It’s easy to call warnings about artificial intelligence (AI) “sensationalism.” (So many things today are, after all.) In fact, when I told a “terrified” ex-AI researcher on X yesterday that I was writing a story about the alarm he sounded and had questions for him, another respondent — an author, it turns out — wrote of me, “Typical journo… If it bleeds, it leads.” Perhaps there’s no worse insult than “typical journo,” a status below used-car salesman and personal-injury lawyer and just above politician. (Maybe.) But I think my psyche will survive. Will we, however, survive the coming AI revolution?
No, that question isn’t sensationalistic, at least not according to to the man I approached, ex-OpenAI safety researcher Steven Adler. Explaining Monday why he quit his OpenAI position in November, he posted the following quite alarming message on X:
Honestly I’m pretty terrified by the pace of AI development these days. When I think about where I’ll raise a future family, or how much to save for retirement, I can’t help but wonder: Will humanity even make it to that point? [Tweet below.]
The “AGI” acronym Adler uses stands for “artificial general intelligence.” This is, IBM’s website explains,
a hypothetical stage in the development of machine learning (ML) in which an artificial intelligence (AI) system can match or exceed the cognitive abilities of human beings across any task. It represents the fundamental, abstract goal of AI development: the artificial replication of human intelligence in a machine or software.
In other words, this sounds much like the thinking machines so often portrayed, ominously, in science fiction. “HAL” from 2001: A Space Odyssey comes to mind.
Just Science Fiction?
As for the “alignment” Adler spoke of, that concerns preventing the ominousness. As TechTarget informs:
AI alignment is a field of AI safety research that aims to ensure artificial intelligence systems achieve desired outcomes. AI alignment research keeps AI systems working for humans, no matter how powerful the technology becomes. […]
— Read More: thenewamerican.com
Why One Survival Food Company Shines Above the Rest
Let’s be real. “Prepper Food” or “Survival Food” is generally awful. The vast majority of companies that push their cans, bags, or buckets desperately hope that their customers never try them and stick them in the closet or pantry instead. Why? Because if the first time they try them is after the crap hits the fan, they’ll be too shaken to call and complain about the quality.
It’s true. Most long-term storage food is made with the cheapest possible ingredients with limited taste and even less nutritional value. This is why they tout calories so much. Sure, they provide calories but does anyone really want to go into the apocalypse with food their family can’t stand?
This is what prompted the Llewellyns to launch Heaven’s Harvest. They bought survival food from multiple companies and determined they couldn’t imagine being stuck in an extended emergency with such low-quality food. They quickly discovered that freeze drying food for long-term storage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor, consistency, or nutrition.
Their ingredients are all-American. In fact, they’re locally sourced and all-natural! This allows their products to be the highest quality on the market, so good that their customers often break open a bag in a pinch to eat because they want to, not just because they have to due to an emergency.
At Heaven’s Harvest, their only focus is amazing food. They don’t sell bugout bags, solar chargers, or multitools. They have one mission – feeding Americans in times of crisis.
What they DO offer is the ability for people to thrive in times of greatest need. On top of long-term storage food, they offer seeds to help Americans for the truly long-term. They want them to grow their own food if possible which is why they offer only Heirloom, Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid, Open-Pollinated seeds so their customers can build permanent food security on their own property.
