Around the Web 33
Artificializing Intelligenceš§
Check out my latest AI newsletter: Īµ Pulse: Issue #19
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(For books I have read, reviewed, or currently read, go to the end of the newsletter)
[Talking Points]
šµFollow the money: AI edition
š Oldest known alphabetic writing.
š³Denmark wants to plant 10 billion trees.
š»š¦AI-generated 'digital twin' of St. Peter's Basilica.
š§What are Ice eggs and Pancake ice?
š„Jay Bhattacharya to lead NIH?
ā½The United States is the worldās largest oil producer.
[Longer Reads/Watch]
[I]: š§ Artificializing Intelligence.
One thing I have picked up, speaking to lots of scientists lately, is that many do not fundamentally understand the kind of revolution that is upon us in the context of progress in science. The reasoning that follows applies to almost all knowledge work. Many folks are still stuck to thinking of AI as a data analysis engine, a one-time inference engine to make predictions or a chatbot that merely ācoughsā out the next token. Any frequent reader of my newsletter will realize that this simply isnāt so.
The proper, and the more general, way to think about this revolution is that intelligence is getting cheaper. But, even more elaborately, it is to think about it the following way: The history of humankind is the history of the artificialization of our environment, from the invention of agriculture to Tesla Robotaxi, and everything in between. But it is now, for the first time in history, that we are beginning to artificialize the very thing that allows us to artificialize our environment in the first place, namely, intelligence. It is only in this context that anyone, for that matter, could appreciate what is upon us.
We now have AI models that can āseeā, ātalkā, āwriteā, control computers, robots, etc. The models are out there; what is left is the plumbing (engineering) work to apply this intelligence to various domains.
Read the full essay.
[II]: š²Information Theory as a Shield of Psychological Warfare
I have not read anyone who has framed psychological warframe in the context of information, until reading this essay by
. The essay explores how information theory can serve as a metaphorical shield against psychological manipulation, particularly in political and social contexts. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the āframesā within which choices are presented, as these frames often limit possibilities in deceptive ways.Examples like false dilemmas, Hobsonās choices, and decoy options illustrate how decision-making can be subtly constrained to guide people toward predetermined outcomes, often against their best interests. He critiques the suppression of dissent, especially in politically charged debates like vaccine safety or climate change, where questioning the dominant narrative is often stigmatized. The essay argues that this stifling of open debate undermines rational discourse and prevents the pursuit of truth.
Drawing on the principles of information theory - and this is perhaps one of my favorite take-away from the essay - he urges readers to critically evaluate the boundaries of the choices presented to them and to resist manipulation by expanding the frame of possibilities. He also highlights the value of dissent, drawing from John Stuart Mill and the role of the devilās advocate (I didnāt know about the origin of devilās advocate until reading this essay), as essential for testing beliefs and maintaining intellectual freedom.
[III]: ā When We Become Cogs
This essay by
is a short, fascinating exploration of the paradox of AI and automation, where tools that dramatically boost productivity often erode job satisfaction by removing the most engaging aspects of work. Examples from material scientists and software developers, cited in the essay, show how automation shifts the focus from creative, exploratory tasks to evaluating or executing machine-generated outputs.While this empowers less skilled individuals, closing productivity gaps, it could alienates experts whose strengths lie in creative or strategic thinking. This reflects a broader historical trend where automation fragments roles, reducing autonomy and purpose, from assembly lines to algorithmic management.
Fulfillment in work is closely tied to mastery, autonomy, and purpose, yet automation often undermines these pillars. I suppose the challenge is to redefine what makes work meaningful in an AI-driven world. For some, it may mean finding satisfaction in curating and refining machine outputs or shifting to broader, interdisciplinary pursuits.
For others, it might involve stepping outside work entirely to embrace hobbies, arts, or community contributions. Ultimately, the future hinges on whether humans adapt to find new forms of creativity and purpose or face deeper alienation as automation takes over increasingly complex tasks.
