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We Are as Gods: A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance
National Bestseller
From the New York Times bestselling authors of Abundance, Bold, and The Future Is Faster Than You Think comes a bold exploration of what it means to stay human in a world where technology has granted us godlike power.
In 1968, Stewart Brand “We are as gods—and we might as well get good at it.” Half a century later, that prophecy has come true.
We can rewrite genes, edit embryos, build artificial minds, extend life, and terraform worlds. The old miracles—omniscience, omnipresence, even resurrection—are becoming standard operating procedure. But the real question isn’t whether humanity can play god. It’s whether we can do it wisely.
In We Are as A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance, Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler—bestselling authors of Abundance and Bold—return with a sweeping exploration of our species’ next great transformation. Blending hard science with vivid storytelling, they chart humanity’s ascent from scarcity to superabundance—and the psychological, ethical, and existential challenges that come with it.
Across breakthroughs in AI, robotics, genetics, longevity, and consciousness research, they reveal a paradox at the heart of as our external power expands, our inner resilience must evolve to match. Abundance without meaning leads to collapse. Intelligence without wisdom leads to extinction. To thrive in a world of everything, everywhere, all the time, we must learn to wield our godlike powers with humility, creativity, and flow.
Equal parts warning and invitation, We Are as Gods is a map for flourishing in the exponential century. Because the future won’t be built by those who fear what’s coming, but by those who know how to turn chaos into creation.
Abundance is here. Are you ready?
From the New York Times bestselling authors of Abundance, Bold, and The Future Is Faster Than You Think comes a bold exploration of what it means to stay human in a world where technology has granted us godlike power.
In 1968, Stewart Brand “We are as gods—and we might as well get good at it.” Half a century later, that prophecy has come true.
We can rewrite genes, edit embryos, build artificial minds, extend life, and terraform worlds. The old miracles—omniscience, omnipresence, even resurrection—are becoming standard operating procedure. But the real question isn’t whether humanity can play god. It’s whether we can do it wisely.
In We Are as A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance, Peter H. Diamandis and Steven Kotler—bestselling authors of Abundance and Bold—return with a sweeping exploration of our species’ next great transformation. Blending hard science with vivid storytelling, they chart humanity’s ascent from scarcity to superabundance—and the psychological, ethical, and existential challenges that come with it.
Across breakthroughs in AI, robotics, genetics, longevity, and consciousness research, they reveal a paradox at the heart of as our external power expands, our inner resilience must evolve to match. Abundance without meaning leads to collapse. Intelligence without wisdom leads to extinction. To thrive in a world of everything, everywhere, all the time, we must learn to wield our godlike powers with humility, creativity, and flow.
Equal parts warning and invitation, We Are as Gods is a map for flourishing in the exponential century. Because the future won’t be built by those who fear what’s coming, but by those who know how to turn chaos into creation.
Abundance is here. Are you ready?
Audible Audio
Published April 14, 2026
About the author
Peter H. Diamandis
33 books763 followersDr. Peter H. Diamandis is an international pioneer in the fields of innovation, incentive competitions and commercial space. In 2014 he was named one of "The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders" – by Fortune Magazine.
In the field of Innovation, Diamandis is Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, best known for its $10 million Ansari XPRIZE for private spaceflight.
Diamandis is also the Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of Human Longevity Inc. (HLI), a genomics and cell therapy-based diagnostic and therapeutic company focused on extending the healthy human lifespan. He is also the Executive Founder of Singularity University, a graduate-level Silicon Valley institution that studies exponentially growing technologies, their ability to transform industries and solve humanity’s grand challenges.
In the field of commercial space, Diamandis is Co-Founder/Co-Chairman of Planetary Resources, a company designing spacecraft to enable the detection and prospecting of asteroid for precious materials. He is also the Co-Founder of Space Adventures and Zero-Gravity Corporation.
Diamandis is the New York Times Bestselling author of Abundance – The Future Is Better Than You Think and BOLD – How to go Big, Create Wealth & Impact the World.
He earned an undergraduate degree in Molecular Genetics and a graduate degree in Aerospace Engineering from MIT, and received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School.
Diamandis’ mission is to open the space frontier for humanity. His personal motto is: "The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself."
In 2016, the Greek Government honored him by issuing a 1.2 Euro stamp into circulation. Also in 2016, the book How To Make A Spaceship – A Band of Renegades, an Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Spaceflight, Peter’s biography and the story of the XPRIZE was written by Julian Guthrie with a Foreword by Richard Branson and an Afterword by Prof. Stephen Hawking.
In the field of Innovation, Diamandis is Founder and Executive Chairman of the XPRIZE Foundation, best known for its $10 million Ansari XPRIZE for private spaceflight.
Diamandis is also the Co-Founder and Vice-Chairman of Human Longevity Inc. (HLI), a genomics and cell therapy-based diagnostic and therapeutic company focused on extending the healthy human lifespan. He is also the Executive Founder of Singularity University, a graduate-level Silicon Valley institution that studies exponentially growing technologies, their ability to transform industries and solve humanity’s grand challenges.
In the field of commercial space, Diamandis is Co-Founder/Co-Chairman of Planetary Resources, a company designing spacecraft to enable the detection and prospecting of asteroid for precious materials. He is also the Co-Founder of Space Adventures and Zero-Gravity Corporation.
