Nick Bostrom

Nick Bostrom
Bostrom in 2020
Born
Niklas Boström

(1973-03-10) 10 March 1973 (age 51)
Helsingborg, Sweden
Education
SpouseSusan[1]
Awards
  • Professorial Distinction Award from University of Oxford
  • FP Top 100 Global Thinkers
  • Prospect's Top World Thinkers list[3]
EraContemporary philosophy
RegionWestern philosophy
SchoolAnalytic philosophy[1]
InstitutionsYale University
University of Oxford
Future of Humanity Institute
ThesisObservational Selection Effects and Probability (2000)
Main interests
Philosophy of artificial intelligence
Bioethics
Notable ideas
Anthropic bias
Reversal test
Simulation hypothesis
Existential risk studies
Singleton
Ancestor simulation
Information hazard
Infinitarian paralysis[2]
Self-indication assumption
Self-sampling assumption
Websitenickbostrom.com
Transhumanism
Issues
People
Influential Works
Variants
Related topics

Nick Bostrom (/ˈbɒstrəm/ BOST-rəm; Swedish: Niklas Boström [ˈnɪ̌kːlas ˈbûːstrœm]; born 10 March 1973)[4] is a philosopher known for his work on existential risk, the anthropic principle, human enhancement ethics, whole brain emulation, superintelligence risks, and the reversal test. He was the founding director of the now dissolved Future of Humanity Institute at the University of Oxford[5] and is now Principal Researcher at the Macrostrategy Research Initiative.[6]

Bostrom is the author of Anthropic Bias: Observation Selection Effects in Science and Philosophy (2002),[7] Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies (2014) and Deep Utopia: Life and Meaning in a Solved World (2024).

Bostrom believes that advances in artificial intelligence (AI) may lead to superintelligence, which he defines as "any intellect that greatly exceeds the cognitive performance of humans in virtually all domains of interest". He views this as a major source of opportunities and existential risks.[5][8]

  1. ^ a b Khatchadourian, Raffi (23 November 2015). "The Doomsday Invention". The New Yorker. Vol. XCI, no. 37. pp. 64–79. ISSN 0028-792X.
  2. ^ "Infinite Ethics" (PDF). nickbostrom.com. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  3. ^ Skeptic (16 April 2024). "Nick Bostrom — Life and Meaning in a Solved World". Skeptic. Retrieved 30 April 2024.
  4. ^ "nickbostrom.com". Nickbostrom.com. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b Shead, Sam (25 May 2020). "How Britain's oldest universities are trying to protect humanity from risky A.I." CNBC. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Nick Bostrom's Home Page". nickbostrom.com. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  7. ^ "Nick Bostrom on artificial intelligence". Oxford University Press. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 4 March 2015.
  8. ^ "Nick Bostrom on the birth of superintelligence". Big Think. Retrieved 14 August 2023.