Antikythera

Antikythera at MIT introduces Antikythera’s work on the philosophy of planetary computation to the Cambridge community through a series of events from October 23rd-25th, 2024 at MIT Media Lab. Events include keynote lecture by Benjamin Bratton on Antikythera: A Speculative Philosophy of Planetary Computation on Wednesday, October 23rd, followed by Planetary Sapience, a symposium on Friday, October 25th. During the symposium, leading voices from astrophysics, artificial intelligence, biology, and design will reflect on computational technologies and planetary intelligence. The symposium previews work from the forthcoming Antikythera digital journal and book series produced in partnership with MIT Press. Register for both events at https://lnkd.in/dYw-jByc

"What is today called “artificial intelligence” should be counted as a Copernican Trauma in the making. Trauma brings grief. Kübler-Ross’s stages of grief provide a useful typology of the Western theory of AI... Each contains a kernel of truth and wisdom as well as neurosis and self-deception." Antikythera Director Benjamin Bratton in his article for Noema uses Kubler-Ross's schema to map how AI Denial, AI Anger, AI Bargaining, AI Depression, and AI Acceptance derive from the real and imagined implications of AI. Read the full article on Noema: https://lnkd.in/dycjiNgm

As AI becomes both more general and more foundational, it should be seen not only as a disembodied virtual brain but as a real, material force. AI is embedded into the active, decision-making processes of real world systems. As cognition becomes infrastructural, infrastructure becomes cognitive. Join Antikythera for a keynote lecture with Director Benjamin Bratton on Cognitive Infrastructures: Synthetic Intelligence in the Wild on Wednesday, July 3, 6pm at Central Saint Martins in London. Register here: https://lnkd.in/dJnzuAnr

What does it mean to ask machine intelligence to “align” to human wishes and self-image? Is this a useful tactic for design, or a dubious metaphysics that obfuscates how intelligence as a whole might evolve? Antikythera’s Director Benjamin Bratton presented new thinking and research on a post-alignment paradigm at Central Saint Martins’ in July 2023. Watch the full film and read the transcript at https://lnkd.in/df7b4hH7

OPEN CALL: Antikythera’s Hemispherical Stacks research area charts the ongoing shift toward multipolar geopolitics and the segmentation of planetary computation. From May-December, Futures of Multipolar Computation will bring together 12-20 interdisciplinary researchers to meet monthly in a virtual working group to think through key themes and potential near-term future scenarios related to planetary computation and geopolitics. Key Research Topics include: - Sovereign Data: Production of data as sovereign claim - Foundational Models: AI as national security resource - Chip Wars: Adversarial computation supply chains - Astropolitics: Extraplanetary sensing and computation - Cloud States: De-linking territory and governance - Institutional Futurism: Near-term futures mapping Participants will receive a research stipend and outcomes may be included in one or more of Antikythera’s publication platforms with MIT Press. Writers and researchers with expertise in technology, international relations, science fiction, design, geopolitics, and law are encouraged to apply. Apply by April 12: https://lnkd.in/dDYFzQeM

OPEN CALL: Antikythera’s Hemispherical Stacks research area charts the ongoing shift toward multipolar geopolitics and the segmentation of planetary computation. From May-December, Futures of Multipolar Computation will bring together 12-20 interdisciplinary researchers to meet monthly in a virtual working group to think through key themes and potential near-term future scenarios related to planetary computation and geopolitics. Key Research Topics include: - Sovereign Data: Production of data as sovereign claim - Foundational Models: AI as national security resource - Chip Wars: Adversarial computation supply chains - Astropolitics: Extraplanetary sensing and computation - Cloud States: De-linking territory and governance - Institutional Futurism: Near-term futures mapping Participants will receive a research stipend and outcomes may be included in one or more of Antikythera’s publication platforms with MIT Press. Writers and researchers with expertise in technology, international relations, science fiction, design, geopolitics, and law are encouraged to apply. Apply by April 12: https://lnkd.in/dDYFzQeM

For those interested in AI & philosophy, Antikythera is hosting a funded interdisciplinary summer studio on synthetic intelligence in London in June/July. Apply by March 1st. Join the info-mixer with director Benjamin Bratton on Wednesday Feb 7th to find out more about the program and partners. https://lnkd.in/egzjJKQe RSVP to [email protected].

Antikythera is growing. Consider joining our core team. We are actively hiring for leadership positions in Operations & Media/Production roles. To learn more about Antikythera, a think tank reorienting planetary computation as a philosophical, technological and geopolitical force, visit: https://antikythera.org/ To apply for an opportunity to help scale our mission and work, visit: https://lnkd.in/gduq_9xp