How can we utilize Artificial Intelligence to help us be more prescient about quality of life and environment?

[Space Lynx]

from the famous veritsium youtube channel, AI's greatest contribution is protein folding apparently, really interesting video, highly recommend a watch

edit: long story short, AI has figured out 200,000,000 protein structures, and the AI can be asked to create new protein structure. the example given in the video is imagine you are bit by a snake, what if you are allergic to the anti-venom, well now we can make synthetic anti-venom to avoid the proteins that you are allergic to, and expand this out to every issue - not just medical stuff, greenhouse gases, etc. basically it only takes a couple of days to get the protein you need now.

disclaimer: I don't fully understand all of it, even after watching the video, but it seems to be a pretty big deal to me and a game changer.

 

[R-T-B]

The main issue is to train that AI to do that, you have a very very major carbon footprint.

If this was philosophy, you'd be asking how you can do the most good with the least amount of bad, right?

Well you should rule AI out on that premise because its energy consumption is really really bad.

 

[Space Lynx]

The main issue is to train that AI to do that, you have a very very major carbon footprint.

If this was philosophy, you'd be asking how you can do the most good with the least amount of bad, right?

Well you should rule AI out on that premise because its energy consumption is really really bad.

I disagree, for example if AI helps us improve concrete so roads need much less repair, then that is a 1000+ years of energy savings to offset what it used, on top of all the other things it could help us improve, like solar panel efficiency, etc. If anything cryptocurrency of all kind should be banned, regardless if it is mined with a green source or not, and that energy then used for AI. Crypto literally provides nothing to the quality of civilization over time.

 

[Hyderz]

this is a far stretch of imagination but we should use a.i to help speed up space exploring and traveling...
i know going into space there will be a magnitude of complex issues but that's where ai can help
i hope in my lifetime i can see us humans going traveling into deep space finding a more habitable planet than earth

 

[R-T-B]

I disagree, for example if AI helps us improve concrete so roads need much less repair,

That's a rather big if, but since they are burning the carbon for AI anyways I guess why not try? I mean it's better than generating deepfakes or cats-that-are-sorta-catapillars images honestly.

 

[Jtuck9]

this is a far stretch of imagination but we should use a.i to help speed up space exploring and traveling...
i know going into space there will be a magnitude of complex issues but that's where ai can help
i hope in my lifetime i can see us humans going traveling into deep space finding a more habitable planet than earth

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/1246202705/mars-colonization-multiplanetary-species-humans-space

 

[Space Lynx]

That's a rather big if, but since they are burning the carbon for AI anyways I guess why not try? I mean it's better than generating deepfakes or cats-that-are-sorta-catapillars images honestly.

It's not the exact same thing, but I do have this thread here worth perusing over. I may not fully understand it, but I do believe there are several good initiatives taking place with advanced computing models.

Have the worlds biggest super computers ever been used to try to figure out new concrete mixtures for roads/buildings?

I know of only a few use case scenarios that super computers have been used for, mainly climate modeling, etc. I was wondering with that kind of compute power, would it be possible to code a program to utilize all that power to test out various plants/herbs and traditional concrete mixtures, to...

www.techpowerup.com

 

[R-T-B]

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/1246202705/mars-colonization-multiplanetary-species-humans-space

I'm with most mainstream scientists here when I say if we can't fix Earth no way we can fix Mars.

I do share the dream of a multiplanet species but we have to get some tech in line first IMO.

 

[Jtuck9]

I'm with most mainstream scientists here when I say if we can't fix Earth no way we can fix Mars.

I do share the dream of a multiplanet species but we have to get some tech in line first IMO.

It's the things you don't even think about and take for granted. Maybe A.I. can help with the unknown unknowns and rejuvenate a sense of awe and wonder...

This puts the whole thing into perspective for me:

What’s the Matter with Abundance? | Malcolm Harris

“Abundance” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson is new packaging for a tried-and-failed attempt to escape from history on a rocket ship.

thebaffler.com

Flourishing Is Mutual

If the Sun is the source of flow in the economy of nature, what is the “Sun” of a human gift economy, the source that constantly replenishes the flow of

cac.org

 

[Space Lynx]

It's the things you don't even think about and take for granted. Maybe A.I. can help with the unknown unknowns and regenerate a sense of awe and wonder...

This puts the whole thing into perspective for me:

What’s the Matter with Abundance? | Malcolm Harris

“Abundance” by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson is new packaging for a tried-and-failed attempt to escape from history on a rocket ship.

thebaffler.com

It probably will all happen together to be honest, like for example if AI helps us make concrete much better without needing repair nearly as much, then that will also be applicable on Earth as well as in other places. So, I don't see these things are different really, as we improve Earth, we can also improve future prospects of space travel. AI is not going to be limited to one or the other, imo.

 

[Jtuck9]

It probably will all happen together to be honest, like for example if AI helps us make concrete much better without needing repair nearly as much, then that will also be applicable on Earth as well as in other places. So, I don't see these things are different really, as we improve Earth, we can also improve future prospects of space travel. AI is not going to be limited to one or the other, imo.

Did you listen to that NPR interview I linked? You reminded me of that video of how people would look if they developed on different planets. Not sure if you're starting to dabble in transhumanism?! Maybe we should place our faith in the Aussie space program like their "Enhanced Games" multi sporting event.

 

[Space Lynx]

Did you listen to that NPR interview I linked? You reminded me of that video of how people would look if they developed on different planets. Not sure if you're starting to dabble in transhumanism?! Maybe we should place our faith in the Aussie space program like their "Enhanced Games" multi sporting event.

Not yet but I will, I have studied transhumanism to some degree, it is interesting to think about

 

[Jtuck9]

Not yet but I will, I have studied transhumanism to some degree, it is interesting to think about

Yea, it is super interesting. You might like the book "Beyond Human: From Animality to Transhumanism"

I suppose you could extrapolate using a.i. to develop better concrete to building off world habitations, which reminded me of Biophilic design:

14 Patterns of Biophilic Design

My problem with something like that is it never seems abundant or gratuitous enough.

"But reading about, like, if you go to Mars, you'll never be able to walk outside without a spacesuit on and, like, feel the breeze on your skin, I just-- I really appreciate this planet that we evolved on and we're so well-adapted to. I am staying here."