Shows
The Do It PodcastHow Ideas Evolve – Dennis HackethalDennis Hackethal, philosopher and author of A Window on Intelligence, joins me to discuss how human creativity evolved, how it differs from animal cognition, the role of emotions and values in the mind, and the connections between objectivism and critical rationalism—plus much more.Note: Some segments were re-recorded due to technical issues, resulting in occasional overlap.📚 Mentioned Resources00:00 – Dennis Hackethal – A Window on Intelligencehttps://www.windowonintelligence.com/01:30 – The Neo-Darwinian Theory of the Mindhttps://blog.dennishackethal.com/posts/the-neo-darwinian-theory-of-the-mind06:26 – Karl Popper – Objective Knowledge (Appendix: The Bucket and the Searchl...
2025-07-041h 32
Do Explain with Christofer Lövgren#34 - Sentience, with Walter Veit, Dennis Hackethal, and Matt GuttmanChristofer, Walter Veit, Dennis Hackethal, and Matt Guttman speak about whether animals are sentient in this episode of Do Explain. Walter argues "yes", Dennis argues "no" and Matt argues that the hard problem really is hard. They discuss the difference between sentience and consciousness, the special way humans learn, consciousness as a binary jump vs. gradually evolving, animals as mere robots, information processing and computation, the hard problem of consciousness, anthropomorphism, panpsychism, different animal behaviors, and other related topics.Walter Veit is a theoretical scientist and philosopher with interests stretching widely across science and philosophy...
2021-11-012h 21
The Theory of AnythingEpisode 14: Theories of Artificial General IntelligenceBruce and Cameo are joined by Dennis Hackethal, Ella Hoeppner, and Thatchaphol Saranurak as we discuss Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
In part 3, each of the guests talks about their own theories about Artificial General Intelligence and where they are taking their research.
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Link to "Evolution is exponentially more powerful with frequency-dependent selection" paper.
2021-01-1728 min
The Theory of AnythingEpisode 13: Objections to Artificial General IntelligenceBruce and Cameo are joined by Dennis Hackethal, Ella Hoeppner, and Thatchaphol Saranurak as we discuss Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
In part 2, among other things, we discuss various objections people make to AGI and why they can't be correct due to the existence of universality. We also discuss what a "Universal Explainer" is and if it is possible to create a quantum "oracle machine" which is a computer that can compute things that the Turning machine can't.
2021-01-1029 min
The Theory of AnythingEpisode 12: Artificial Intelligence vs Artificial General IntelligenceIn the last episode, we showed that Artificial General Intelligence was possible according to the laws of physics. This episode is part 1 of a 3-part panel discussion among computer scientists interested in AGI. Bruce and Cameo are joined by Dennis Hackethal, Ella Hoeppner, and Thatchaphol Saranurak -- all interested in both AGI and Karl Popper's epistemology and believe Popper's theories can shed light on how to discover AGI.
In part 1, we discuss how AI (Artificial Intelligence) differs from AGI (Artificial General Intelligence).
2021-01-0337 min
Artificial Creativity20 – Of Schools, Altruism, and LockdownsOriginal blog post: https://blog.dennishackethal.com/2020/11/12/the-true-purpose-of-schools.html
Interview with Ayn Rand about altruism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RFlPmjUbRo
2020-11-1918 minArtificial Creativity19 - Viral PhilosophyImportant: Read medical disclaimer at the bottom before listening
Today I’m speaking with Nick Hudson. He is the co-founder of the South African organization PANDA—Pandemics Data and Analytics—which, as stated on their website, “provide[s] decision makers calculated data on the virus’ cost on SA livelihoods.” Nick and I cover what is known about the virus and the disastrous effects of lockdown policies on people and businesses. We explore how bad epistemology and political philosophy lead to tangible harm in society, and how we *should* treat each other during this pandemic instead. I learned a lot—some questions that...
2020-11-141h 21Artificial Creativity18 - A Popperian Evaluation Of Neuralink‘s PresentationApplying some of Karl Popper's and David Deutsch's ideas to analyze and evaluate Elon Musk's recent Neuralink presentation and the Q&A afterward. Throwing some of my own ideas into the mix as well. Errors mine.
If you enjoyed this episode, follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dchackethal
References
- The original presentation and Q&A: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVvmgjBL74w
- The neo-Darwinian theory of the mind (written article): https://medium.com/conjecture-magazine/the-neo-darwinian-theory-of-the-mind-d84c0bcc6485
- The neo-Darwinian theory of the mind (read out loud): https://soundcloud.com/dchacke/16-the-neo-darwinian-theory-of-the-mind
- David Deutsch’s in...
2020-09-0600 minArtificial Creativity17 - Richard Dawkins vs Bret WeinsteinA commentary on a debate between Richard Dawkins and Bret Weinstein.
