If we are confronted with alien First Contact in our solar
system someday we will have to confront more than just the unknown. We will
have to confront our inner nature. Do we spasm in fear as a human civilization
and seek to protect ourselves at all costs? Do we allow greed and fear to
create international chaos through conflict between nations?
It may be tough to get people to take that internal
exploration seriously. We will be excited and focused on learning as much as we
can about the alien perspective. Dedicated anthropologists and futurists will
need to do the internal work and then help to prepare a roadmap for humanity.
Luckily, there are already science-based groups doing this
sort of thinking. The Future of Life Institute (FLI) at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology is one such organization. It is led by M.I.T Physics
professor Max Tegmark, Skype founder Jann Tallinn, and UC Santa Cruz Physics
professor Anthony Aguirre. They focus on the human challenges in four major areas:
Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Nuclear Weapons and Climate.
The FLI scientific advisory board is an example of the range
of expertise such think tanks enjoy. Advisors come from fields of study including
business, genetics, brain science and artificial intelligence.
Oxford University professor Nick Bostrom is on the FLI
board. His group, Future of Humanity Institute (FHI) at Oxford, focuses on many
of the same topics with an emphasis on AI governance. They too consider
existential risks such as climate change and nuclear proliferation, pointing
out that such anthropogenic threats are immediate and wide-spread for humanity.
Other groups covering the same intellectual territory
include the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute (GCRI) and the Centre for the
Study of Existential Risk (CSER).
It is interesting to note that these organizations don’t
consider the impact of First Contact with extraterrestrials. While I understand
that the man-made challenges of climate change, nuclear war and run-amok
artificial intelligence are much bigger threats, it is concerning that very few
people are considering First Contact risks.
Groups such as these would be our second responders in a
First Contact event. They may not be involved in the initial study, but their
expertise in looking forward would be critical After First Contact. It could be
disastrous to stumble into the future without an assessment of risk and a plan
for positive development. Let’s just hope that world leaders understand this
need if First Contact does occur in the future.
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