Diamandis is the New York Times Bestselling author of Abundance – The Future Is Better Than You Think and BOLD – How to go Big, Create Wealth & Impact the World.
He earned an undergraduate degree in Molecular Genetics and a graduate degree in Aerospace Engineering from MIT, and received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School.
Diamandis’ mission is to open the space frontier for humanity. His personal motto is: "The best way to predict the future is to create it yourself."
In 2016, the Greek Government honored him by issuing a 1.2 Euro stamp into circulation. Also in 2016, the book How To Make A Spaceship – A Band of Renegades, an Epic Race, and the Birth of Private Spaceflight, Peter’s biography and the story of the XPRIZE was written by Julian Guthrie with a Foreword by Richard Branson and an Afterword by Prof. Stephen Hawking.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 25, 2026
If optimism were a controlled substance, We Are As Gods would require a prescription and careful monitoring. Fortunately, Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler dispense it freely, and with just enough self-awareness to keep it from feeling like a late-night infomercial for the future.
This is not blind cheerleading. It is a curated tour of human progress that reminds you, with some persistence, that we are very good at solving problems once we decide they are worth solving. Diamandis and Kotler lean into the long arc of history, contrasting the grim baseline of the past with the astonishing trajectory of the present. By the time you’ve been reminded how recently disease, famine, and ignorance were the default settings of civilization, it becomes harder to indulge in the modern hobby of assuming everything is getting worse.
And yet, credit where it is due, the book does not float off into techno-utopian orbit. Interspersed among the triumphs are reality checks, the kind that politely tap you on the shoulder and say, “Yes, but…” The challenges are real: uneven access, unintended consequences, and the ever-present risk that human nature does not upgrade at quite the same pace as human technology. The authors acknowledge these without losing momentum, which is no small feat. It is optimism with a seatbelt.
What elevates the book is its comparative perspective. Rather than simply declaring that things are better, it shows its work. The reader is invited to measure today against yesterday, not against some imagined perfection that never existed. This alone is a refreshing corrective in an era that often judges progress against fantasy rather than history.
There is also a quiet, almost mischievous undercurrent running through the narrative: the suggestion that many of our current anxieties might look faintly ridiculous in hindsight. Not because they are trivial, but because they are symptoms of a world that has already solved problems so large that we now have the luxury of worrying about more abstract ones.
In short, this is a book that dares to argue that humanity is not on the brink of collapse, but on the edge of possibility. It does so with enthusiasm, a fair amount of evidence, and just enough acknowledgment of reality to avoid sounding like it was written by a motivational poster.
You may not agree with every conclusion, but you will finish the book slightly more reluctant to declare the present an unmitigated disaster. In today’s intellectual climate, that alone feels almost rebellious.
This is not blind cheerleading. It is a curated tour of human progress that reminds you, with some persistence, that we are very good at solving problems once we decide they are worth solving. Diamandis and Kotler lean into the long arc of history, contrasting the grim baseline of the past with the astonishing trajectory of the present. By the time you’ve been reminded how recently disease, famine, and ignorance were the default settings of civilization, it becomes harder to indulge in the modern hobby of assuming everything is getting worse.
And yet, credit where it is due, the book does not float off into techno-utopian orbit. Interspersed among the triumphs are reality checks, the kind that politely tap you on the shoulder and say, “Yes, but…” The challenges are real: uneven access, unintended consequences, and the ever-present risk that human nature does not upgrade at quite the same pace as human technology. The authors acknowledge these without losing momentum, which is no small feat. It is optimism with a seatbelt.
What elevates the book is its comparative perspective. Rather than simply declaring that things are better, it shows its work. The reader is invited to measure today against yesterday, not against some imagined perfection that never existed. This alone is a refreshing corrective in an era that often judges progress against fantasy rather than history.
There is also a quiet, almost mischievous undercurrent running through the narrative: the suggestion that many of our current anxieties might look faintly ridiculous in hindsight. Not because they are trivial, but because they are symptoms of a world that has already solved problems so large that we now have the luxury of worrying about more abstract ones.
In short, this is a book that dares to argue that humanity is not on the brink of collapse, but on the edge of possibility. It does so with enthusiasm, a fair amount of evidence, and just enough acknowledgment of reality to avoid sounding like it was written by a motivational poster.
You may not agree with every conclusion, but you will finish the book slightly more reluctant to declare the present an unmitigated disaster. In today’s intellectual climate, that alone feels almost rebellious.
June 17, 2026
A homage to techno-utopianism as you would expect from Peter Diamandis. If I were to invoke my inner David Spade, I would say that I like it better the first time I read it when it was called "The future is faster than you think". This was an enjoyable book that was a very quick <2hr read, as it reads like a very long blog post. Which is basically what it is - clearly written to communicate Steven Kotler and Peter Diamandis's optimistic (and slightly cautionary) worldview. And like any good blog post, of course plugging the value of joining their programs to help make you more resilient and able to thrive in this future. I didn't get much from the usual tech rockstar features that Peter D is wont to highlight about founders he has invested in, but there were some nice sociological tidbits that I took value from hearing their take on.