The soundbites are from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYzU-DoEV6k
The interview with Weinstein I later reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm8FksjlJtM
Other references:
- The neo-Darwinian theory of the mind: https://medium.com/conjecture-magazine/the-neo-darwinian-theory-of-the-mind-d84c0bcc6485
- David Deutsch's "The Beginning of Infinity": https://www.amazon.com/Beginning-Infinity-Explanations-Transform-World/dp/0143121359/
- Richard Dawkins' "The Selfish Gene": https://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Gene-Anniversary-Landmark-Paperback/dp/B0722G5V92/
- David Deutsch's "What is Computation? (How) Does Nature Compute?": https://legacy.cs.indiana.edu/~dgerman...
2020-07-2600 minArtificial Creativity16 - The Neo-Darwinian Theory of The MindA reading of my article of the same name (https://medium.com/conjecture-magazine/the-neo-darwinian-theory-of-the-mind-d84c0bcc6485?source=friends_link&sk=833a1ac51009d680ed948428dbabd460).
References:
- Dawkins, Richard. 2016. The Selfish Gene. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Apple Books.
- Deutsch, David. 2012. The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations that Transform the World. New York: Penguin Press.
- Hackethal, Dennis. 2020a. A Conversation with William Paley. https://gumroad.com/l/a-conversation-with-william-paley.
- Hackethal, Dennis. 2020b. “A Window on Intelligence, with Dennis Hackethal.” Do Explain with Christofer Lövgren. https://soundcloud.com/doexplain/11-a-window-on-intelligence-with-dennis-hackethal. Released March 21, 2020.
- Hackethal, Dennis. 2020c. A Window on Intelligence: The P...
2020-07-2500 minArtificial Creativity15 - Theories of AGIToday I’m speaking with Ella Hoeppner. Ella is a software engineer and independent AGI researcher. We’ve been discussing all things AGI for a while now and I wanted to have her on the podcast to present her theory of AGI and also to discuss a disagreement we’ve had about the role of replicators in any theory of AGI. Since we both spend a fair amount of time criticizing each other’s theories, you may get more out of this episode if you familiarize yourself with my neo-Darwinian theory of the mind first, which I have laid out both on...
2020-07-0200 minArtificial Creativity14 - The Leviathan Has No ClothesToday I have my first guest on the podcast. His name is Logan Chipkin. Logan is a freelance writer and ghostwriter in Philadelphia, and he is an expert on what is called anarcho-capitalism, also known as voluntarism. We talk about this concept, which he describes as the recognition that all services governments provide could be provided cheaper and better by the free market, and that the government is morally illegitimate. We also cover some of the work on coercion that can be found on the Taking Children Seriously homepage, and we explore some of the effects coercion has on society...
2020-06-2400 min
Do Explain with Christofer Lövgren#11 - A Window on Intelligence, with Dennis HackethalChristofer and intelligence researcher Dennis Hackethal speak about his new book, 'A Window on Intelligence', about the philosophy of people and why we need a unification of philosophy and software engineering to continue making progress in various fields, in this episode of Do Explain. They discuss problems with current AI-research and potential solutions, the biological evolution of intelligence, why animals aren't intelligent or conscious, open problems with Popperian epistemology, psychotherapy as a software engineering problem, how to think about space travel, and other related topics. "A Window on Intelligence" is available for purchase now on Amazon, and soon on...
2020-03-221h 43
Artificial Creativity13 - Introducing: A Window on IntelligenceMy book "A Window on Intelligence: The Philosophy of People, Software, and Evolution – and Its Implications" is now available worldwide, anywhere you can buy books.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Window-Intelligence-Philosophy-Evolution-Implications/dp/1734696133/
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/a-window-on-intelligence/id1521189408
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-window-on-intelligence-dennis-hackethal/1136656305
It is aimed at the general reader. Learn more: https://www.windowonintelligence.com/
From the back cover:
The human mind is the single most powerful entity in the universe. Yet we have made no progress in our efforts to simulate it as artificial general intelligence. Why is that?
In this ca...
2020-03-2100 min2020-03-1600 min2020-03-1000 minArtificial Creativity12 Value AlignmentAn impromptu episode about the question of how to ensure an AGI does "the right thing," known as "value alignment."
2020-03-0600 min2020-03-0300 min
Do Explain with Christofer Lövgren#2 - Why Worrying About AI Is Racist, with Dennis HackethalChristofer and software engineer Dennis Hackethal speak about everything to do with Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) in this episode of Do Explain. They discuss the problem of induction and how knowledge grows, the difference between AI and AGI, issues with current research approaches, the universality of computation, AI-risk, and other related topics. Dennis Hackethal is a software engineer and intelligence researcher in Silicon Valley, California. He hosts a podcast called Artificial Creativity about how to create AGI and can also be found on Twitter:Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/dchackeTwitter: https://twitter...
