The tech world is great for those that love to learn. Things are changing fast so learning is critical. One of the great ways to learn is to track the words of the creators of tech. Two of the great tech investor/creators, Peter Thiel and Reid Hoffman, recently sat down for a discussion moderated by historian Niall Ferguson of the Hoover Institution that provided fantastic context on a wide range of issues. They discuss and debate and argue topics like societal inequality, whether the Internet is a force for good or evil and even international politics and issues of war and peace.
Funny moment: Consider Thiel’s context on AI and Cryptocurrencies: “Crypto is decentralizing, AI is centralizing. Or, if you want to frame it more ideologically, crypto is libertarian and AI is communist.” Ha! The entire discussion underscored something else Thiel said when he described his view of the dynamic of good and evil in cyberspace: “I remain optimistic, but not utopian.”
I also loved Hoffman’s belief that Silicon Valley has been too focused on the future and not enough on the “now.” It was also good hearing his call for “Spider-Man” ethics for the tech industry, since it is true that with great power comes great responsibility.
The full video is long, but well worth it. Imagine you had an opportunity to spend an hour with Hoffman and Thiel. Would you do it? Of course you would!
Spend time with these great thinkers here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9Ts4_65hKk
