Jeff Bezos and AI: “Great language models are not inventions, they are discoveries”

Jeff BezosFounder Amazon And Blue originalHe participated in an interview with Lex Friedman His optimistic vision for the future of humanity and artificial intelligence. The businessman spoke about the challenges and opportunities it presented Amnesty Internationalhighlighting its ability to improve daily life.

In the background of the interview, the former Amazon CEO spoke about his personal journey, from his humble beginnings to becoming a famous business leader. He revealed how his life experiences influenced his approach to innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Amazon creator has also delved into his passion space explorationHighlight projects and tasks Blue original. He expressed his conviction that the future of humanity lies in space, where he sees unlimited opportunities for growth and long-term survival.

From his childhood summers spent on a Texas ranch, to tales of the Amazon’s early days, to the technical details of Blue Origin’s next rockets and his ambitious dreams of turning humans into multi-planetary species.

Bezos fondly remembers spending every summer between the ages of 4 and 16 with his grandfather on his Texas ranch. There he did all kinds of farm work, from repairing windmills and fences to vaccinating animals.

“He has had a huge impact on my life. I have learned how to solve problems with perseverance and ingenuity.”And highlighted.

He also told an unusual anecdote that captures humble life on the farm well: Every afternoon, he and his grandfather would watch the TV series Days of Our Lives together lying on the floor.

According to the technology leader, those years were key in developing a problem-solving mindset and the ability to find unconventional solutions. A trait that would later be reflected in both Amazon and Blue Origin.

Bezos has already focused on the present, revealing many technical details about the upcoming missiles Blue originalthe aerospace company he founded to fuel his dreams of space exploration.

Specifically pointed out New Glenthe company’s flagship missile, and in New Shepherdan already operational suborbital vehicle used for short test flights and space tourism.

Regarding New Glenn, which is scheduled to make its first launch in 2024, the American Pole explained that it will have a payload capacity of 45 tons to low Earth orbit, powered by 7 powerful BE-4 engines to give it approximately 3.9 million pounds. . Orientation on take-off.

“It is a very large vehicle with a high loading capacity.”recipe.

As for New Shepherd, he took the opportunity to tell his experience on board the first manned flight in 2021, when he traveled himself with his brother and other passengers.

He stated that unlike his family, he did not feel afraid during the suborbital crossing because he completely trusted the advanced technology.

“I knew the car and exhaust system would work well.”He confirmed. “Every launch I go to I get nervous. But that day it was very calm.”.

However, he admitted that the moment before take-off was poignant, when his family gathered before dawn to say goodbye, perhaps for fear of never seeing them again.

Beyond the specific technical aspects, Bezos devoted a large portion of the interview to explaining his grand vision for space exploration and humanity’s need to expand beyond Earth.

He justified this need by the limited ability of the planet to maintain a civilization of continuous growth and technological development. But also from the perspective of preserving the Earth and its environment.

“We have to go to space to preserve the Earth”to rule.

He explained that, as much as possible, industrial and manufacturing activities should be moved to outer space, so that Earth can be preserved for human life and wildlife.

Thus, it hints at a distant future where billions of people could inhabit space colonies and large orbital stations built with resources extracted from the Moon and asteroids.

He even imagined the possibility of it “A billion people live in the solar system”. But he explained that he will not see it in life, but he is working to lay the foundations of the infrastructure necessary for that future.

“I want to use my profits from Amazon to build the heavy infrastructure needed so that future generations can become true space entrepreneurs.”He confirmed.

Moving on to more concrete goals, Bezos also talked about Blue Origin’s moon projects, from landings to initiatives to tap lunar resources.

Regarding establishing a permanent human presence on the moon, the businessman said that the idea this time is to stay and not repeat what happened after the Apollo program for the American missions between 1969 and 1972.

“The goal is to return to the moon to stay.”He emphasized this, then provided detailed ideas on how water, oxygen and even solar panels could be produced on site on the Moon.

