The Peter McCormack Show
#222 - David Wood - We are The Last Generation Of Normal Humans
- The smartphone revolution and Symbian OS: David Wood was part of pioneering the first successful smartphones in the 1990s–2000s but failed to predict social media addiction, suicidal ideation, and algorithmic radicalization tied to these devices.
- AI safety and autonomy risks: Unconstrained AI poses existential threats if allowed to become too autonomous; narrow, monitored AI with guardrails can deliver benefits without catastrophic downside.
- Longevity escape velocity and biological aging: Near-term treatments could let people reverse aging and choose their lifespan; almost everyone alive today might access these within years if pursued wisely.
- Governance and institutional reform: International oversight bodies (analogous to the IAEA) and embedded auditors are needed; current institutions are unfit for purpose and politics must move beyond partisan ideology.
- The transition period: Society faces a critical gap between AI capability and equitable distribution of abundance; health-span gaps, job displacement, and wealth concentration pose immediate risks.
- Simulation theory and existential uncertainty: We may live in a simulation; regardless, we should act to maximize flourishing in this world rather than speculate on escape.