My mission
The Problem Identification
My journey with startups has always centered on growth and transformation rather than pursuing wealth. Eight months ago, a conversation with a friend over dinner sparked my interest in artificial intelligence (AI). This marked the beginning of a deeply personal odyssey, leading me to reevaluate my core beliefs and immerse myself in the world of AI, which ultimately clarified my mission and the path I must follow.
In the aftermath of our conversation, I contemplated the existential threat of artificial general intelligence (AGI). AGI promises remarkable societal progress, including curing terminal diseases and generating countless other advancements. However, it also has the potential to outpace and even destroy us. The realization that AGI will inevitably transform our world led me to conclude that we must ensure this change is positive.
As AI advances and AGI looms closer, humanity faces significant disorientation. Our value systems, the shared beliefs, and norms that inform our decisions and actions will be intensely scrutinized. With AI becoming increasingly capable of tasks such as creating art and music, people may struggle to find meaning and question the worth of their creations compared to AI-generated works. Traditional value systems, centered on popularity, wealth, authenticity, and human connections, will be challenged as AGI threatens the concept of scarcity and authenticity.
Though these issues are complex and deeply personal, as each person's quest for meaning and value is unique, it is crucial to recognize that our shared value systems form the foundation of our society. These value systems serve as objective measures that maintain order and cohesion among people. However, as AGI emerges and challenges traditional notions of scarcity and authenticity, these value systems may falter, leading to social disruption and disarray. To navigate the uncertainty ahead, we must confront these challenges collectively and explore ways to adapt our shared value systems to the rapidly changing landscape shaped by AGI.
The Mission
While solutions like Universal Basic Income (UBI) have been proposed, I believe they only provide a partial answer. Our value systems face several possible trajectories:
- Devolution: Reject innovation to preserve the status quo.
- Adaptation: Implement temporary solutions, such as UBI.
- Transcendence: Disrupt value systems to trigger a paradigm shift.
Chess is a prime example of how human values can prevail over AI superiority. Despite AI's domination in the game, it is a human competition that continues to capture our attention and admiration. We inherently value human feats over AI accomplishments, as our programming is to appreciate and celebrate human triumphs. The rise of AGI cannot alter this fundamental aspect of our nature, reminding us that human values still hold significance in an AI-driven world.
With this glimmer of hope and general understanding, I am dedicated to helping humanity discover meaning and value in an increasingly unpredictable world. This is my mission.
I intend to address this challenge by actualizing the third outcome. At Waymont, we strive to create groundbreaking technology that shapes the future of human values. I'll elaborate further in a subsequent post, but blockchain technology is key to scaling scarcity and authenticity in an AI-driven world, thus creating new value systems. Our approach consists of the following steps:
- Develop tools for innovative blockchain-based value systems, starting with Custody. (Current step)
- Build the financial infrastructure necessary to support these blockchain-based value systems.
- Establish the foundation for entirely new value systems.
I share my thoughts to initiate dialogue, make a public commitment, and invite scrutiny. Few challenges warrant the world's attention, and I am convinced this is one of them. I welcome competing ideas and diverse approaches, as our collective triumph as humanity is our ultimate objective. If you're contemplating any of this, let's join forces to shape a future that harnesses AGI's potential while preserving the essence of what makes us human.