In June 2024, the essay Situational Awareness by former OpenAI employee Leopold Aschenbrenner sparked intense debate in the AI community. The author predicted that by 2027, AI would surpass human intelligence. Such claims are common among AI researchers. They often assert that only a small elite – mainly those working at companies like OpenAI – possesses inside knowledge of the technology. Many in this group hold a quasi-religious belief in the imminent arrival of artificial general intelligence (AGI) or artificial superintelligence (ASI).

From Californian ideology to transhumanism

These hopes and fears, however, are not only religious-like but also ideological. A decade ago, Silicon Valley leaders were still associated with the so-called Californian ideology, a blend of hippie counterculture and entrepreneurial yuppie values. Today, figures like Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Sam Altman are under the influence of a new ideological cocktail: TESCREAL. Coined in 2023 by Timnit Gebru and Émile P. Torres, TESCREAL stands for Transhumanism, Extropianism, Singularitarianism, Cosmism, Rationalism, Effective Altruism, and Longtermism.

TESCREAL represents a third wave of eugenics. It aims to digitise human consciousness and propagate digital humans into the universe

While these may sound like obscure terms, they represent ideas developed over decades, with roots in eugenics. Early 20th-century eugenicists such as Francis Galton promoted selective breeding to enhance future generations. Later, with advances in genetic engineering, the focus shifted from eugenics' racist origins to its potential to eliminate genetic defects. TESCREAL represents a third wave of eugenics. It aims to digitise human consciousness and then propagate digital humans into the universe.

AGI is near

Gebru and Torres' TESCREAL acronym reflects the evolution of its components. The first, transhumanism, was coined in 1957 by Julian Huxley. Its modern interpretation comes from the philosopher Max More. In the 1980s, More advocated for radical human transformation through science and technology.

More co-founded the Extropy Institute, advocating for immortality and limitless expansion through technology. Extropianism connects with Singularitarianism, a thought popularised by Ray Kurzweil, who argues that humans will merge with AI at a future point of 'technological singularity'. In his recent book The Singularity is Nearer, Kurzweil revisits his earlier predictions that AI will match human intelligence by 2029, and that human-machine integration will occur by 2045. This vision aligns with Cosmism, promoted by Ben Goertzel, which includes uploading human minds to machines and colonising space.

The existential risk

Homo sapiens' amalgamation with AI could trigger an 'intelligence explosion' — a self-improving AI that rapidly surpasses human control, as described by Nick Bostrom in his 2014 book Superintelligence. Fearing such scenarios, theorists such as Eliezer Yudkowsky advocate for a rationalist strand of TESCREALism, focusing on aligning AGI with human values to avoid existential risks.

Tech figures who promote AGI research also fear that AGI might threaten their long-term vision of human transcendence

TESCREAL adherents are, however, deeply concerned about the risks of AGI going rogue. This explains the paradox of tech figures who promote AGI research but also sign letters calling for a moratorium on AI experiments: they fear AGI might threaten their long-term vision of human transcendence.

Effective Altruism (EA) and Longtermism share TESCREAL's concerns. EA is a form of utilitarian ethics that encourages prioritising actions that benefit future generations. Its co-founder, William MacAskill, argues that because future generations could number in the trillions, they should play a major role in our moral considerations. The climate crisis, while serious, is less concerning to EA adherents than the risk of human extinction, which could prevent humanity from achieving its cosmic potential.

Back to earth

At this point, readers might wonder how these grand ideas relate to the 2024 US presidential election. If TESCREALism were just a fringe philosophy of tech elites, we might be able to dismiss it as a byproduct of our digital age. It has, however, become deeply embedded in contemporary US politics.

Senator JD Vance owes his political rise to Peter Thiel, a key sponsor of TESCREAL initiatives. Thiel met Vance in 2011, later employing him at his investment firm and financing his Senate campaign. Donald Trump selected Vance as his running mate after consultations with Thiel and Musk.

TESCREALists want someone in the White House who understands that developing new technologies is not the government's role

TESCREALists need Vance because they view government regulation as an impediment to technological innovation. According to reports, their goal is to put someone in the White House who understands that developing new technologies is not the government's role, as it was during the 1940s Manhattan Project. A TESCREAL-advocating President would, instead, support Silicon Valley's 'geniuses' in their quest to push technological boundaries without interference.

From ideology to policy

Elon Musk, whose TESCREAL visions include colonising Mars and integrating human brains with computers, is now a key player in presidential politics. Not only has he campaigned on Trump's behalf, he also plays a central role in organising Trump’s ground game through his America PAC. If Trump wins, Musk could join the administration, where he might seek to align the deregulation policy with TESCREAL objectives.

Ideologies provide frameworks for understanding the world, motivating visions of the future, and justifying actions. TESCREALism performs these functions for its followers. While it may seem like a sci-fi fantasy aimed at serving Silicon Valley's economic interests, and promising to solve all human problems through unfettered technological development, it may also attempt to implement some of its radical transhumanist ideas.

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