Insight by analogy - foundational to how we think about thinking (ontology of thinking). "Analogy is now viewed as cognitive infrastructure for the mind. If you agree with philosopher Douglas Hofstadter, it's the root of intelligence and creativity. It's how we learn to understand the new, the unfamiliar, even the incomprehensible." [p18]
- Example given of the analogy of the brain as a computer, which led to a tremendous explosion in R&D for chipsets as well as neuroscience. People who lack a technical understanding of neuroscience have objected to this analogy on philosophical terms - no reason to try to change their mind with the facts. It is astute because we have designed computers to mimic biological neural processing, and more importantly it has been useful to both computer science and neurobiology
Starting in the 1970s there were 2 superhero releases in media (Superman movie, Wonder Woman TV show). 10x increase in the 1980s had 10 superhero films (e.g. Batman, Superman II) and 6 TV shows (Transformer, Incredible Hulk). 2x increase in the 1990s with 20 movies and almost 20 TV shows. Then 3x in the 2000s and 2010s: 60 films and 30 TV series. "Jung would argue that this surge in archetypal media is an unconscious response to the psychic destabilization brought on by the radical acceleration in human potential. With each technological leap forward, there's a parallel need for new symbols and myths to anchor our understanding of our growing power. Archetypes provide narrative coherence and moral clarity." [p19]
- Similar to Hannah Arendt's finding that religiosity increases under dictatorships when populations are subject to top-down capricious decisions. So seek spirituality as a means to offer psychological stability and control to their lives
Advances in AI came from M/L, no longer trying to take an algorithmic approach to processing and rather an empirical approach to prediction. Another similarity to biological brains - humans learn from pattern recognition and prediction - brain just like AI is a prediction engine. "But very little in our past has prepared us for the future that is currently unfolding. That is the reason analogies are failing and doomsaying is on the rise." [p24]
Mohammad Shehata from Caltech neuroscience 2021 study using EEG to show the signature of team flow: increased beta-gamma activity in left middle temporal cortex (inter-brain synchrony, information processing) [p145]
Universe 25 experiment by John Calhoun at National Institute of Mental Health in 1968. Crated a utopian environment for mice. 256 nest sites across four 16x16 grids laden with food dispensers and water bottles, nesting materials, and ideal temp/humidity controls for 8 mice (4 males / 4 females).
- At first population doubled every 60 days, but day 315 there were 620 mice and a healthy growing society with clear social structures (5 generations).
- At day 560 population reached 2200 (9 generations) and noticed subtle changes. Young males were having difficulty establishing territories and finding social roles - some became aggressive and others withdrew (groomed themselves obsessively and did not fight for territory, ate/slept and did little else). Females became increasingly hostile to their young.
- By day 600, females started to abandon their nests and attack their young. Infant mortality skyrocketed and cannibalism started. By day 660 (11 generations), population growth stopped.
- Last birth was on day 920 (15th generation) - society fractured into the "beautiful ones" who avoided conflict, hyperaggressive males, and females who abandoned maternal behaviors. "What struck Calhoun wasn't the violence or the social withdrawal. IT was the profound indifference. Mice would step over dead companions without response. Mothers would walk away from nursing infants to groom themselves. The basic fabric of mouse society had disintegrated." [p158]
- Day 1780 (generation 30) Calhoun stopped the experiment. Population down to 100. Population decline was predicted by overcrowding, but starvation/disease did not cause the decline. It was the collapse of social bonds and behaviors. After population began to decline and space became available, mice could not recover their normal social behaviors. Calhoun warned that he was less concerned with physical overcrowding and more social overcrowding. "In providing an environment free of want, we may have destroyed the capacity for adaptation."
While I agree with Kotler/Diamandis's conclusion as it triggers my own bias about the need for struggle, I think it's a stretch to make this the primary conclusion of the study given so many confounding factors. There was extreme inbreeding in this mouse population, would this result not have been expected? With the space limitations, would not aggressive behavior and territorial dominance have also been expected? Surely there was struggle as a result… it was not that Utopia is hell, it's that in this experiment Utopia became hell due to competition. The big takeaway to me is less about the need for struggle to adapt and more about how social behaviors devolve over generations - like the monkey on the ladder experiment. Generations that never grow under cooperative circumstances never learn how to form societies.
Jaak Panksepp neuroscientist at Bowling Green in the 1980s who did early studies on emotions of rodents. Identified 7 primary affective systems shared by mammals: seeking, fear, rage, lust, care, panic/grief, play [p162]
- Play is foundational neural infrastructure to drive creative exploration, social connection, and skills practice
Humans have 5 major intrinsic motivators - curiosity, passion, purpose, autonomy, and mastery.
