1. Is this your first book?

No, this is my second novel and fourth book. Journey to 2125 was released on September 30^th.

Let me describe this book in the context of my first novel, and the entire project surrounding AI and robotics that the two novels together explore. My first novel, Unfettered Journey, attempted to realistically imagine the world of 2161. By then, I guessed that – at long last, though science fiction writers have already been imagining it for a century – robots would be walking among us and doing many of our jobs. The central question was: could those AIs embodied in robots attain consciousness? My studies in philosophy of mind encouraged that question, and I explored it in the form of a novel, with characters with whom the reader could feel an empathetic connection.

I thought that was my only novel. But fans were taken by that highly realistic world, and asked, “How did we get there?” That question, and the rapid development of AIs caused me to consider a second novel. I was driven to it when I realized that multiple problems were on humanity’s doorstep this century, and fiction writers did not appear to be helping to focus attention on them.

That is the impetus for my latest book, Journey to 2125. It tells a story of this next century, told through the lives of a family, of how they meet the challenges brought on by accelerating technological change. The story focuses on a grandfather, Max MacGyver, and his long-separated grandson, as Max reveals the family secrets and tells their story.

2. What do you hope people gain from Journey to 2125?

That is best answered by the epigraph in my novel, Journey to 2125. Which is:

Of the many challenges ahead this century,

a few matter.

Focus on and overcome those few,

and you, yours, and the world

will survive, and perhaps even thrive.

Facing accelerating change this century, humankind needs to be strategic, to focus on the most pressing problems. I give my list of those key problems in the novel. My readers can watch my characters respond to the world and these problems, that I really believe we will see coming to fruition. We need to stop talking about them endlessly, and instead we need to solve them.

3. What role does technology play in politics?

Technology will continue to play a role by changing the playing field in how candidates get elected. For example, FDR used the new technology of radio in his day. Kennedy mastered the television debate, arguably for the win in 1960. Social media has played an enormous role in the last three presidential races, for good and evil. In Journey to 2125, I describe the use of “digital twins” being used to sway an election. Technology and its impact, especially on the survival of democracy, must be carefully considered. That is one lesson of the novel.

4. What do you like to do when not writing?

My wife and I love to travel, having visited over 130 countries. Most recently we spent October in the Caucasus, and were in Georgia when the elections were underway. Sadly, the pro-Russian forces stole the election, and now the country is turning away from the EU. We travel to better understand the world, in all its complexity. I sit on two nonprofit boards, for the Exploratorium of San Francisco, and for the Santa Fe Institute, focused on complexity studies and cross-disciplinary research. I have an observatory in the Sierra Nevada foothills, where we run astronomy field trips for high school students. And I enjoy making a nice Cabernet wine at our vineyard in Napa, where I also raise bees.

5. Do you trust AI?

“Trust” is an interesting word to use, suggesting something human-like, with human-style consciousness. From my philosophical training, I think machine consciousness will not appear anytime soon. But well before that, we need to worry about the loss of jobs and that impact on our economic society.

The question is perhaps seen in the context of those who are worried that AGI – artificial general intelligence – would be achieved very soon in AIs, and then the machines would be able to replace us. The replacement image conjured is of some Terminator-like invention.

Two years ago, we had the “chatGPT moment” when the technology demonstrated a dramatic leap. Roughly one hundred billion dollars has since flowed into AI companies. It is clear that the technology will dramatically change many jobs and replace many people. My expectation is that over the next two decades jobs will be redefined, many will disappear, and many new jobs will be created.

We will also learn the limitations of the AIs. The AIs will make mistakes. Some mistakes will be costly in human injury and money. I doubt that very many sectors of the economy will operate with AIs who have no human oversight. And I do not expect any Terminator to walk down the street any time soon.

Notwithstanding the astonishing capabilities of AI technology, I suspect we will see the limits showing soon. I follow long-time AI researcher Melanie Mitchell at the Santa Fe Institute, and her questioning of the current exuberance. We need be cautious about the AI hype.

That is the shorter-term picture. How long will it take for “true” artificial general intelligence? That depends upon one’s definition of AGI. I suspect that some AGI definitions leave too many loopholes to allow a claim that AGI has been reached. But what do we really fear? I cover that topic in my book, Journey to 2125, with a careful definition in the glossary.

Two primary human fears surround the attainment of AGI by a machine. First is the fear that achieving “strong AGI” leads to the replacement of humans and, at a minimum, the need to address moral and ethical responsibilities to AGIs as fellow sentient or conscious creations. Second is the fear that AGIs will replace most human jobs.

Regarding the second fear, perhaps a useful working definition would be that a practical economic AGI is a computer AI, deployed with ecological validity in economic settings that is recognized as consistently performing, un-aided by any human, a reasonably complete set of capabilities superior to those possessed by an intelligent 25-year-old educated person. Capabilities include the ability to learn and adapt goals in a dynamic environment.

The definition of practical economic AGI focuses on the fear of human economic displacement. I think that the tsunami of job losses to AIs will not occur until robots have been sufficiently refined, made cheap enough, and capable enough to walk among us. Then they will transform the economic system. That second wave, which I do not foresee until the latter half of this century, is a central theme of Journey to 2125.

What about attainment of “strong AGI,” when AIs (certainly embodied in robots) might begin to reach sentience, or even some sort of consciousness? My studies in theory of mind (from my MA in philosophy) suggest that will not occur until the next century at the earliest, and perhaps more likely much farther in the future. The “hard problem of consciousness” (a term coined by David Chalmers in 1995) is indeed very hard. That’s the subject of my first novel, Unfettered Journey. Both novels attempt to make this complex technology more understandable, more concrete when described in the form of story, with a realistic, hard-science approach.

Gary F. Bengier is a writer, philosopher, and technologist with a deep interest in how technology and human experience intersect. After a notable career in Silicon Valley, including his role as eBay’s Chief Financial Officer, Bengier pursued his passion for astrophysics and philosophy. His previous work, “Unfettered Journey,” earned acclaim for its philosophical depth and realistic world-building. His latest book, “Journey to 2125” is hailed as a visionary masterpiece that blends compelling storytelling with thought-provoking insights on climate change, technological advancement, and the future of humanity. Through a richly crafted family saga, Bengier paints a vivid picture of our potential futures, challenging readers to reflect on their role in shaping a sustainable and harmonious world.

“Journey to 2125: One Century, One Family, Rising to Challenges” by Gary F. Bengier is available on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. You can also follow Gary on Facebook @garybengierauthor, Good Reads @Gary_F_Bengier, and Twitter (X): @GaryFBengier or by visiting his website: GaryfBengier.com/journey-to-2125/

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