Dear Singularitarians,

The advent of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) promises to revolutionize our world, helping address some of our most pressing challenges and materially transforming what it means to be human in a positive way.

At SingularityNET, we are actively working to create decentralized, benevolent AGI for the benefit of humanity and all sentient beings.

As we move closer and closer to that goal with every passing day, it’s clear to us that AGI looms on the horizon.

However, this incredible potential to reshape our world demands a deeper inquiry — what exactly constitutes “benefit?”

During the kick-off episode of the BGI24 pre-event series, our CEO Dr. Ben Goertzel, and HyperCycle CMO, Ibby Benali, discussed the vision and motivation behind holding the BGI Summit, highlighting some of the key aspects of the conceptualization of “benefit” and its evolving role in society.

The Conceptualization of Benefit

“There is a broad desire for AGI to be ethical and beneficial for all humanity; the most straightforward way to achieve this seems to be for AGI to “grow up” in the context of serving and being guided by all humanity, or as good an approximation as can be mustered.”

Dr. Ben Goertzel’s “Beneficial AGI Manifesto”

If we want to create beneficial AGI, we must first decide what “benefit” truly means. But benefit is subjective and constantly evolving, meaning what is considered beneficial changes over time and may differ between individuals and groups.

What constitutes a beneficial outcome in the context of AGI is both a deeply philosophical question and a practical challenge. In their conversation, Dr. Ben Goertzel and Ibby Benali explored various interpretations of what it means for AGI to be beneficial.

Most notably, Dr. Ben Goertzel identified three key values for beneficial AGI: joy, growth, and choice.

Naturally, this means that developing a beneficial AGI will require a multifaceted approach to understanding and guiding its impact on society. It also emphasizes the need for inclusive discussions and decision-making processes that consider a wide, diverse set of perspectives on what constitutes “benefit.”

Moving toward a more democratic, decentralized, and participatory approach would be important for us to understand what “benefit” constitutes. And the more diverse that set of perspectives is, the closer we can achieve true benefit for all.

The Evolving Role of Artificial General Intelligence in Society

“The socioeconomic disruptions wrought by AGI and then ASI will be significant and ultimately extreme. There is particular reason to be concerned about the situation in the developing world during the rollout of increasingly capable pre-HL AGIs but before the advent of full HLAGIs. But the potential for significant temporary disruptions should not distract us from the incredible potential AGI has to improve human lives around the globe.”

Dr. Ben Goertzel’s “Beneficial AGI Manifesto”

As AGI evolves from a futuristic concept into a tangible reality, its potential to serve as a force for good in the world is becoming increasingly prevalent — but so does its potential to be a catalyst for unintended consequences.

How we navigate the advent of AGI will determine the extent to which it acts as a catalyst for positive transformation versus a source of disruption.

History has shown us that while some reap significant rewards from technological advancements, many, on the other hand, are left behind.

That’s why the evolving role of AGI in society demands a nuanced, proactive approach that balances innovation with inclusivity, ensuring that its benefits are widely distributed and aligned with humanity’s broader aspirations.

It’s our collective duty to ensure equitable access to the benefits of AGI, particularly for developing nations and disadvantaged communities. We have to strive to protect AGI from bad actors who may attempt to misuse it for harmful purposes.

Decentralized governance structures are a potential solution to many of the pressing challenges in AGI development. Through the decentralization and democratization of AGI, we will be able to allow everyone to have a say in how this technology is developed and implemented (and we will also allow its benefits to be reaped by society as a whole instead of a privileged few).

But this can’t happen without you, your voice, and your participation.

The Road Ahead

As we navigate the complexities of an evolving world, defining and achieving “benefit” will require constant dialogue and collaboration.

That’s why we need *you* to get involved and join the conversation.

The BGI discussions highlight the importance of considering diverse perspectives, fostering inclusive governance, and prioritizing ethical considerations as we shape the future with technologies like AGI.

The journey towards a truly beneficial future requires continuous introspection (and collective action), so together, we can ensure that progress serves all of humanity, not just a privileged few.

We are bringing together leading AI experts at the upcoming Beneficial AGI Summit & Unconference to explore how to catalyze the emergence of beneficial Artificial General Intelligence. The knowledge, experience, and expertise of all attendees will be invaluable in ensuring that our development of advanced AI will lead to broadly beneficial outcomes.

This substantial undertaking by SingularityNET, TrueAGI, and HyperCycle promises mainstage keynotes and panel discussions, technology workshops, one-on-one meetings, networking opportunities, and immersive experiences — both in-person and virtually.

Register now and join the BGI conversation at https://bgi24.ai/