O'Shaughnessy Ventures

The world creates moments when philosophy matters. 250 years ago, America's founders turned philosophy into law. The Cosmos Institute officially launches today to tackle the challenge of: ?? Translating philosophy into code, to promote human flourishing. Today, our revolutionary AI moment demands this from us. The AI debate is hyper-polarized: Existential pessimists warn that AI's rise will bring humanity down. Accelerationists look to humanity's eclipse as the dawn of a new age. Both extremes overlook what it means to flourish. ? To address this, I took an unconventional path: Nightly, after tucking in my kids, I dove into Mill, Tocqueville, and Aristotle. Why? To rediscover the pillars that would anchor AI to human flourishing. ? The world needs a new kind of "philosopher-technologist." Individuals who are capable of philosophizing about code and coding philosophical insights. ? How can we cultivate them? Through four key initiatives: ? 1. The Human-Centered AI Lab (HAI Lab) at the University of Oxford: ? Pioneering the "philosophy-to-code" pipeline. Led by the inaugural McCord Professor of Philosophy and AI, Philipp Koralus (https://koralus.net). Embedding concepts such as reason, decentralization, and human autonomy into open-source AI systems. ? 2. The Cosmos Fellowship: ? Uniting AI expertise and philosophical insight by identifying individuals capable of mastering both domains and giving them the right environment, resources, and community. ? Apply by December 1st. ? 3. Cosmos Ventures: ? Fast grants focused on AI x human flourishing prototypes, inspired by Cosmos Founding Fellow Tyler Cowen's Emergent Ventures. Seeking provocative prototypes that challenge conventional wisdom. ? First public round closes November 1st. ? 4. Educational Journeys: ? The future is about intelligent tools--but grasping their philosophical implications is as vital as knowing how to build them. Oxford seminars bridging classic texts + cutting-edge AI, unique debates, reading groups on tech's intellectual roots, and more. ? Together, these initiatives form a dynamic ecosystem for thinkers and builders at every stage of their journey: From early-stage experimentation with Cosmos Ventures, to deep research through the Cosmos Fellowship and HAI Lab, and education throughout. ? Here's how to join: ? 1. Engage: ? Subscribe to our Substack (link in comments) 2. Contribute: ? Participate in our essay contest (coming soon--October 1st deadline)? ? Express interest in the spring Oxford AI x Philosophy seminar 3. Apply: ? Become a Cosmos Fellow (December 1st deadline) ? Apply for Cosmos Ventures grant (November 1st deadline) 4. Support: ? Support Cosmos Institute, a 501c3 non-profit ? Join our team ? We’re at a pivotal point in history, taking first steps into the unknown. Help us build AI systems that: ? Extend human reason ? Decentralize innovation and control ? Reinforce, not erode, human autonomy

Quick announcement - I have 5 days to raise funds to to make the first deposit of rare language materials from endangered/extinct languages into the Arctic World Archive. We've got $1,300 committed so far. This is one of the first huge steps on our mission to preserve the world's languages at Lingua Aeterna. We're depositing language data (books, speeches, videos) that will be soon lost into 1000 year storage for future humans. We do this because language is culture and it's a way of thinking that can never be reproduced once it's gone. It's also a source of incredible research on the history of human beings and the nature of our consciousness. Help me out, all of this money is going to the specialized film and storage costs, none to me or anyone else in the organization. Be a part of history! And, if you do donate, I'll let you choose any book you like to save for future humans. Please send this to the biggest language nerds you know. And, if you have any questions, please reach out! I love talking about this project. Go fund me link: https://lnkd.in/gZ4h_QzF