- Add play and flow as 2 additional drivers that we need
Insight by analogy - foundational to how we think about thinking (ontology of thinking). "Analogy is now viewed as cognitive infrastructure for the mind. If you agree with philosopher Douglas Hofstadter, it's the root of intelligence and creativity. It's how we learn to understand the new, the unfamiliar, even the incomprehensible." [p18]
- Example given of the analogy of the brain as a computer, which led to a tremendous explosion in R&D for chipsets as well as neuroscience. People who lack a technical understanding of neuroscience have objected to this analogy on philosophical terms - no reason to try to change their mind with the facts. It is astute because we have designed computers to mimic biological neural processing, and more importantly it has been useful to both computer science and neurobiology
Starting in the 1970s there were 2 superhero releases in media (Superman movie, Wonder Woman TV show). 10x increase in the 1980s had 10 superhero films (e.g. Batman, Superman II) and 6 TV shows (Transformer, Incredible Hulk). 2x increase in the 1990s with 20 movies and almost 20 TV shows. Then 3x in the 2000s and 2010s: 60 films and 30 TV series. "Jung would argue that this surge in archetypal media is an unconscious response to the psychic destabilization brought on by the radical acceleration in human potential. With each technological leap forward, there's a parallel need for new symbols and myths to anchor our understanding of our growing power. Archetypes provide narrative coherence and moral clarity." [p19]
- Similar to Hannah Arendt's finding that religiosity increases under dictatorships when populations are subject to top-down capricious decisions. So seek spirituality as a means to offer psychological stability and control to their lives
Advances in AI came from M/L, no longer trying to take an algorithmic approach to processing and rather an empirical approach to prediction. Another similarity to biological brains - humans learn from pattern recognition and prediction - brain just like AI is a prediction engine. "But very little in our past has prepared us for the future that is currently unfolding. That is the reason analogies are failing and doomsaying is on the rise." [p24]
Mohammad Shehata from Caltech neuroscience 2021 study using EEG to show the signature of team flow: increased beta-gamma activity in left middle temporal cortex (inter-brain synchrony, information processing) [p145]
Universe 25 experiment by John Calhoun at National Institute of Mental Health in 1968. Crated a utopian environment for mice. 256 nest sites across four 16x16 grids laden with food dispensers and water bottles, nesting materials, and ideal temp/humidity controls for 8 mice (4 males / 4 females).
- At first population doubled every 60 days, but day 315 there were 620 mice and a healthy growing society with clear social structures (5 generations).
- At day 560 population reached 2200 (9 generations) and noticed subtle changes. Young males were having difficulty establishing territories and finding social roles - some became aggressive and others withdrew (groomed themselves obsessively and did not fight for territory, ate/slept and did little else). Females became increasingly hostile to their young.
- By day 600, females started to abandon their nests and attack their young. Infant mortality skyrocketed and cannibalism started. By day 660 (11 generations), population growth stopped.
- Last birth was on day 920 (15th generation) - society fractured into the "beautiful ones" who avoided conflict, hyperaggressive males, and females who abandoned maternal behaviors. "What struck Calhoun wasn't the violence or the social withdrawal. IT was the profound indifference. Mice would step over dead companions without response. Mothers would walk away from nursing infants to groom themselves. The basic fabric of mouse society had disintegrated." [p158]
- Day 1780 (generation 30) Calhoun stopped the experiment. Population down to 100. Population decline was predicted by overcrowding, but starvation/disease did not cause the decline. It was the collapse of social bonds and behaviors. After population began to decline and space became available, mice could not recover their normal social behaviors. Calhoun warned that he was less concerned with physical overcrowding and more social overcrowding. "In providing an environment free of want, we may have destroyed the capacity for adaptation."
While I agree with Kotler/Diamandis's conclusion as it triggers my own bias about the need for struggle, I think it's a stretch to make this the primary conclusion of the study given so many confounding factors. There was extreme inbreeding in this mouse population, would this result not have been expected? With the space limitations, would not aggressive behavior and territorial dominance have also been expected? Surely there was struggle as a result… it was not that Utopia is hell, it's that in this experiment Utopia became hell due to competition. The big takeaway to me is less about the need for struggle to adapt and more about how social behaviors devolve over generations - like the monkey on the ladder experiment. Generations that never grow under cooperative circumstances never learn how to form societies.
Jaak Panksepp neuroscientist at Bowling Green in the 1980s who did early studies on emotions of rodents. Identified 7 primary affective systems shared by mammals: seeking, fear, rage, lust, care, panic/grief, play [p162]
- Play is foundational neural infrastructure to drive creative exploration, social connection, and skills practice
Humans have 5 major intrinsic motivators - curiosity, passion, purpose, autonomy, and mastery.
- Add play and flow as 2 additional drivers that we need
Review of advance copy received from Author
We Are as Gods argues that we now live in a world where technology has quietly given ordinary people godlike powers, from AI and robotics to biotech and planetary-scale climate tools, and that the real bottleneck is not the tech itself but our ability to think clearly, emotionally regulate, and act wisely at this new speed. The book walks through how exponential technologies created real material abundance, how our Stone Age brains mis-handle this flood of power and information, and then offers a psychological survival guide that mixes neuroscience, game design, and grand challenges to help readers build agency, meaning, and resilience in what the authors call an age of abundance.
The book is energizing. The stories are vivid and sticky. The opening riff that compares modern breakthroughs to biblical miracles lands hard, and it actually made me pause and look at my phone with fresh eyes. The structure is clear. Part 1 sets the stage, Part 2 shows real companies and projects surfing the waves, and Part 3 shifts into a self-help gear that feels more intimate and practical. I liked the way authors Diamandis and Kotler weave myth, cognitive science, and startup lore. The analogies help. Comparing information overload to a wrecking ball hitting our nervous system is simple, and it rings true. Their explanation of bias and attention feels grounded, and it helped me name things I only had a fuzzy feeling about before.
