Highlights: #213 – Will MacAskill on AI causing a “century in a decade” — and how we’re completely unprepared

Highlights: #213 – Will MacAskill on AI causing a “century in a decade” — and how we’re completely unprepared

Author: The 80,000 Hours team March 25, 2025 Duration: 33:35

The 20th century saw unprecedented change: nuclear weapons, satellites, the rise and fall of communism, third-wave feminism, the internet, postmodernism, game theory, genetic engineering, the Big Bang theory, quantum mechanics, birth control, and more. Now imagine all of it compressed into just 10 years.

That’s the future Will MacAskill — philosopher and researcher at the Forethought Centre for AI Strategy — argues we need to prepare for in his new paper “Preparing for the intelligence explosion.” Not in the distant future, but probably in three to seven years.

These highlights are from episode #213 of The 80,000 Hours Podcast: Will MacAskill on AI causing a “century in a decade” — and how we’re completely unprepared, and include:

  • Rob's intro (00:00:00)
  • A century of history crammed into a decade (00:00:17)
  • What does a good future with AGI even look like? (00:04:48)
  • AI takeover might happen anyway — should we rush to load in our values? (00:09:29)
  • Lock-in is plausible where it never was before (00:14:40)
  • ML researchers are feverishly working to destroy their own power (00:20:07)
  • People distrust utopianism for good reason (00:24:30)
  • Non-technological disruption (00:29:18)
  • The 3 intelligence explosions (00:31:10)

These aren't necessarily the most important or even most entertaining parts of the interview — so if you enjoy this, we strongly recommend checking out the full episode!

And if you're finding these highlights episodes valuable, please let us know by emailing podcast@80000hours.org

Highlights put together by Simon Monsour, Milo McGuire, and Dominic Armstrong


From the team behind 80,000 Hours comes 80k After Hours, a companion podcast that ventures beyond the main feed's structured career advice. Here, the researchers and producers gather for more informal, wide-ranging conversations that reflect their ongoing curiosities. You'll hear discussions that dig into the nuances of effective altruism, grapple with complex ideas in philosophy and policy, and explore unexpected topics in culture and science-all through the lens of how we might better understand and improve the world. The tone is conversational and exploratory, often feeling like you're listening in on a lively lunch debate among experts who don't take themselves too seriously. While the core mission of finding impactful ways to do good remains, this podcast allows for the tangents, personal reflections, and deeper dives that don't always fit a standard format. It’s a space for the team to think out loud, test arguments, and share the interesting, sometimes quirky, material they're engaging with in their own work. For listeners of the main show, it offers valuable background and new perspectives; for newcomers, it provides an accessible entry point into a community of ideas focused on practical problem-solving and self improvement. Tune in for a blend of thoughtful documentary-style analysis, societal deep dives, and candid chats that aim to be both intellectually substantive and genuinely enjoyable.
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