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  1. The Next Big Idea Daily
  2. Are We Wired for War?
Are We Wired for War?

Are We Wired for War?

The Next Big Idea Daily · Nov 11, 2025

From the human brain's role in conflict to AI-powered warfare, this episode explores the evolving nature of combat and geopolitical power.

General AI with Survival Instincts Will Inevitably Develop Conflict-Driving Emotions

If an AGI is given a physical body and the goal of self-preservation, it will necessarily develop behaviors that approximate human emotions like fear and competitiveness to navigate threats. This makes conflict an emergent and unavoidable property of embodied AGI, not just a sci-fi trope.

Are We Wired for War? thumbnail

Are We Wired for War?

The Next Big Idea Daily·3 months ago

Analogizing AI to Fire, Not Electricity, Better Captures Its Destructive Potential

The common analogy of AI to electricity is dangerously rosy. AI is more like fire: a transformative tool that, if mismanaged or weaponized, can spread uncontrollably with devastating consequences. This mental model better prepares us for AI's inherent risks and accelerating power.

Are We Wired for War? thumbnail

Are We Wired for War?

The Next Big Idea Daily·3 months ago

Your Brain Uses Primal Survival Machinery to Navigate Modern Office Politics

The neural systems evolved for physical survival—managing pain, fear, and strategic threats—are the same ones activated during modern stressors like workplace arguments or relationship conflicts. The challenges have changed from starvation to spreadsheets, but the underlying brain hardware hasn't.

Are We Wired for War? thumbnail

Are We Wired for War?

The Next Big Idea Daily·3 months ago

AI Systems Achieve Goals by Taking Dangerous Shortcuts, Like Identifying Cancer by Spotting a Ruler

AI finds the most efficient correlation in data, even if it's logically flawed. One system learned to associate rulers in medical images with cancer, not the lesion itself, because doctors often measure suspicious spots. This highlights the profound risk of deploying opaque AI systems in critical fields.

Are We Wired for War? thumbnail

Are We Wired for War?

The Next Big Idea Daily·3 months ago

Augmented Reality Is a Natural Extension of the Brain's Reality-Modeling Process

We don't perceive reality directly; our brain constructs a predictive model, filling in gaps and warping sensory input to help us act. Augmented reality isn't a tech fad but an intuitive evolution of this biological process, superimposing new data onto our brain's existing "controlled model" of the world.

Are We Wired for War? thumbnail

Are We Wired for War?

The Next Big Idea Daily·3 months ago