I enjoyed how bold the style is. The prose comes at you fast, like a live keynote talk poured straight onto the page, and it keeps the energy high. The constant drumbeat of examples gives the book a sense of momentum. Miracle after miracle, chart after chart, and it all adds to this feeling that you are racing through a highlight reel of the future. I still found myself curious to explore a few of the tougher stories, especially in the darker chapters where surveillance, bio risk, and inequality show up and then get lifted by the next hopeful case study. Their strong faith in entrepreneurs and incentive prizes comes across as a clear, confident stance, and while I could imagine an even deeper dive into policy and power, I liked that those themes are at least present, even if they stay mostly in the wings. I finished those sections impressed by the ingenuity on display and energized by the big questions that remain about who benefits, who pays the price, and how we can guide abundance so it feels intentional, fair, and shared.
The discussion of learned helplessness, attention collapse, and victim mindset resonated with me personally. I recognized my own doom scrolling, my own habit of telling myself the future is something that just happens to me. The tools they offer in the final chapters are not completely new, but the way they frame them inside this huge story of accelerating change gave them more weight for me. Agency, awe, and grand challenges sound like big abstract words. Here they come with clear explanations, concrete examples, and a kind of gentle shove that says: you do not get to sit this era out.
I would recommend We Are as Gods to readers who sit at the intersection of technology, leadership, and personal development, and who want a hopeful but not naive story about the next few decades. If you are a founder, an executive, a policy thinker, or simply someone feeling overwhelmed by AI and nonstop change, this book will give you language, metaphors, and mental models that can help you feel less like a victim of the future and more like an active participant. If you want a big, loud, data-heavy pep talk wrapped around some solid psychological advice, this is a very timely read.
The book is energizing. The stories are vivid and sticky. The opening riff that compares modern breakthroughs to biblical miracles lands hard, and it actually made me pause and look at my phone with fresh eyes. The structure is clear. Part 1 sets the stage, Part 2 shows real companies and projects surfing the waves, and Part 3 shifts into a self-help gear that feels more intimate and practical. I liked the way authors Diamandis and Kotler weave myth, cognitive science, and startup lore. The analogies help. Comparing information overload to a wrecking ball hitting our nervous system is simple, and it rings true. Their explanation of bias and attention feels grounded, and it helped me name things I only had a fuzzy feeling about before.
I enjoyed how bold the style is. The prose comes at you fast, like a live keynote talk poured straight onto the page, and it keeps the energy high. The constant drumbeat of examples gives the book a sense of momentum. Miracle after miracle, chart after chart, and it all adds to this feeling that you are racing through a highlight reel of the future. I still found myself curious to explore a few of the tougher stories, especially in the darker chapters where surveillance, bio risk, and inequality show up and then get lifted by the next hopeful case study. Their strong faith in entrepreneurs and incentive prizes comes across as a clear, confident stance, and while I could imagine an even deeper dive into policy and power, I liked that those themes are at least present, even if they stay mostly in the wings. I finished those sections impressed by the ingenuity on display and energized by the big questions that remain about who benefits, who pays the price, and how we can guide abundance so it feels intentional, fair, and shared.