[IV]: š§«Smart People and Boring Jobs in Biology
wrote a really nice essay recently where he argued that Biotech is often defined by its pursuit of ambitious moonshot ideas, from curing aging to de-novo protein synthesis. However, the field tends to overlook the "boring but impactful" solutions that drive meaningful progress. By contrast, software companies like Stripe and DocuSign thrive by addressing practical problems at scale. Biotech could benefit from adopting a similar mindset, focusing on areas such as lab services, drug repurposing, and automation.He pointed out that Contract Research Organizations (CROs) frequently fall short due to thin margins and inexperienced staff, leaving researchers to handle routine tasks themselves. Meanwhile, drug repurposingāreviving shelved drugs or identifying new uses for existing onesāoffers a highly impactful yet underutilized approach.
Lab automation, through advanced robotics and remote control, could significantly boost efficiency, while reproducibility and standardization remain pressing challenges, as inconsistent protocols often lead to wasted time and resources. These are some of the few things discussed in the essay.
As a Bio PhD, who did his fair share of wet lab work, his arguments resonate strongly with me. And I would like to stick a tiny tree branch into the essay. How can AI, particularly large language models (LLMs) help. I think they present an opportunity to transform a lot of these areas. Here is a few:
Improving CRO Operations: AI agents could help streamline workflows in CROs by automating experiment planning, protocol optimization, and even quality control. LLMs could serve as virtual lab assistants, interpreting protocols and guiding inexperienced staff through complex procedures. This could address the lack of skilled personnel and enhance consistency in results.
Drug Repurposing and Repositioning: LLMs could comb through existing literature, clinical trial data, and real-world evidence to identify overlooked drug candidates for new indications. By combining natural language processing with knowledge graphs, they could connect dots that human researchers might miss, making drug repurposing more efficient.
Market Accessibility for Tools and Reagents: LLM-based platforms could democratize access to biotech tools by offering intelligent search and recommendation systems for reagents, lab supplies, or CRO services. For example, researchers could describe their project, and the AI would suggest the best tools or services, saving time and effort.
Scaling āBoring but Necessaryā Ideas: We could even imagine using AI agents to identify unmet needs in biotech and help entrepreneurs develop business models around āboringā but essential innovations. By analyzing gaps in the ecosystem, they could guide new ventures toward areas where operational improvements are most needed.
[V]: š§«John Gray on Jordan Peterson.
I havenāt read a reasonable critique of Jordan Petersonās Philosophy in a long time. John Gray writes a good one.
At the end of We Who Wrestle with God, Jordan Peterson tells the reader that the book is a āresponse to the brilliant Nietzscheā. For the āCanadian psychologist and leading prophet of the counter-cultural right, the woke movements on which he wages war are not the fundamental cause of the crisis he believes has overtaken Western civilisation. The malady of the West is the collapse of meaning that befalls human beings when their values are unmoored from any transcendental order ā the condition Nietzsche diagnosed as nihilism. The remedy is fearless self-examination, an agonising struggle against despair that points to a realm beyond the self. But is the realm Peterson discovers separate from his struggle? Or is it a therapeutic fiction, invented to rebuild a self shattered in traumatic encounters with the madness of the age?
Taking a direct hit at Petersonās approach:
Rather than surrendering to a higher power, Peterson seems to be engaged in fashioning a higher self. The deity is not a reality beyond words, but a metaphor invented by human beings to enable them to escape meaninglessness. Petersonās self-made God is a symptom of the modern Western malady, rather than a cure for it.
Full review via Statesman
[VI]ā John Rawls on Religion
Ed Feser on John Rawls on Religion:
Though John Rawls wrote much that is of relevance to religion ā and in particular, to the question of what influence it can properly have on politics (basically none, in Rawlsās view) ā he wrote little on religion itself. After his death, his undergraduate senior thesis, titled A Brief Inquiry into the Meaning of Sin and Faith, was published. Naturally, it is of limited relevance to his mature thought. However, published in the same volume was a short 1997 personal essay titled āOn My Religion,ā which is not uninteresting as an account of the development of his religious beliefs. I think it does shed some light on his political philosophy. From Rawlsās best-known works, the conservative religious believer is bound to judge Rawlsās knowledge and understanding of religion to be shallow. And indeed, I think his views on these matters were shallow. But as the essay reveals, that is not because he didnāt give much thought to them.
[Books/Papers š]
Book(s) recently completed:
[I havenāt written reviews yet; my travels are taking a toll on my writing, as well as some pretty arduous job applications.]
What I am currently reading:
Father Elijah: An Apocalypse