Likewise, he took the opportunity to point out the problem of climate change, noting that humans now have the potential to cause significant damage to the planet, so expanding the vision into decades and centuries is vital to solving it.

“We must train ourselves to think beyond the horizons. “Long-term thinking is a tremendous way to solve problems.”He mentioned.

He also presented his project “The 10,000 Year Old Clock”, which is designed to function for thousands of years as a symbol of this future perspective that must be adopted.

Another topic that Bezos addressed in some detail is the rapid development of artificial intelligence and its increasing impact on our lives.

He specifically pointed to large-scale generative language models such as DALL-E 2 or ChatGPT, which are able to maintain human-like conversations and generate content automatically.

He admitted that he feels optimistic about its positive impact in the long term, given its enormous potential to help people in areas such as medicine. But he warned against underestimating his current and future capabilities.

“These are incredibly powerful techniques. To think otherwise is to bury your head in the sand.”opinion. “Soon they will be stronger”And he expected.

He stressed that these systems are not human inventions so much as discoveries about current computing capabilities, so their limits and scope have not yet been fully explored.

“Continuing surprises about their capabilities show that they are not engineering objects, but discoveries.”for example.

Despite this, the visionary businessman expressed his hope that humanity would find a way to safely benefit from these developments, as happened with atomic energy. (n. of e.)

“I believe these powerful tools are more likely to help and save us than to unbalance and destroy us.”And he expected.

He even speculated that AI systems could help prevent humans from self-destructing, in light of the many current global challenges such as climate change or weapons of mass destruction.

Finally, he was excited to lead some AI research at Amazon and its cloud computing company AWS.

Although much of the intense dialogue has been around Blue Origin’s space ventures, Bezos also took time to reminisce about stories from when he founded Amazon in 1994, which today has grown into one of the world’s largest companies.

For example, he laughingly recounted the time during a meeting when he had to call the company’s customer service to check on user complaints about long wait times.

“It was exciting and highlighted that something was wrong with our data.”Comment.

Jeff Bezos explained that in the morning he prefers to take things simple: reading the newspaper, chatting, and enjoying his first coffee. He does not consider himself a person who is hyperactive in the morning. He then exercises almost every day, although he sometimes has difficulty motivating himself.

Regarding his motivations for training in those difficult days, Bezos mentioned two factors:

1) Know that You will feel more energetic afterward And 2) think about Long term benefits To maintain health at 80 years of age.

In this sense, he also highlighted the importance of having a good coach who encourages him to take that extra step.

Regarding his exercise routine, Bezos said that he does so 30 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of weight training, Rotate different muscle groups on alternate days. He said that his coach always motivates him to gain weight, which he is very grateful for to improve himself.

After leaving his position as Amazon CEO two years ago, Bezos admitted he felt that way He works harder than ever. He now devotes most of his time to Blue Origin, which is heavily involved in the technical and administrative aspects. While he enjoys technology topics, he admitted that building organizations is the least fun part for him.

About how Focus on solving problemsJeff Bezos mentioned that he schedules mini-reflection retreats. It is said to be Very good at focusing He does not adhere to strict timetables. Likes Dynamic meetings After a flawless written presentation, and then the discussion There are no preconceived answers.

As he famously explained Executive meeting method with Detailed notes This six-page application is required for all participants Read in silence First before discussing it. According to the Amazon founder, this forces clearer thinking in the memo writer, avoids distraction during the meeting, ensures everyone is in sync, and allows for meaningful discussions. Best quality.

With just over two hours to go, the interview is available on Youtube to Lex FriedmanOn the condition that: A deep and human look To someone’s life and thoughts The most visionary and influential entrepreneurs From the past decades.

remote Revolution forever the world For e-commerce with AmazonNow he places his ambitions in using his wealth to contribute to it Expansion of human civilization Beyond the borders of the Earth, towards moon, Mars And perhaps beyond that in the future.