Zoltan Istvan, a leading transhumanist, proposes a new economic model for the age of AI and robots.
Category: economics
EARTh pARTy Conference
Conference at Forbes Island (San Francisco Bay) in July 2025 featuring Brewster Kahle Tim Anderson Heidi Petty:
The eARTh pARTy Conference brings together visionaries in technology, art, and culture on a unique floating island to reimagine our collective future. Over three immersive days, we’ll explore how technology can empower rather than control humanity’s creative potential.
Our world stands at a crossroads. This gathering champions a future where creators maintain ownership of their work, receive fair compensation, and preserve their digital autonomy. Together, we’ll explore what a future looks like with a distributed creative network that advocates for ethical platforms and transparent systems.
The pieces for our future already exist. We simply need the courage to reassemble them into a world where creative expression flourishes, and the impact you make becomes your most valuable asset.
Join us in launching a movement that ensures technology serves human creativity rather than exploiting it.
Building the future of creative economies: decentralized, regenerative, thriving.
Enzyme-based plastics recycling at an industrial scale could be cost-effective, analysis finds
A successful collaboration involving a trio of research institutions has yielded a roadmap toward an economically viable process for using enzymes to recycle plastics.
The researchers, from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the University of Massachusetts Lowell, and the University of Portsmouth in England, previously partnered on the biological engineering of improved PETase enzymes that can break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET). With its low manufacturing cost and excellent material properties, PET is used extensively in single-use packaging, soda bottles, and textiles.
The new study, published in Nature Chemical Engineering, combines previous fundamental research with advanced chemical engineering, process development, and techno-economic analysis to lay the blueprints for enzyme-based PET recycling at an industrial scale.
Tesla Robotaxi Changes Everything!
Tesla’s Robotaxi has the potential to revolutionize transportation and disrupt various industries, including car ownership, urban planning, and traditional car dealerships, with its autonomous driving technology and low-cost, hassle-free ride experience ## ## Questions to inspire discussion.
Transportation Revolution.
Q: How will Tesla’s Robotaxi network change urban transportation?
A: Tesla’s Robotaxi will make personal vehicle ownership obsolete in dense cities, offering rides at 25 cents per mile that are both cost-effective and convenient, eliminating the need for parking spaces.
Q: What makes Tesla’s Cybercab unique?
A: Cybercab is designed to be the most utilitarian vehicle ever built, featuring 50% fewer parts than the Model 3, making it highly scalable for millions of rides with wireless charging and autonomous capabilities.
Watt’s Next? The AI Bros Discuss AI’s Impact On Entertainment And Energy
In this engaging new eighth episode of the AI Bros podcast, hosts John Lawson III and Bruce Burke delve into the dynamic world of artificial intelligence and its profound impact on various industries. The conversation kicks off with a discussion on the latest developments in AI, highlighting the massive investments being made by tech giants like Mark Zuckerberg, who recently acquired a significant stake in Scale AI. This move underscores the growing importance of data labeling in training AI models and the relentless pursuit of achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI).
The hosts explore the implications of AI on global infrastructure, particularly focusing on the energy demands required to support AI advancements. They discuss the necessity of building new data centers and the potential role of nuclear energy in meeting these demands. The conversation touches on the strategic moves by companies to secure energy resources, emphasizing the critical need for the U.S. to catch up with countries like China in terms of infrastructure development.
Transitioning to the realm of marketing and content creation, John and Bruce highlight how AI is revolutionizing these fields. They share insights into how AI tools are being used to automate tasks that were traditionally outsourced, such as virtual assistance, graphic generation, and scriptwriting. The hosts discuss the potential of AI to create high-quality content quickly and cost-effectively, as demonstrated by a recent AI-generated commercial aired during the NBA finals.
The episode also addresses the broader societal implications of AI, including the potential need for universal basic income (UBI) as AI continues to displace jobs. The hosts debate the feasibility of UBI in the U.S. and the challenges of implementing such a system. They reflect on historical technological advancements and the new job opportunities that AI might create, while acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding the pace and scale of these changes.
Throughout the episode, John and Bruce provide a balanced perspective on the opportunities and challenges presented by AI. They emphasize the importance of staying informed and adaptable in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The hosts conclude with a forward-looking discussion on the future of AI in entertainment, speculating on the possibility of AI-generated feature films and the evolving role of AI in creative industries.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in the intersection of technology, business, and society. It offers valuable insights into the transformative power of AI and its potential to reshape our world.
Join Bruce and John for the latest episode of The AI Bros Podcast. Subscribe, like, follow and share with your network. Thank you!
Global fisheries’ nutrient extraction threatens ocean ecosystems and productivity, study finds
The four billion tons of marine organisms that global fisheries extracted from the ocean between 1960 and 2018 resulted in the depletion of over 560 million tons of essential nutrients vital to ecosystem health, new research has found.
In a recent paper published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, researchers at Utah State University and the Sea Around Us initiative at the University of British Columbia estimate that industrial fisheries have removed over 430 million tons of carbon, 110 million tons of nitrogen, and 23 million tons of phosphorus from countries’ Exclusive Economic Zones and 18 high seas regions since 1960.
“Fish and other marine organisms contain specific nutrients in their bodies. By massively targeting 330 species based on consumer demand, sociopolitical factors and natural availability, industrial fisheries have altered the natural nutrient balance of marine ecosystems,” said Adrian Gonzalez Ortiz, who led the research while pursuing his master’s degree at Utah State University.
Robotics manufacturer moving North American headquarters from Illinois to Wisconsin
As part of the expansion, Yaskawa will begin manufacturing robots in Franklin. The company purchased a more than 200,000-square-foot building in Franklin in 2023 for $20 million. The site was previously used by a packaging company.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. is supporting the project with up to $18 million dollars in tax credits. Officials say the amount of credits awarded will be contingent upon hitting job creation and investment targets.
In a statement, Gov. Tony Evers said the expansion would bring millions of dollars of investment and hundreds of “high-quality” jobs to southeast Wisconsin.