Max Tegmark organises life in 3 phases: phase one is life that can evolve on a biological basis, i.e. via evolution. Life in phase 2 can evolve via its use of biological features, i.e. via cultural evolution. Phase 3 can change its basis on its own, i.e. it can actively and consciously change what would be its biological basis. Would be, because phase 3 may not be in the offing for biological life – but it almost certainly is what an artificial intelligence could achieve.

Artificial intelligence? Doesn't that sound rather far fetched? And an AI even more intelligent and more flexible than human intelligence, a kind of super intelligence? Tegmark convincingly argues that the foreseeable development of hard- and software capabilities make it appear almost inevitable that sometime  rather sooner than later it will be possible to design software that can emulate and surpass the capabilities of the human mind. Mind you: the mind, not the brain – because according to Tegmark, the relevant functions of the mind rely on abstract modules which can be realised in many different ways, not necessarily through nerve cells and synapses.

Once an AI with capabilites matching that of human intelligence has been created, Tegmark goes on, it will per definitionem be able to develop and improve on its own design, creating an AI with even more capabilites and so on ad infinitum. Although: only nearly so, because space and matter and the energy contained in space are finite. But Tegmark convincingly lays out the path to developing an AI that will continue to grow and develop until all available resources are put into use for its cause. And this leads him to the ultimate question: What should a super-intelligent AI's utltimate cause be? How can humanity ensure that a super-intelligent AI does not turn against humanity? And finally: What are humanity's goals and what makes and keeps them happy and satisfied?

The technical argument takes up by far the most pages in this book. But there is not really much to argue here, the »argument« is really rather compulsive. Ultimately, the book poses a philosophical question: What are humanity's goals?gim