Ezra Klein

On the one hand, we have all these animals and even plants that turn out to be conscious, what we used to think was our special thing.

And on the other side,

We have these machines that are going to be smarter than we are, and some people think they'll be conscious.

But whether they can or not, we're going to think they're conscious and act on that basis, which raises all sorts of problems.

So who are we exactly if we're not the smartest, most conscious being?

And are we more like the animals who can feel and die and suffer?

Or are we more like the thinking machines who speak our language?

The posture.

The posture of screens, yeah.

One of the things I've been talking a lot about, protecting our consciousness and what a precious space of interiority we have, and it's this place of mental freedom.

But I realize for some people going there, it doesn't feel good.

That these are people who ruminate a lot,

And I'm prone to that too, to a lot of rumination, which is very circular thinking, often not productive.

It keeps you focused on something, but not in a way that's making progress usually.

It's a spiral maybe.

But also realizing you can take some control over your consciousness and that we need to do more to defend it.

And meditation is one great way.

And as challenging as it can be, you feel like...

Here's my mind.

I'm with my mind.