AGI-World

[photo credit: Russell Whitaker, Aug-08 Redwood City, CA]

AGI-World is my personal blog created to track happenings concerning AGI, the Singularity, Novamente and the non-profits I support. I’m currently VP of BizDev for Novamente LLC, a 20+ person company creating software to power intelligent virtual agents for virtual worlds, computer games, and simulations.

Passions

I’m passionate about the potential for technology to radically advance civilization. I consider the two most leveraged technologies to be AGI and neuroengineering.

Goals

My two main goals are to help Novamente become highly successfull and to help the Singularity Institute guide the beneficial creation of powerful AGI. My ultimate goal is to become radically smarter. I have a long way to go.

Projects

My two main projects are working toward the commercially successful creation of AI for Virtual Worlds and Games via Novamente and toward helping the open source project, OpenCog via the Singularity Institute. In addition, I’m starting to help the Innerspace Foundation, which is creating a neuroengineering prize for the betterment of learning, memory and mind.

Friends

• Aubrey de Grey
• Amara Angelica
• Ben Goertzel
• Chris Boshuizen
• James Clement
• Peter Diamandis
• Salim Ismail
• Susan Fonseca-Klein
• Troy Byrd
• Tyler Emerson

Events

I helped produce the following (and upcoming events):

• Second Conference on Artificial General Intelligence
  2009, Arlington, VA; www.agi-09.org
• The Singularity Summit: Opportunity, Risk, Leadership
  2008, San Jose, CA; www.singularitysummit.com
• First Conference on Artificial General Intelligence
  2008, University of Memphis; www.agi-08.org
• Singularity Summit, AI and the Future of Humanity
  2007, San Francisco, CA; www.singinst.org/summit2007
• First Workshop on Artificial General Intelligence
  2006, N. Bethesda, MD; www.agiri.org/workshop
  

Supporting

I support a number of Singularity-related non-profits, including:

• Artificial General Intelligence Research Institute (co-founder, Director)
• Immortality Institute (co-founder, Director)
• Lifeboat Foundation (Networking Director)
• Singularity Institute for Artificial Intelligence (Director of Outreach)
• World Transhumanist Association (Director)

Profiles

A few of my online bios/profiles/networks:

• Facebook
• Immortality Institute
• Lifeboat Foundation
• LinkedIn
• Novamente
• People Database Project
• Singularity Institute
• Twitter
• World Transhumanist Association

History

Here’s a very brief history of Bruce:

• 2009 helping w/ Second AGI Conference
• 2008 helped w/ Convergence08
• 2008 helping w/ Singularity Summit 2008
• 2008 helping w/ First AGI Conference
• 2008 joined WTA’s Board of Directors
• 2008 created Existential Threats Poll
• 2007 helped create OpenCog
• 2007 helped w/ Singularity Summit 2007
• 2007 created AI Poll
• 2007 joined Singularity Institute
• 2006 joined Lifeboat Foundation
• 2006 helped host first AGI workshop
• 2005 joined Novamente LLC
• 2005 helped create open letters for Cryonics and Cure Aging
• 2005 helped host Life Extension Conference
• 2004 helped create Life Extension Film
• 1996-2001 banking, insurance, real estate, stocks
• 1996 graduated U. of Georgia (finance)
• 1996 met future wife, Susan Fonseca-Klein
• 1974 born in Alabama

Photos

Here are a few fun photos w/ friends/family:

July-2008 - Redwood City, CA; Susan Fonseca-Klein, Bruce Klein. Photo credit: James Clement.

Nov-07, LA, CA; Bruce Klein, Susan Fonseca-Klein, Jeff Hall and Aubrey de Grey.

Fall 2007 / San Francisco, Peter Thiel’s home. Interview for Michael E. Arth’s documentary: UNICE. Photo credit: Michael E. Arth.

Ray Kurzweil, Susan Fonseca-Klein (wife) and Bruce Klein at the Terasem Foundation’s Second Geoethical Nanotechnology workshop in Vermont July 2006. Photo credit: Ben Goertzel.

May 2008 in Rockville, MD — LtoR, Eddie Monroe (Novamente VP Engineering), Matt Ikle (PLN co-author w/ Ben), Moshe Looks (MOSES author), Ben Goertzel (SIAI Director of Research, Novamente CEO/CSO), Bruce Klein (Novemente Pres), Joel Pitt (OpenCog). In front: Crunchkin (Novamente Virtual Pet Advisor). Photo credit: Izabella Goertzel

July-2008, Redwood City, CA: Tyler Emerson (ED, SIAI), James Clement (ED, WTA), Bruce Klein. Photo credit: Susan Fonseca-Klein

Magical Blue Bean Bag
[photo credit: Russell Whitaker Aug-08 w/ Bruce, Troy Byrd, Nancy Kelley, Greg Coladonato]