copilot/
Timestamps:
00:01:58 - Introduction
00:04:35 - Why philosophy will make you a better founder
00:08:22 - The fundamental problem with “trolley problems”
00:14:27 - How AI is changing the essentialism v. nominalism debate
00:29:33 - Why embeddings align with nominalism
00:34:26 - How LLMs are being trained to reason better
00:44:52 - How technology changes the way we see ourselves and the world around us
00:46:24 - Why most psychology literature is wrong
00:52:46 - Why philosophers didn’t come up with AI
00:56:30 - How to use ChatGPT to be more philosophically inclined
Links to resources mentioned in the episode:
Reid Hoffman: / reidhoffman
The podcasts that Reid hosts: Possible (possible.fm) and Masters of Scale (mastersofscale.com/)
Reid’s book: Impromptu www.impromptubook.com/
The book Reid recommends if you want to be more philosophically inclined: Gödel, Escher, Bach www.amazon.com/G%C3%B6del-Esc...
Reid’s article in the Atlantic: "Technology Makes Us More Human" www.theatlantic.com/ideas/arc...
The book about why psychology literature is wrong: The WEIRDest People in the World by Joseph Henrich www.amazon.com/WEIRDest-Peopl...
The book about how culture is driving human evolution: The Secrets of Our Success by Joseph Henrich press.princeton.edu/books/pap...
Dan I can’t thank you enough for your work and this content. Like this episode thinking about ChatGPT through a philosophical lens and the episode with the psychiatrist who wrote one of your fav books, it’s super unique and fascinating. As we adopt this tech and as an early adopter, you are forcing us to think about it beyond our comfort zones much appreciated
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 *🤖 Philosophy's Role in Entrepreneurship*
- Philosophy aids in understanding possibilities and human nature.
- The importance of philosophical background in entrepreneurship, surpassing even an MBA.
- Exploration of how AI and technology modify our understanding of human nature.
01:00 *🌐 Advanced Chatbots and AI Integration*
- Introduction of AI-driven chatbots that function more like humans.
- Details about the Command Bar's capabilities, such as proactive assistance and user engagement on websites.
- Mention of companies using Command Bar, highlighting its business applications and benefits.
02:08 *📘 Reid Hoffman's Background and Philosophy Study*
- Overview of Reid Hoffman’s career and his studies in philosophy at Stanford and Oxford.
- Discussion of his deep interest in human thought, language, and the symbolic systems major.
- Philosophy's impact on his entrepreneurial vision and interdisciplinary approach.
03:31 *🧠 AI's Influence on Human Identity*
- How AI and technology reshape our understanding of being human.
- The potential enhancement of human creativity and intelligence through AI.
- Deep philosophical questions on the changing nature of human existence and perception.
06:14 *🏛️ Philosophy's Unanswerable Questions and Theories*
- Discussion on the enduring nature of philosophical questions through history.
- Philosophy as a foundation for science and other disciplines.
- The dynamic nature of philosophical inquiry and its relevance to technology and entrepreneurship.
08:06 *🚊 Trolley Problem Discussion and Thought Experiments*
- Examination of the trolley problem and its implications in ethical decision-making.
- The limitations and misuses of thought experiments in deriving moral principles.
- Reid Hoffman's unique perspective on approaching philosophical dilemmas.
10:08 *🗣️ Philosophy and Business: The Interplay*
- The application of philosophical principles in business strategy and decision-making.
- The contrast between essentialist and nominalist views in the context of AI development.
- The synthesis of these views in shaping contemporary technology and business practices.
13:08 *🎓 Interdisciplinary Studies and the Evolution of Academia*
- The critique of strict disciplinarianism in universities and the call for interdisciplinary studies.
- The importance of evolving academic disciplines to adapt to new challenges and technologies.
- How blending disciplines fosters innovation and deeper understanding in various fields.
16:09 *💭 The Future of Philosophy and AI*
- Exploration of the ongoing development of large language models and their philosophical implications.
- The role of AI in redefining truth, knowledge, and human discourse.