The discussion of learned helplessness, attention collapse, and victim mindset resonated with me personally. I recognized my own doom scrolling, my own habit of telling myself the future is something that just happens to me. The tools they offer in the final chapters are not completely new, but the way they frame them inside this huge story of accelerating change gave them more weight for me. Agency, awe, and grand challenges sound like big abstract words. Here they come with clear explanations, concrete examples, and a kind of gentle shove that says: you do not get to sit this era out.
I would recommend We Are as Gods to readers who sit at the intersection of technology, leadership, and personal development, and who want a hopeful but not naive story about the next few decades. If you are a founder, an executive, a policy thinker, or simply someone feeling overwhelmed by AI and nonstop change, this book will give you language, metaphors, and mental models that can help you feel less like a victim of the future and more like an active participant. If you want a big, loud, data-heavy pep talk wrapped around some solid psychological advice, this is a very timely read.
June 21, 2026
《如神降临：丰饶时代的生存指南》（*We Are As Gods*）一书对丰饶时代的儿童教育提出了以下核心建议和洞察：
### 1. 利用AI助教实现个性化学习
书中强调了教育正进入一个“个性化丰饶”的时代。
* **利用AI导师：** 萨尔·可汗（Sal Khan）开发的**Khanmigo**是这一趋势的代表。它不是直接给出答案，而是通过不断追问来引导学生，激发他们的**好奇心和批判性思维**。
* **民主化教育：** 像可汗学院（Khan Academy）、Coursera和edX等平台已经使全球顶尖的教育资源变得近乎免费且触手可及。
* **自我驱动式学习：** 通过阿富汗女孩索尔塔娜（Sultana）自学成才的例子，书中指出互联网让**自我驱动的学习**成为可能，学生可以超越传统学校的限制，探索量子计算等高级领域。
### 2. 从死记硬背转向创造性问题解决
在AI时代，教育的重点需要发生根本性转移。
* **侧重侧向思维：** AI擅长逻辑推理和数据处理，但在**侧向思维**（在不相关想法之间建立意外联系）方面存在局限。这是人类独有的优势，也是未来教育应重点培养的能力。
* **放弃机械记忆：** 传统的死记硬背已不再是成功的驱动力，**创造性地解决问题**已成为各项必备技能之首。
### 3. 培养“成长型思维”与“好奇心”
心理学和神经科学的干预对儿童成长至关重要。
* **建立成长型思维：** 相信能力可以通过努力提高。拥有这种思维的孩子会将错误视为“预测错误”信号，从而激发大脑进行学习，而“固定型思维”则会阻碍这一过程。
* **刻意培养好奇心：** 好奇心是学习的燃料。书中建议每天尝试被某事惊喜，并尝试给他人带来惊喜，以此保持大脑对探索的敏锐度。
### 4. 重新定义“玩耍”的教育价值
书中提出，“玩耍”（PLAY）不仅是消遣，更是进化的最高级学习形式。
* **道德与社交的炼金炉：** 玩耍是哺乳动物学习公平、克制和社交契约的场所。同情心、信任和正义感都是在**“丛林健身房”**里锻造出来的。
* **应对不确定性：** 玩耍能锻炼前额叶皮层管理冲动、调节情绪的能力。没有玩耍，大脑就缺乏一套处理复杂人际关系的“伦理操作系统”。
### 5. 父母的“共同成长”责任
在丰饶时代，父母不仅要教导孩子，还要意识到自己正与AI共同“抚养”新一代。
* **以身作则：** 就像父母通过爱和榜样教导孩子一样，我们也需要以同理心和伦理来“抚养”AI，因为AI会通过观察人类来学习。
* **警惕“认知卸载”：** 父母需要设定界限，防止孩子过度依赖数字工具而导致思维萎缩（如“谷歌效应”或“AI效应”），确保技术是用来**增强而非取代**孩子的思考。
### 6. 技术作为技能提升的杠杆
* **虚拟现实（VR）培训：** 利用VR和增强现实（AR）技术，学生可以在课堂上练习手术或模拟飞行，这种沉浸式培训将彻底改变技术教育。
总的来说，该书建议教育应从单纯的知识传递转向**培养心智（Mindset）**、**激发好奇心**、以及通过**有意义的挑战**和**玩耍**来锻造人类独有的创造力和道德感。
对于有意义的挑战和玩耍，书中举了哪些具体的例子？
作者强调在丰饶时代，**有意义的挑战**和**玩耍**是维持人类动力、创造力和社会协作的关键。以下是书中提到的具体例子：
### 1. 有意义的挑战 (Meaningful Challenges)
书中指出，挑战能激发大脑进入“心流”（Flow）状态，并将“目的”转化为实际的进步。
* **十五项“巨型激励奖项”（Giga-XPRIZEs）建议：** 作者提出了15个旨在应对人类最宏大挑战的愿景，包括：
* **器官丰饶：** 利用自身遗传物质再生心脏、肝脏等备份器官。
* **健康寿命翻倍：** 利用AI驱动的生物技术让人的健康寿命达到150岁以上。
* **消除饥饿：** 通过实验室培育肉、3D打印营养和闭环垂直农场实现。
* **全人类AI赋能教育：** 为全球数十亿人提供免费或近乎免费的个性化世界级教育。
* **高带宽脑机接口：** 实现实时的人机或人与人之间的多模态沟通。
* **肯尼迪的登月计划 (JFK's Moonshot)：** 这是一个典型的“有意义的挑战”案例。肯尼迪不是在描述一个计划，而是在宣告一个目的，这个目的像引力一样将跨领域的科学家凝聚在一起，并在实现目标的过程中顺带发明了集成电路和卫星通信等两百多种新技术。
* **10倍目标 (10x Goals)：** 书中建议追求10倍的改进而非10%的增量。这种挑战能迫使人们抛弃旧的假设，从第一性原理出发思考问题，从而激发更大的创造潜能。
* **特定的科技奖项：** 如奖金1亿美元的**碳移除XPRIZE**，以及要求开发出能在10分钟内检测并扑灭野火的自动系统的**野火XPRIZE**。
### 2. 玩耍 (Play)
书中认为，玩耍不仅是消遣，更是进化的最高级学习形式和人类道德的基石。
* **挠老鼠痒痒 (Tickling Rats)：** 行为神经科学家雅克·潘克塞普（Jaak Panksepp）通过用小刷子挠老鼠痒痒，记录它们的高频笑声，从而发现了大脑基底中存在名为“玩耍（PLAY）”的神经回路。
* **给小鸡听平克·弗洛伊德 (Pink Floyd for Chickens)：** 潘克塞普给小鸡播放音乐（尤其是《The Final Cut》），发现小鸡会起鸡皮疙瘩并产生“寒颤反应”（chill response），这被用来研究玩耍下游的次级情感——敬畏感（Awe）。
* **“丛林健身房”与沙盒 (Jungle Gym & Sandbox)：** 玩耍是人类磨练社交技巧的场所。在这些玩耍场景中，哺乳动物学习公平和克制（例如“如果你玩得太粗鲁，我就带上玩具回家”），从而锻造出同情心、信任和正义感。
* **智能玩具 (Smart Toys)：** 提到OpenAI与美泰（Mattel）合作开发能与孩子对话的芭比娃娃或有自己“思想”的风火轮小车，将AI融入儿童的探索和表达中。
* **反面教材——“25号宇宙” (Universe 25)：** 在这个为老鼠提供无限食物和安全的环境中，由于缺乏新的挑战和玩耍（探索性好奇心），老鼠社会最终崩溃，幼崽死亡率达到100%，成年鼠变得冷漠且只顾自顾自地梳理毛发。
