The Future and All That Jazz, with Kim Solez and the Mallory Chipman Quartet

— Helping save humanity from annihilation by our robot overlords while enjoying a great evening of poetry, jazz music, and cool science —

by Kim Solez, M.D. and Mallory Chipman – Edmonton, Canada

Taking place at the Jazz Vortex, 11 Gillett Square, London, N16 8AZ (which is a short walk from Dalston Junction station on the Overground line), on the evening of Thurs 18 Aug, with the support of London Futurists:

A night of jazz music from the innovative and improvisational Mallory Chipman Quartet, poetry from master free style spoken word artist Roylin Picou, and cool science sound bytes of modern life from award-winning physician futurist Kim Solez and his sidekick Ayesha Herian. All focused around artificial intelligence (AI) guru Rich Sutton’s pivotal idea of cooperative coevolution of sentient machines and humans: “Showing sentient machines empathy: If this kindness survives, so will we.” Join us for an unforgettable evening unlike anything you have ever experienced, saving humanity from annihilation at the hands of our robot overlords through jazz, poetry, and science. Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Steven Hawking, and Nick Bostrom have warned that sentient machines of the future represent the greatest existential threat faced by humanity. How should we deal with the greatest threat to our existence? Should we attempt to enslave AI or make it our friend? Come out to the Future and All That Jazz to be entertained, and learn, discuss, understand, and perhaps help shape the role of AI in our future.

Now happening on one night only

Earlier plans were for three shows at the Jazz Cafe, Camden, spread over the 16th, 17th, and 18th of August. Because of the low number of tickets sold in advance, plans have changed to just one event, on the 18th of August, at the new venue of the Vortex Jazz Club.

For more details of the venue, and to book tickets in advance, see http://www.vortexjazz.co.uk/event/the-mallory-chipman-quartet-ft-roy-picou/.

London Futurists very much regrets the inconvenience caused by this change of plan. People who purchased tickets for the events at the Jazz Club are being offered (via TicketMaster) a refund.

The core idea

We all love to talk, and the debates about artificial intelligence (AI) can go on forever. There is however one idea on which the future of humanity depends. It is not necessary that this idea is the only one considered, or that it win every debate.

However unless this idea survives, and is there amongst the others in discussions about AI, we will not survive as a species. This is the idea of Rich Sutton’s that when machines are smarter than we are, we should treat them as equals and include them in our circles of empathy.

This idea is simple, natural, “common sense”, but most normal people will not have the patience to listen to a lecture about it. We have created The Future and All That Jazz initiative to use music, poetry, and the sound bytes of our modern fast-paced life to embed this idea firmly in memory, so it survives into future generations, and so do we.

Background

As background, our unique course on Technology and the Future of Medicine, developed at the University of Alberta, Canada, talks about potential outcomes both favourable and unfavourable in a future world in which machines are smarter than humans:

Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Steven Hawking, and Nick Bostrom have warned recently that sentient machines of the future represent the greatest existential threat faced by humanity. Their opinions have been used to promote the idea that permanent enslavement of sentient artificial intelligence is the way to save the human race from extinction. University of Alberta computing science expert Rich Sutton has posed the common sense counterargument that since smarter than human machines will inevitably outwit us, planning to enslave them ensures that they will want to annihilate us, and they will almost certainly succeed in that aim. Sutton argues for cooperation, diversity and inclusiveness, eventually treating sentient machines as equals and including them in our circles of empathy.

Humans and sentient machines can coevolve, each helping the other, and the future could be very bright. This central message is too important to be left to lectures alone to convey, since the survival of the human race is at stake. The people we are trying to reach are unlikely to listen to a lecture about this. The sound bytes of poetry and music are needed to reach them. Young presenters and presentations geared to young audiences are also an important element in delivering the message, since young people have the greatest stake in this issue, in our survival as a species.

First London, then the world!

We plan an event that mixes material from the Technology and Future of Medicine course with similarly themed poetry and music. Highly rated lecturers from the course along with some of Edmonton’s best young musicians and poets will provide an unforgettable experience for attendees that will help shape the future in the right direction and makes humanity’s survival much more likely!

We appreciate the support of London Futurists as we bring this event to London. We are building a small, informal team in London to assist with publicity, registration, box office, videography, and general running around! Please get in touch if you would like more details.

Sample video

From our lecturers, poets, and musicians:

Kim Solez



Rich Sutton



Ayesha Herian:



Roylin Picou:



Mallory Chipman:



Publicity

About Mallory Chipman

With a voice that’s “half Joni, half Ella, and half her own” (GigCity.ca), Canadian vocalist and songwriter Mallory Chipman is taking the jazz scene by storm with her thoughtful compositions, fearless improvisation, and unforgettable performances. Drawing influence from folk music, bebop, and musical theatre, Mallory fuses these styles together to create a sound uniquely her own. Mallory performs frequently at numerous venues and festivals around Canada and beyond, and is on the music faculty at the esteemed MacEwan University where she teaches voice. She is eagerly anticipating the release of her upcoming album, NOCTURNALIZE, available November 2016.

Visit www.mallorychipman.com for more information.