Currently reading: The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity (US)
Currently listening:
This morning was an early one, and I spent nearly 6 hours muddling about in the world of post-quantum cryptography. While this isn’t something most people would get excited about, I love learning and I like computers. Although what I learned didn’t give me any real comfort for what were up against over the next ten years.
I’ve long believed that, while things like nuclear warfare and ground assaults are still very much part of the lexicon of modern conflict, that we’ve found ourselves in the unique position of having to worry about conflict on multiple planes: the physical and the digital (which often begets the mental). Different conflicts, to be sure. And most of us seem to be an unwilling participant in at least one (or both).
Production ready and commercially available quantum compute is not far from becoming reality. With that comes a new set of risks and real problems that we will have to deal with. For example, GenAI has accelerated scientific progress but has also enabled bad actors to create and distribute harmful propaganda at speed and scale.
Quantum computing will further accelerate technological, biological, and medical progress but will also completely break all forms of cryptography that protect our digital world. This poses a real problem.
This is such a fascinating time to be alive. Also kind of terrifying.
Current status: Cleaning out the inbox before disappearing into the weekend.
Be kind.
Signal Intent 