# HAI Seminar with Adam Becker & Jon Evans: “More Everything Forever” and “Exadelic” Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMbLl8bfHaE Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/uMbLl8bfHaE Generated: 2026-01-30T18:08:22.573+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview Science journalist and astrophysicist Adam Becker discussed his book "More Everything Forever," detailing the dangers of the "ideology of technological salvation" prevalent in Silicon Valley, while author and engineer Jon Evans analyzed similar themes in his novel "Exadelic," focusing on the historical roots of transhumanist and simulationist urges in Bay Area subcultures and their modern manifestation in AI movements. **Key Points:** - Adam Becker wrote "More Everything Forever" motivated by seeing strange ideas from Silicon Valley subcultures filtering into wider culture, with leaders treated as authorities without proper scientific backgrounds. - Becker prepared for writing about tech journalism by relying on critical science journalism techniques, noting that many tech journalists trade critique for access, a constraint he did not face. - Jon Evans' novel "Exadelic" uses a structure involving time travel, aliens, and simulation theory, fundamentally exploring AI and the metaphor of living in a world increasingly mediated by software. - Becker labels the interconnected belief systems (Transhumanism, Extropianism, etc.) as the "ideology of technological salvation," believing technology is the inevitable solution leading toward a machine god future. - Evans traced the simulationist urge back to Gnosticism and early Christian figures like St. Aronyaeus of Smeirna, drawing a line through Philip K. Dick to modern AI visions. - The rise of Rationalism, intertwined with Effective Altruism (EA) and modern AI, originated from Elazar Yudkowsky posting on the internet and writing Harry Potter fanfiction, becoming a significant cultural force. - Both speakers agreed that excessive focus on long-term AI existential risk (X-risk) often functions as an excuse to avoid working on current, real-world problems affecting millions of people. **Context:** The event featured a discussion between Adam Becker, author of "More Everything Forever: AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity," and Jon Evans, author of the novel "Exadelic," hosted by Rihanna Fefficorn of Stanford HAI. Becker, an astrophysicist and science journalist, investigates the ideological underpinnings of Silicon Valley's technological elite, while Evans, an engineer and author, explores similar themes through science fiction, drawing on his background including directing the GitHub archive program. ## Detailed Analysis Becker argues that the dominant Silicon Valley belief system, which he terms the "ideology of technological salvation," posits that technology inevitably solves all problems, leading to a desirable future governed by a machine god, often ignoring sound scientific arguments. He noted that his book received positive reception because many tech oligarchs cannot read, and he intentionally listed those who refused to speak with him in the back of the book. Evans connected these modern urges to historical precedents, linking the simulationist idea to Gnosticism and transhumanism to early Christian saints, showing a long cultural backstory. He discussed the origins of the Extropians mailing list in the 1990s, which eventually led to the creation of the Rationalist subculture by Elazar Yudkowsky through prolific internet posting, including Harry Potter fanfiction, which then intertwined with Effective Altruism and modern AI efforts. Both speakers criticized the overemphasis on AI X-risk, suggesting it deflects attention and resources from immediate, tangible problems like inequality and climate change, noting that the fallout from FTX seemed to prompt a shift in focus for some EA proponents towards more immediate concerns like non-consensual deepfakes. Evans observed a recent dramatic improvement in LLMs' coding ability, suggesting a phase change in software development, though he maintains the current investment landscape is a bubble, albeit one bolstered by deep-pocketed entities like Google and Microsoft who anticipate buying cheap infrastructure when it pops. For advice to students, Becker urged learning skills without AI to maintain rare and valuable expertise, while Evans suggested studying AI security, prophesying it will boom as abstraction levels in AI increase, making behavior harder to predict. ### Book Motivations and Style - Becker wrote to critique Silicon Valley authorities lacking scientific background; he used critical science journalism methods - Evans wrote "Exadelic" as an 'everything and the kitchen sink' science fiction novel, using it as a metaphor for software mediation of reality. ### Ideology of Technological Salvation (TEST) - Becker defines this as the belief that technology is the solution to all problems, aiming for immortality via machine god; he rejects the TEST acronym for his term - Evans notes historical antecedents like Gnosticism and the Extropians mailing list as precursors. ### Rationalism and Influence - Elazar Yudkowsky built the Rationalist subculture via online writing and Harry Potter fanfiction, leading to the intertwined movements of EA and modern AI, a "staggering accomplishment" that became a significant cultural force. ### Critique of AI Safety Focus - Both speakers assert that focusing on unlikely X-risk is an excuse to ignore current real-world harms, conveniently aligning with making money via the EA approach and potentially excusing inaction on climate change or inequality. ### Underpinnings of Tech Culture - Evans argues that contempt for history and expertise is a theme in these subcultures, leading them to repeat past mistakes rooted in racist and misogynist ideas, as they believe the world is simpler than it is. ### Current State of AI Hype and Career Advice - Evans noted a recent phase change where even major tech creators acknowledge LLMs have made manual coding largely obsolete; Becker advised students to learn skills without AI because those skills will become rarer and more valuable. ### Economic Realities and Tax Policy - Evans pointed out the inconsistency of AGI promises versus showing ads, and noted that large companies expect to profit from the bubble popping; Becker stated that every billionaire is a policy failure and advocated for high marginal wealth taxes above $500 million.