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Hi Ajay, thanks for the compliments, I'll do my best to answer your questions.
-Are these the goals for all of humanity?
Well, a central goal and vision for all humanity, as opposed to a mantra everyone is required to worship. I'm really only hinting at the goals here. Our task is to lift up those amongst us that are selfless enough to work for the survival of the species and the biosphere, to give them meaningful power to work on our behalf, yet without creating an institution that is a magnet for the corrupt or a force of oppression.
-How did AI take on such an important role
I think the technical challenge of strong AI will be solved sooner or later. I also think that its a tool that will change the world - strong AIs, perhaps Uploads or even lesser AIs will almost certainly outperform humans in many areas. The positive future I depict is one where humanity thought about how this could be done safely without the devaluation of the human species. If we work hard enough to do this, then I think in the future AI could help lift humanity out of both drudgery and conflict - but only if we work hard now to understand and solve these challenges.
-Why are AI, the energy crisis and community business the only descriptors of the problem? There can be countless other issues.
I agree. The simple answer is I couldn't fit all in. A more thorough philosophical and economic approach (WIP) are available on my website HERE. I selected this set of issues because I thought it brought something new to the table, something I think is both vital for our future, and at the same time often overlooked.
- Any reasoning leading up to the Federation except that it sprang in the aftermath of disaster.
With the world's currently political and economic situation I think we've probably got a bumpy ride ahead. But my hope is that (1) we can solve the traditional political stalemates through innovation like community business (2) we can restore meritocracy and have a new generation of people deeply aware of both hard science and social science. The leaders amongst such people are those that can best prepare for our difficulties, such as the social unrest triggered by increasing automation, or AIs being used for malicious agendas, and then offer a realistic vision of a noble future for humanity. In my mind such people would be the founders of the Federation, sitting down and forging principles for the protection of humanity and the biosphere, but based upon deep knowledge of technology, social science, economics, psychology and the dangers of power.
Thanks again for your kind comments, and I will be sure to read your entry soon!