Field Notes from a Life

I just finished reading the autobiography Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov. It’s the only piece of writing of his that I’ve ever read, and I’ve decided not to read any of his fiction, nor the extensive biography by Brian Boyd. I want to enjoy this book simply as a beautifully crafted autobiographical work, apart from the larger context of his life. It stands on its own as the expression of a complex and highly educated mind—a person who lived through the upheavals and horrors of the twentieth century. What passages have stayed with me the most? There are many sections.  One, chapter six, that I just now opened at random, reads, "After making my way through some pine groves and alder scrub I came to the bog. No sooner had my ear caught the hum of diptera around me, the guttural cry of a snipe overhead, the gulping sound of the morass under my foot, than i knew I would find here quite special arctic butterflies, whose pictures, or, still better, non-illustrated descriptions I had ...

In February, Mrinank Sharma, an AI researcher who had been deeply involved in the development and safety evaluation of advanced artificial intelligence systems, resigned from his position. In his resignation letter, Sharma expressed concern that the rapid pace of technological progress was outstripping our collective ability to cultivate the wisdom needed to manage such power responsibly. He warned that society risks falling behind on the moral and philosophical challenges that come with new technologies. That concern is not unreasonable. Many people working close to advanced technology have reached a similar conclusion. What was striking about Sharma’s departure, however, was not the diagnosis but the tone. His statement moved quickly away from the language of engineering, governance, or policy and toward poetry and spiritual reflection, quoting writers such as Rainer Maria Rilke and Mary Oliver. The implication seemed to be that the solution to our technological moment lies not prim...