Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

In Chapter 1, Tegmark introduces the fundamental concepts of the book, the “beneficial AI” movement, common misconception and myths about AI, and an outline of the remainder of the book.

He first presents his spiritual vision for the future of highly intelligent life in the universe based on his love for and wonder at “cosmic awakening” (22). “Cosmic awakening” refers to the development of consciousness in an unconscious universe: “Thirteen point eight billion years after its birth, our Universe has awoken and become aware of itself” (22). This seems to be an unquestioned, faith-based belief for Tegmark. Consciousness is not an eternal part of reality, nor was reality forged by a conscious entity. Rather, consciousness is an aspect of reality that emerged at a particular place and time: Earth 13.8 billion years into existence. This fact is of deep spiritual and ethical resonance for Tegmark: “Had our universe never awoken, then, as far as I’m concerned, it would have been completely pointless—merely a gigantic waste of space” (22). Tegmark’s interests in the future, the advancement of AI, and the extension of human life, are all part of his missionary zeal to colonize a dead universe with intelligent, conscious lifeforms.