2019-10-101h 36Artificial Creativity11 Sam Harris And Judea PearlReferences:
“Making Sense” podcast episode with Sam Harris and Judea Pearl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNDvhFbMD0s
Popper, “Objective Knowledge”
- Chapter 1 “Conjectural Knowledge: My Solution of the Problem of Induction”
- Chapter 7 “Evolution and the Tree of Knowledge”
Popper, “Conjectures and Refutations”, chapter 1 “Science: Conjectures and Refutations”
David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapter 2 “Closer to Reality”
2019-08-0900 minArtificial Creativity10 Of Books and CodeReferences:
David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”:
- Chapter 1, “The Reach of Explanations”
- Chapter 2, “Closer to Reality”
- Chapter 6, “The Jump to Universality”
- Chapter 7, “Artificial Creativity”
Facebook research on open-endedness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4500&v=g6HiuEnbwJE
OpenAI press release about Microsoft investment: https://openai.com/blog/microsoft/
2019-07-2800 minArtificial Creativity09 The Problem Of SpecificationReferences:
- David Deutsch, “How Close Are We to Creating Artificial Intelligence”, https://aeon.co/essays/how-close-are-we-to-creating-artificial-intelligence
- David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapter 7, “Artificial Creativity”
- Karl Popper, “Of Cloud and Clocks”, chapter 6 of “Objective Knowledge”
- Brett Hall on David’s chapter “Artificial Creativity” in “The Beginning of Infinity” part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taRSfDmBwts and part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIwZLL67V68 (part 2 especially goes into remaining problems with evolutionary algorithms I have outlined)
- John Koza, “Genetic Programming”, chapter 9: “Nonrandomness of Genetic Programming” and chapter 28: “Spontaneous Emergence of Self-Replicating and Evolutionarily Self-Improving Computer Programs”
If yo...
2019-07-2200 minArtificial Creativity08 ProblemsReferences
- David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapter 1, “The Reach of Explanations”
- Karl Popper, “The Unknown Xenophanes” (in “The World of Parmenides”)
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here or tweet at me: twitter.com/dchackethal
2019-07-0900 minArtificial Creativity07 Q&AFurther reading:
David Deutsch: “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapter 1, “The Reach of Explanations”
Karl Popper:
- On verisimilitude: “Conjectures and Refutations”, chapter “Truth, Rationality, and the Growth of Knowledge”, section “Truth and Content: Verisimilitude versus Probability”
- On the conflation of probability and verisimilitude: “Back to the Presocratics”
- On problems with verisimilitude: “Objective Knowledge” appendix 2
2019-06-1700 min
Artificial Creativity06 Function ReplicationThis episode relies heavily on video components, so you’ll want to watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRaR3LOn1JQ
References
- David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapter 16, “The Evolution of Creativity”
Further reading
- David Deutsch, “The Fabric of Reality”
- David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapter 7, “Artificial Creativity”
2019-05-2500 minArtificial Creativity05 Knowledge in Computer ProgramsThis episode relies heavily on video components, so you’ll want to watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHR6roiZjQ8
Apologies for the audio quality in this episode; it varies and cuts out sometimes.
References
- David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity” chapter 10, “A Dream of Socrates”
Stephen Hawking, “A Brief History of Time”
- David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity” chapter 7, “Artificial Creativity”
- David Deutsch, “The Fabric of Reality” chapter 6, “Universality and the Limits of Computation”
Further reading
- QuickCheck: http://hackage.haskell.org/package/QuickCheck
- “Turtles all the way down” concept: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtles_all...
2019-05-1800 minArtificial Creativity04 How Do We Know?References:
David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapters:
- 1 “The Reach of Explanations”
- 4 “Creation”
- 15 “The Evolution of Culture”
- 16 “The Evolution of Creativity”
Further reading:
- Karl Popper, “Back to the Presocratics”
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here or tweet at me: twitter.com/dchackethal
2019-05-1400 minArtificial Creativity03 The Current State Of AGI ResearchReferences:
- David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapter 6 “The Jump to Universality”
- David Deutsch, "Creative Blocks: How Close are We to Creating Artificial Intelligence?": https://aeon.co/essays/how-close-are-we-to-creating-artificial-intelligence
- David Deutsch, CBC interview from 2018 about AGI: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1251489859794
- John Koza’s website: http://www.genetic-programming.com/johnkoza.html
- https://openai.com/
- https://deepmind.com/about/
Further reading:
- David Deutsch, “The Beginning of Infinity”, chapter 1 “The Reach of Explanations”, and chapter 6 “The Jump to Universality”
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here or tweet at me: https://twitter.com/dc
2019-05-0900 minArtificial Creativity02 On The Alleged "Dangers" Of AI And DisambiguationReferences:
- Pessimist's Archive on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PessimistsArc
- David Deutsch, "Creative Blocks: How Close are We to Creating Artificial Intelligence?": https://aeon.co/essays/how-close-are-we-to-creating-artificial-intelligence
- David Deutsch, CBC interview from 2018 about AGI: https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1251489859794
Further reading:
- “The Bucket and the Searchlight” by Karl Popper
- “The Beginning of Infinity” by David Deutsch, chapter 1 “The Reach of Explanations”, and chapter 6 “The Jump to Universality”
If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here or tweet at me: https://twitter.com/dchackethal
2019-05-0700 minArtificial Creativity01 IntroductionIntroduction to the podcast about artificial creativity.
David Deutsch: https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/
David Deutsch's "The Beginning of Infinity": https://www.daviddeutsch.org.uk/books/the-beginning-of-infinity/
Brett Hall's Youtube account (recommended resource to understand "The Beginning of Infinity" better): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmP5H2rF-ER33a58ZD5jCig
2019-05-0700 min