Newton Lee

"God gives life to human beings who in turn give birth to artificial intelligence."

"We are teaching AI software that will evolve into superintelligence; and superintelligence will in turn teach humankind and explain the Scriptures."

"We can move a mountain from one place to another with our bare hands and a few shovels. It is only a matter of putting in the effort and the time. But we can speed things up by using dynamites and heavy machinery. As technology continues to accelerate, nothing is impossible."

"Faith does not mean paying lip service. Faith requires commitment."

"Given that the first manned Moon landing with Apollo 11 on July 20, 1969 only had a 50% chance of landing safely on the moon’s surface, it was an exemplary faith in technology and human spirit."

"“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” (Proverbs 29:18) Christian transhumanists see science and technology as the key to bring lasting peace and hasten the Second Coming of Christ."

"The biggest existential risk to humanity is humanity itself, unless human beings learn to coexist peacefully and help one another willingly."

"“For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14) And the few are going to save the world."

"The Amish are exempt from military service due to their belief in “non-resistance.” Why can’t humankind do the same in the name of peace, love, and freedom?"

"Conspiracy theories abound in many tragedies and injustices, but the greatest conspiracy of all is how human beings treat one another and other living things on Earth."

"Dinosaurs, Neanderthals, and Denisovans did not evolve and adapt fast enough, and therefore they became extinct. Modus operandi or business as usual will doom the human race to mass extinction."

"People are often being reactive instead of being proactive in reducing dangerous threats."

"Nature is beautiful and calm, but it can also be violent and deadly in an astronomical scale."

"The Great Flood in the Bible and other ancient texts is a grave warning to humankind, and yet very few people seem to care about global existential threat."

"Man-made environmental disasters force nature’s hand to unleash its fury on humankind."

"Transhumanism develops new survival technologies and promotes sound policies to save the Earth and its inhabitants from being destroyed by human activities and natural disasters."

"Superheroes reflect our human desire to give meaning to our lives by protecting the innocents, upholding justice, and mitigating existential threats."

"Humanity ought to be the shining light and roaring thunder that fills up the vastly empty and silent universe."

"The real heroes are scientists who are protecting humans from deadly bacteria and viruses, astronomers and planetary defense teams who are watching the sky for Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), police and firefighters who risk their lives to protect people, teachers who toil to educate their students, parents who make sacrifices for their children, and volunteers who devote their time and energy to serve others."

"Transhumanism empowers people to realize the full human potential."

"Change is inevitable, and it is up to humankind to create a brave new world of utopia instead of dystopia, a heaven on earth instead of a living hell."

"We cannot change the past even if we could go back in time. The fabric of space-time continuum may automatically correct anomalies caused by, say, a time traveler such that any ripple effects are short-lived."

"A utopia or heaven on earth is a place where every would-be Mozart has access to a piano and violin before the age of five, where every would-be Beethoven is empowered to compose music in spite of deafness, where every individual can get quality education regardless of their socioeconomic status and place of residence, and where everyone is given good health and freedom to pursue their dreams."

"There are many undiscovered Mozarts, Beethovens, Einsteins, Shakespeares, Lincolns, and Washingtons out there today who do not have the freedom or the opportunity to explore their talents due to economic, political, and other constraints."

"As human beings, we have the responsibility to harness the immense human potential for good, not evil; for love, not hatred; and for peace, not war."

"Transhumanism is the next logical step in the evolution of humankind, and it is the existential solution to the long-term survival of the human race."

"To err is human. Yet it is a sign of how far computer science has come that to err is also artificially intelligent"

"Biologically inspired mechanisms will encourage deeper human-machine symbiosis as computers acquire more human intuitions in problem solving. Scientists and gamers will be working and playing side-by-side with intelligent machines as equals, not subordinates."

"Human game players together with AI agents can create more powerful citizen scientists, resulting in more scientific discoveries."

"Beauty can be so subjective that there is an age-old debate among philosophers quoting Rene Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am” versus George Berkeley’s “To be is to be perceived.”"

"From flying robot insects to running robot dog to humanoids such as the world’s first robot citizen Sophia, artificial life forms are populating the planet Earth; and some people are bound to find artificial life forms more attractive than natural life forms."

"Within a period of 20 years, AI has gone from “it’s an extremely human move” described by world chess champion Garry Kasparov in 1996 to “it’s not a human move” opined by Go grandmaster Fan Hui in 2016. There will come a time when humans can no longer explain the decision-making process of a superintelligent computer."

"What the Judgment of Solomon exemplifies is that wisdom trumps science and technology: Regardless of who the biological mother was—based on DNA test results, King Solomon recognized that the best mother would be the caring woman. Imagine an AI judge who is as wise as King Solomon!"

"People are afraid of AI partly because we see ourselves as imperfect and dangerous. Hence, our creation of AI can also be imperfect and dangerous."

"A more well-rounded higher education is necessary to graduate more ethical hackers and fewer cybercriminals, more socially responsible leaders and fewer wolves of Wall Street, more gender equality and less sexism, and more open-mindedness and less discrimination."

"Elon Musk is afraid that “if our intelligence is exceeded, it’s unlikely that we will remain in charge.” Perhaps humanity would be better off if humans were not in charge. Imagine a government being run by a supercomputer with superintelligence—effective, efficient, nonpartisan, nonracist, nonsexist, incorruptible, unbiased, resourceful, and available 24/7 to serve everyone of its citizens!"

"Humans may be on top of the food chain, but we are still at the mercy of earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, volcano eruptions, and other natural disasters."

"Like a good doctor, an intelligent machine is not something we should be afraid of. At best, AI will provide us the smartest teachers, advisers, personal assistants, doctors, police officers, judges, peacekeeping forces, and first responders for search and rescue operations. It may even help us to colonize other planets. At worst, it will put us on a leash to prevent ourselves from hurting one another and destroying the planet."

"It may be true that superintelligence has nothing to do with human intelligence. However, superintelligence can be a new kind of intelligence that is more advanced than human intelligence."

"With the help of AI in advancing our civilization, there may come the day when, as Nick Bostrom notes, we cannot be sure that we’re “not already in a machine”."

"Super longevity is not the same as immortality. Sometimes one has to sacrifice super longevity in order to achieve immortality."

"Albert Einstein achieved immortality, just like Socrates did. Life with a purpose leads to immortality."

"The most meaningful toys are not materialistic at all. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died penniless, but his toys were his symphonies, concertos, operas, quartets, and sonatas that have delighted millions of people for hundreds of years and will continue to light up the world."

"Boredom often stems from the lack of desire to reinvent oneself. To become a Renaissance man or woman, for instance, can take an eternity. Understandably, not everyone wants to be a polymath, but there are so many great books to read, places to visit, ideas to share, new hobbies to discover, and charities to volunteer for – the bucket list is practically endless."

"If Buddhism and Hinduism are correct, the extraordinary achievers who reach nirvana will never be reincarnated, whereas the less accomplished and less desirable humans are being reincarnated again and again—which would explain the never-ending suffering and ever-increasing evil in the world. No wonder Socrates’ last words in Plato’s Apology were “I to die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows.”"

"Life needs a meaning and living requires a purpose. Without meaning and purpose, are the livings really alive?"

"The meaning of life is manifested in many different ways—infinite diversity in infinite combinations."

"The most precious thing that people can give to one another is not money but time."

"Whether we live 10 years or 10,000 years, what matters most are the meaning of life and the quality of life."

"Transhumanism seeks to achieve super longevity, not at the expense of others but rather helping others to fulfill their lifelong dreams."