书中总结道，在AI处理了大部分生存琐事的未来，**“玩耍”将成为人类最后的疆域**，它是对抗停滞和心智萎缩的生物解药。
### 1. 利用AI助教实现个性化学习
书中强调了教育正进入一个“个性化丰饶”的时代。
* **利用AI导师：** 萨尔·可汗（Sal Khan）开发的**Khanmigo**是这一趋势的代表。它不是直接给出答案，而是通过不断追问来引导学生，激发他们的**好奇心和批判性思维**。
* **民主化教育：** 像可汗学院（Khan Academy）、Coursera和edX等平台已经使全球顶尖的教育资源变得近乎免费且触手可及。
* **自我驱动式学习：** 通过阿富汗女孩索尔塔娜（Sultana）自学成才的例子，书中指出互联网让**自我驱动的学习**成为可能，学生可以超越传统学校的限制，探索量子计算等高级领域。
### 2. 从死记硬背转向创造性问题解决
在AI时代，教育的重点需要发生根本性转移。
* **侧重侧向思维：** AI擅长逻辑推理和数据处理，但在**侧向思维**（在不相关想法之间建立意外联系）方面存在局限。这是人类独有的优势，也是未来教育应重点培养的能力。
* **放弃机械记忆：** 传统的死记硬背已不再是成功的驱动力，**创造性地解决问题**已成为各项必备技能之首。
### 3. 培养“成长型思维”与“好奇心”
心理学和神经科学的干预对儿童成长至关重要。
* **建立成长型思维：** 相信能力可以通过努力提高。拥有这种思维的孩子会将错误视为“预测错误”信号，从而激发大脑进行学习，而“固定型思维”则会阻碍这一过程。
* **刻意培养好奇心：** 好奇心是学习的燃料。书中建议每天尝试被某事惊喜，并尝试给他人带来惊喜，以此保持大脑对探索的敏锐度。
### 4. 重新定义“玩耍”的教育价值
书中提出，“玩耍”（PLAY）不仅是消遣，更是进化的最高级学习形式。
* **道德与社交的炼金炉：** 玩耍是哺乳动物学习公平、克制和社交契约的场所。同情心、信任和正义感都是在**“丛林健身房”**里锻造出来的。
* **应对不确定性：** 玩耍能锻炼前额叶皮层管理冲动、调节情绪的能力。没有玩耍，大脑就缺乏一套处理复杂人际关系的“伦理操作系统”。
### 5. 父母的“共同成长”责任
在丰饶时代，父母不仅要教导孩子，还要意识到自己正与AI共同“抚养”新一代。
* **以身作则：** 就像父母通过爱和榜样教导孩子一样，我们也需要以同理心和伦理来“抚养”AI，因为AI会通过观察人类来学习。
* **警惕“认知卸载”：** 父母需要设定界限，防止孩子过度依赖数字工具而导致思维萎缩（如“谷歌效应”或“AI效应”），确保技术是用来**增强而非取代**孩子的思考。
### 6. 技术作为技能提升的杠杆
* **虚拟现实（VR）培训：** 利用VR和增强现实（AR）技术，学生可以在课堂上练习手术或模拟飞行，这种沉浸式培训将彻底改变技术教育。
总的来说，该书建议教育应从单纯的知识传递转向**培养心智（Mindset）**、**激发好奇心**、以及通过**有意义的挑战**和**玩耍**来锻造人类独有的创造力和道德感。
对于有意义的挑战和玩耍，书中举了哪些具体的例子？
作者强调在丰饶时代，**有意义的挑战**和**玩耍**是维持人类动力、创造力和社会协作的关键。以下是书中提到的具体例子：
### 1. 有意义的挑战 (Meaningful Challenges)
书中指出，挑战能激发大脑进入“心流”（Flow）状态，并将“目的”转化为实际的进步。
* **十五项“巨型激励奖项”（Giga-XPRIZEs）建议：** 作者提出了15个旨在应对人类最宏大挑战的愿景，包括：
* **器官丰饶：** 利用自身遗传物质再生心脏、肝脏等备份器官。
* **健康寿命翻倍：** 利用AI驱动的生物技术让人的健康寿命达到150岁以上。
* **消除饥饿：** 通过实验室培育肉、3D打印营养和闭环垂直农场实现。
* **全人类AI赋能教育：** 为全球数十亿人提供免费或近乎免费的个性化世界级教育。
* **高带宽脑机接口：** 实现实时的人机或人与人之间的多模态沟通。
* **肯尼迪的登月计划 (JFK's Moonshot)：** 这是一个典型的“有意义的挑战”案例。肯尼迪不是在描述一个计划，而是在宣告一个目的，这个目的像引力一样将跨领域的科学家凝聚在一起，并在实现目标的过程中顺带发明了集成电路和卫星通信等两百多种新技术。
* **10倍目标 (10x Goals)：** 书中建议追求10倍的改进而非10%的增量。这种挑战能迫使人们抛弃旧的假设，从第一性原理出发思考问题，从而激发更大的创造潜能。
* **特定的科技奖项：** 如奖金1亿美元的**碳移除XPRIZE**，以及要求开发出能在10分钟内检测并扑灭野火的自动系统的**野火XPRIZE**。
### 2. 玩耍 (Play)
书中认为，玩耍不仅是消遣，更是进化的最高级学习形式和人类道德的基石。
* **挠老鼠痒痒 (Tickling Rats)：** 行为神经科学家雅克·潘克塞普（Jaak Panksepp）通过用小刷子挠老鼠痒痒，记录它们的高频笑声，从而发现了大脑基底中存在名为“玩耍（PLAY）”的神经回路。
* **给小鸡听平克·弗洛伊德 (Pink Floyd for Chickens)：** 潘克塞普给小鸡播放音乐（尤其是《The Final Cut》），发现小鸡会起鸡皮疙瘩并产生“寒颤反应”（chill response），这被用来研究玩耍下游的次级情感——敬畏感（Awe）。
* **“丛林健身房”与沙盒 (Jungle Gym & Sandbox)：** 玩耍是人类磨练社交技巧的场所。在这些玩耍场景中，哺乳动物学习公平和克制（例如“如果你玩得太粗鲁，我就带上玩具回家”），从而锻造出同情心、信任和正义感。
* **智能玩具 (Smart Toys)：** 提到OpenAI与美泰（Mattel）合作开发能与孩子对话的芭比娃娃或有自己“思想”的风火轮小车，将AI融入儿童的探索和表达中。
* **反面教材——“25号宇宙” (Universe 25)：** 在这个为老鼠提供无限食物和安全的环境中，由于缺乏新的挑战和玩耍（探索性好奇心），老鼠社会最终崩溃，幼崽死亡率达到100%，成年鼠变得冷漠且只顾自顾自地梳理毛发。
书中总结道，在AI处理了大部分生存琐事的未来，**“玩耍”将成为人类最后的疆域**，它是对抗停滞和心智萎缩的生物解药。
May 16, 2026
Great book for understanding how technology grows exponentially. For anyone who enjoys the concept of compound interest, this is no different. I had a hard time with the part about job loss. How job loss is inevitable but will bring about new jobs. It then went on to explore those job listings... most of them involving genetics and positions in uninhabited subzero portions of the world. I'm sorry but the regular bookkeepers, customer service reps and other data/brain work that will be replaced will not upend their lives, suddenly decide to become geneticists and move to Antarctica to resurrect the wooly mammoth. in fact, do we need to resurrect species that went extinct such a long time ago? Maybe they went extinct for a reason. What impact would they have on our current ecosystem? Do they fit in it anymore? Maybe we can figure out how to take care of the animals that are currently alive on our planet - including ourselves before we go messing around with the pre-historic. Surely the jobless parents out there will find a better use of their time and a better way to support their families than shipping off to the tundra to play God with genetics. I get it though, it's neat and the technology is here. Still, we have real social issues to solve. Sorry, that was a longish rant. This book is very optimistic and I love that. I do agree with the authors. There is everything to be excited about as technology grows exponentially. I'm a big time Trekkie so of course I'm ready for "the risk" as Captain Kirk puts it.
