What Is Life? Evolution as Computation

By Blaise Agüera y Arcas

Antikythera and MIT Press are pleased to announce their new book series with the inaugural title What Is Life? by leading AI researcher and longtime Antikythera collaborator Blaise Agüera y Arcas. Taking its title from theoretical physicist Erwin Schrödinger’s 1944 book of the same name, What Is Life? shows how self-reproduction, hence life, is inherently computational.

Hemispherical Stacks Call for Submissions

JANUARY-MARCH 2025

Recursive Worlds

JULY 2, 2024

CSM

Recursive Worlds is a lecture by Sara Walker recorded in July 2024 in London as part of Antikythera’s Cognitive Infrastructures Studio lecture series.

Recursive Worlds

JULY 2, 2024

CSM

Recursive Worlds is a lecture by Sara Walker recorded in July 2024 in London as part of Antikythera’s Cognitive Infrastructures Studio lecture series.

What is Intelligence?

JULY 4, 2024

CSM

What is Intelligence? is a lecture by Blaise Agüera y Arcas recorded in July 2024 in London as part of Antikythera’s Cognitive Infrastructures Studio lecture series.

What is Intelligence?

JULY 4, 2024

CSM

What is Intelligence? is a lecture by Blaise Agüera y Arcas recorded in July 2024 in London as part of Antikythera’s Cognitive Infrastructures Studio lecture series.

After Alignment

JUNE 28, 2023

CSM Platform Theater

A public lecture at Central St. Martins University of the Arts London reviewed shifts from AGI to artificial generic intelligence, the decentering of personal data, the challenges of AI in science, intelligence as an evolutionary scaffold, the limitations of mainstream AI ethics, and why a planetary model of synthetic intelligence must drive its geopolitical project.

After Alignment

JUNE 28, 2023

CSM Platform Theater

A public lecture at Central St. Martins University of the Arts London reviewed shifts from AGI to artificial generic intelligence, the decentering of personal data, the challenges of AI in science, intelligence as an evolutionary scaffold, the limitations of mainstream AI ethics, and why a planetary model of synthetic intelligence must drive its geopolitical project.

Cognitive Infrastructures: Synthetic Intelligence in the Wild

JULY 3, 2024

CSM Platform Theater

As AI becomes both more general and more foundational, it shouldn’t be seen as a disembodied virtual brain. It is a real, material force. AI is embedded into the active, decision-making processes of real world systems. As AI becomes infrastructural, infrastructures become intelligent. 

Cognitive Infrastructures: Synthetic Intelligence in the Wild

JULY 3, 2024

CSM Platform Theater

As AI becomes both more general and more foundational, it shouldn’t be seen as a disembodied virtual brain. It is a real, material force. AI is embedded into the active, decision-making processes of real world systems. As AI becomes infrastructural, infrastructures become intelligent. 

FOR A GENERAL THEORY OF SIMULATIONS

JANUARY 11, 2024

USC

So many disciplines deploy simulations, and yet they remain undertheorized. From scientific modeling to VR/AR, from engineering to entertainment, Antikythera is composing a general theory of simulations.

FOR A GENERAL THEORY OF SIMULATIONS

JANUARY 11, 2024

USC

So many disciplines deploy simulations, and yet they remain undertheorized. From scientific modeling to VR/AR, from engineering to entertainment, Antikythera is composing a general theory of simulations.

Antikythera: A Speculative Philosophy of Planetary Computation

OCTOBER 23, 2024

MIT Media Lab

Keynote lecture by Benjamin Bratton, which featured Antikythera’s philosophy of technology and the speculative design work of the think tank. The keynote reviewed the program’s core research themes: planetary computation, synthetic intelligence, recursive simulations, hemispherical stacks, and planetary sapience, and presented glimpses of the content and ideas behind Antikythera’s forthcoming digital journal and book series with MIT Press.

Antikythera: A Speculative Philosophy of Planetary Computation

OCTOBER 23, 2024

MIT Media Lab

Keynote lecture by Benjamin Bratton, which featured Antikythera’s philosophy of technology and the speculative design work of the think tank. The keynote reviewed the program’s core research themes: planetary computation, synthetic intelligence, recursive simulations, hemispherical stacks, and planetary sapience, and presented glimpses of the content and ideas behind Antikythera’s forthcoming digital journal and book series with MIT Press.

Planetary Sapience

OCTOBER 25, 2024

MIT Media Lab

Planetary Sapience presented Antikythera’s speculative philosophy of computational technologies and planetary intelligence through a day-long symposium. The event featured short presentations of new work from Antikythera’s forthcoming digital Journal followed by lively discussion on the program’s key topics.

Planetary Sapience

OCTOBER 25, 2024

MIT Media Lab

Planetary Sapience presented Antikythera’s speculative philosophy of computational technologies and planetary intelligence through a day-long symposium. The event featured short presentations of new work from Antikythera’s forthcoming digital Journal followed by lively discussion on the program’s key topics.