The Quiet Universe: ASI and the Fermi Paradox
Prior reading: Decision Theory for AI Safety | Competitive Dynamics and Safety A version of this argument was originally posted on LessWrong. I've reworked it here with some additional context and a less formal tone. I'm a computer scientist, not an astrophysicist — corrections welcome. The Problem The Fermi paradox asks a simple question: given the size and age of the universe, where is everyone? Standard answers include: life is rare (the Great Filter), civilizations destroy themselves before going interstellar, the distances are too vast, or everyone is hiding from everyone else (the Dark Forest, from Liu Cixin's Three-Body Problem). ...