Josh, a Los Angeles native, has always been fascinated by parasocial dynamics on the internet, and in particular, how individuals can coordinate to behave to effect change that balances the perspectives of all parties to create a better environment for all. As society increasingly relies on the internet as a medium of communication, and technology evolves to make humans more productive than ever before, Josh believes that it is paramount for individuals to understand how this shift into the networked age promises to fundamentally change the way that we enjoy being a part of civilized society. He is intrigued by the direction technology is headed with respect to human-machine collaboration, and is keen on diving deeper during his time at Penn.
“It’s generally understood among researchers that unaligned superintelligence could easily take over. It’s near impossible, for many reasons, at this point to coordinate to halt AI research. For that reason, it’s paramount that we– both those within and outside the realm of technology– are aligned on what our values look like as we progress towards the development of Artificial General Intelligence. Alignment problems are often very abstract, but if we don’t theorize in advance, we may find ourselves in a pinch as we near AGI”
Josh is pursuing a Communication major with a concentration in Data & Network science in the College of Arts and Sciences at Penn. His research lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, coordination mechanisms, and the attention economy. He’s excited about the future of human knowledge as assisted by artificial intelligence, and believes that intellectually honest, open dialogue is crucial as the pace of technological advancement continues to accelerate. For that reason, Josh is enthusiastic for the opportunity to engage in well rounded discourse through the SNF Paideia Fellowship.