- The potential for AI to facilitate a new synthesis in philosophical and ethical reasoning.
21:25 *📖 Vickenstein's Philosophy and Truth Discovery*
- Discussion on the continuity and evolution in Vickenstein's philosophical approach regarding truth.
- Insights into how truth is dynamically discovered and articulated through language and social constructs.
- The transition from logical possibilities to the practical applications of language games in truth determination.
23:13 *🤖 Large Language Models and Human Cognition*
- Exploration of large language models' capabilities in mimicking human language patterns and learning processes.
- Comparison of AI's learning mechanisms with human cognition, focusing on the differences in biological and computational bases.
- The challenge of aligning AI’s operational logic with human truth functions for better reliability and applicability.
25:17 *🔍 Enhancing AI's Reasoning Abilities*
- Discussion on improving AI models to better grasp and utilize human-like reasoning in problem-solving.
- Challenges in AI reasoning highlighted through simple mathematical errors and their implications for AI development.
- Future goals for AI to better understand and process logical structures and truth conditions in language.
27:06 *🎓 Philosophical Underpinnings of AI Development*
- The interplay between early and late Vickenstein’s philosophies in the context of AI and language models.
- Analysis of language models through the lens of philosophical theories, emphasizing the practical utility of language in shaping AI.
- The significance of embeddings in AI, representing various meanings and contexts as part of AI's language understanding.
29:09 *🧠 AI, Logic, and Philosophy*
- Deep dive into the philosophical and logical foundations influencing AI development, particularly in understanding and using language.
- The role of embeddings and tokenization in AI’s capability to understand complex language structures and meanings.
- Philosophical implications of AI’s approach to language and truth, exploring potential enhancements through advanced logical frameworks.
44:03 *🧠 Impact of Technology on Human Perception and Truth*
- Exploration of how technology fundamentally alters our perception and interaction with truth.
- Discusses the profound impact of simple technologies like glasses on our daily perception.
- Highlights the transformative role of advanced technologies like microscopes and AI in shaping our understanding of the world.
46:06 *📚 Cultural Evolution and the Role of Technology*
- Discussion on the rapid pace of cultural evolution compared to biological or geological changes, facilitated by technology.
- Examines how reading and other forms of technology have historically shaped human societies and cognitive abilities.
- Proposes that AI and language models continue this trend by enhancing our ability to process and interactwith information.
48:08 *🤖 Augmentation of Human Capabilities through AI*
- Considers the potential of AI to augment rather than replace human capabilities, drawing parallels with historical technological advancements.
- Reflections on how AI could integrate into and transform modern societal frameworks similarly to past innovations like the printing press.
- Encourages a balanced view of AI, acknowledging both its potential benefits and inherent challenges.
50:13 *🌐 AI's Role in Accelerating Cultural and Digital Evolution*
- Discusses AI's potential to significantly accelerate cultural and digital evolution.
- Suggests practical applications of AI like personal assistants that enhance access to and engagement with vast amounts of information.
- Emphasizes the ongoing need for caution and critical engagement with AI technologies to ensure beneficial outcomes.
52:30 *🎓 Philosophical Implications of AI Development*
- Explores why AIemerged from engineering and computer science rather than philosophy.
- Advocates for a multidisciplinary approach to AI development, incorporating insights from philosophy to better understand and guide AI's impact on society.
- Suggests that philosophers engage more actively with technological fields to enrich both disciplines and foster deeper understanding.
Made with HARPA AI
Well, Reid Hoffman goes next to Joscha Bach and Stephen Wolfram in my book: if I try really hard, I understand about half of the things they say. 😅
Has anyone made a Trolly Problem test suite for LLMs?
no but sounds fun!
let's goooo
leggoooo
Not sure what happened here. Bring back Steph
How to think vs. what to think…
indeed!
WHY DID YOU ACCEPT MONIES AND DO BUSINESS WITH JEFFREY EPSTEIN?!
UNTIL THIS IS EXPLAINED….
HOFFMAN SHOULD SHUT TFU ABOUT AI!!!! 🤨⚔️🍷