As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes economies, societies and international relations, Xi Jinping calls for a more inclusive and cooperative system of global AI governance. The address sets out four priorities, innovation, safety, cultural inclusiveness and international solidarity, while arguing that AI should remain under human control and benefit all countries, particularly those in the Global South.

https://www.mfa.gov.cn/eng/xw/zyjh/202607/t20260717_11984766.html

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How did one of modern medicine’s most infamous treatments become accepted practice? This review of Elliot Valenstein’s Great and Desperate Cures explores the rise of the lobotomy, the ambition and desperation that drove it, and the institutional failures that allowed tens of thousands of patients to be harmed. It is a gripping history, and an unsettling warning about what can happen when urgent demand, weak safeguards, professional incentives, and uncritical enthusiasm collide.

https://open.substack.com/pub/astralcodexten/p/your-book-review-great-and-desperate?r=67y1h&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

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Why do societies that venerate their elders sometimes turn violently against them? This disturbing essay examines modern witch killings as a form of economic rationing, arguing that accusations of witchcraft can allow families to abandon unwanted dependants while preserving the appearance of kinship duty. Drawing on cases from Ghana, Tanzania, India, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it makes a powerful case for pensions, social insurance, and institutions that separate familial love from material survival.

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 10:52 - Kinship societies are tense societies

* 18:30 - Witch killings are about rationing resources

* 26:49 - Mediating institutions mean you don’t have to kill dependents

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Demis Hassabis argues that AGI may be only a few years away—and that the decisions made now could shape the next era of civilisation. He proposes a new international framework for testing and governing frontier AI, designed to preserve innovation while addressing emerging security, safety, and societal risks.

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 01:28 - The Challenges of the Frontier

* 03:32 - A Framework for a Frontier AI Standards Body

* 07:47 - The Future Is Not Yet Written

https://x.com/demishassabis/status/2076957440109625718

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Would regulating advanced AI chips really create an Orwellian surveillance state—or would it mostly mean inspections, paperwork, security standards, and higher costs for a small number of powerful companies?

Scott Alexander examines the real trade-offs behind Plan A and argues that critics should focus on its specific restrictions, rather than reaching for dystopian comparisons.

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 06:33 - Would I Need A License To Get A Cell Phone Or A Laptop?

* 10:13 - Would Plan A Ban Open-Weight Models?

* 15:09 - A Is For Autonomy

* 18:41 - Unrelatedly, You Already Live In A Global Panopticon Orwellian Surveillance Dystopia

https://open.substack.com/pub/astralcodexten/p/ai-chip-regulation-is-not-a-dystopian?r=67y1h&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

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In this post, Benjamin Todd draws together 15 years of research into the most reliable ways to become more successful at work. From building sustainable habits and protecting your health to learning faster, using AI effectively, making better decisions, and focusing on what matters most, it offers a practical alternative to vague self-help clichés.

* 00:00:00 - Introduction

* 00:04:39 - Zero. Learn how to build habits

* 00:06:44 - One. Don’t forget to take care of yourself

* 00:12:42 - Two. If helpful, make mental health your top priority

* 00:23:12 - Three. Deal with your physical health (not forgetting your back!)

* 00:29:41 - Four. Set goals

* 00:30:05 - Longer-term goals

* 00:31:58 - Goals for the quarter

* 00:33:15 - Learn to prioritise

* 00:35:04 - Five. Try out this list of ways to become more productive

* 00:36:35 - How to become more motivated

* 00:38:15 - Productivity processes

* 00:43:12 - Further reading on productivity

* 00:44:10 - Six. Get better at using the latest AI tools

* 00:47:42 - Seven. Improve your basic social skills

* 00:49:37 - Eight. Surround yourself with great people

* 00:54:42 - Best further reading on networking

* 00:55:28 - Nine. Apply scientific research into happiness

* 01:06:05 - Ten. Use these tips to save more money

* 01:10:25 - Eleven. Use research into decision-making to think better

* 01:19:07 - Twelve. Learn how to learn

* 01:25:04 - Thirteen. Be strategic about how you use your time at work

* 01:28:12 - Fourteen. Become an expert

* 01:30:28 - Fifteen. Become a better person

* 01:37:50 - The compounding benefits of investing in yourself

https://open.substack.com/pub/80000hours/p/all-the-evidence-based-advice-we?r=67y1h&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

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How close are terrorist groups to making practical use of frontier AI? This new field study from researchers at the University of Cambridge is the first to draw on extensive interviews with former Boko Haram members, arguing that AI has already become embedded in planning, logistics, weapons troubleshooting, and other operational activities.

https://casp.ac/reports/ai-enabled-terrorism

* 00:00:00 - Introduction

* 00:00:23 - Abstract

* 00:01:54 - Executive Summary

* 00:11:54 - Introduction

* 00:21:19 - The Risk of AI Misuse by Terrorist Groups

* 00:28:54 - Evidence and Gaps in Understanding Terrorist AI Adoption

* 00:42:07 - Research Design and Methods

* 00:55:10 - The Case

* 00:59:11 - The Findings

* 00:59:13 - AI Adoption

* 01:13:49 - Organizing AI Access and Expertise

* 01:32:16 - AI Use Cases

* 01:50:55 - Attitudes Toward Weapons of Mass Destruction

* 02:01:45 - Uplift and Optimism

* 02:13:32 - Observations and Implications

* 02:28:20 - Acknowledgements

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In this post, Scott Alexander looks at Plan A: the AI Futures Project’s attempt to imagine what it would actually mean for the AI transition to go well. It’s part policy roadmap, part optimistic sci-fi scenario, and part challenge to anyone proposing AI governance: if you don’t like this plan, what’s yours?

https://open.substack.com/pub/astralcodexten/p/introducing-plan-a?r=67y1h&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

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In this post, Andy Masley argues that alcohol should be treated less like junk food and more like tobacco: enjoyable for many, but so socially destructive that normalising it does real harm. Drawing on alcohol’s links to death, violence, addiction, and huge economic costs, he makes the case that even people who drink safely have reason to stop supporting and normalising the alcohol industry.

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 02:55 - Alcohol is a much bigger problem than you may think

* 09:09 - Why you should stop drinking even if alcohol will not harm you personally

* 18:03 - Conclusion

https://open.substack.com/pub/andymasley/p/alcohol-is-so-bad-for-society-that?r=67y1h&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

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In this post, an ACX book review finalist uses The Book of Abraham to explore Mormon history, Joseph Smith’s translation claims, Egyptian papyri, faith as a coordination technology, and the uneasy comedy of apologetics under pressure. It’s funny, sharp, and surprisingly sympathetic: part historical investigation, part epistemic stress test, part meditation on why demanding religions can be so powerful even when their factual foundations look fragile.

* 00:00:00 - Introduction

* 00:00:28 - Part 1

* 00:06:12 - Interlude 1

* 00:16:48 - Part 2

* 00:36:27 - Interlude 2

* 00:44:08 - Part 3

* 00:55:09 - Interlude 3

* 00:58:51 - Part 4

* 01:09:46 - Interlude 4

* 01:17:40 - Part 5

* 01:35:37 - Interlude 5

* 01:42:35 - Part 6

https://open.substack.com/pub/astralcodexten/p/your-book-review-the-book-of-abraham?r=67y1h&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

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