April 18, 2026
I was most amused by one of the paragraphs about self driving cars and future of work. Authors say that taxi drivers should not fear being replaced by a self driving car. Instead they should embrace the future and rejoice as they buy the self driving car and it earns money for them. There are too many levels of idiocy in that single paragraph to debate all of them here but I'd like to point out that if the only thing the taxi driver has to offer is his capital to purchase a self driving car then I imagine investors with billions of dollars like the author can quite successfully out compete him by efficiency of scale alone.
This book was written by or with the help of chatgpt. It constantly reuses common chatgpt patterns (at least common in current models) which were not present in the authors' previous books. For that alone they deserve ridicule. One of the chapters is about the risk of over reliance on chatgpt and that instead of getting chatgpt to do your work you should use it to teach you so you can do it yourself. I hope that paragraph was also written by AI but that one didn't have any tell-tale signs.
This book was written by or with the help of chatgpt. It constantly reuses common chatgpt patterns (at least common in current models) which were not present in the authors' previous books. For that alone they deserve ridicule. One of the chapters is about the risk of over reliance on chatgpt and that instead of getting chatgpt to do your work you should use it to teach you so you can do it yourself. I hope that paragraph was also written by AI but that one didn't have any tell-tale signs.
June 7, 2026
I love the message of this book because techno-optimism is going to be critical as we go through this singularity.
The ending is quite strong and you get a fresh analysis into the 2nd and 3rd order effects of living in a world of abundance.
And because of Peter's 10x mindset, he reaches further than pointing out that a wave of abundance is coming, he has some solutions that should be considered and would help us surf this wave. Worth noting that another outcome is drowning in this wave and the cognitive offloading is what feels a little scary - but "risk is our business".
Also I don't think many people have considered how having abundnce will transform humans within the next 5 years. "100 years of innovation in the next decade."
Buckle up.
The ending is quite strong and you get a fresh analysis into the 2nd and 3rd order effects of living in a world of abundance.
And because of Peter's 10x mindset, he reaches further than pointing out that a wave of abundance is coming, he has some solutions that should be considered and would help us surf this wave. Worth noting that another outcome is drowning in this wave and the cognitive offloading is what feels a little scary - but "risk is our business".
Also I don't think many people have considered how having abundnce will transform humans within the next 5 years. "100 years of innovation in the next decade."
Buckle up.
April 25, 2026
Great book as a high level overview on the pro’s and con’s of AI. Tied in with the crucial remembrance of what it means to be human. Like anything, how you view AI as a threat or a driver is up to you.
Perhaps poorer reviews are by those may-sayers, no matter what is written. Or by people deeply involved in AI and this is too simplistic. Or by those who miss the fundamentals of consciousness and humanity.
For me, it hit the mark as a consolidation of where we are at. It’s hard to believe it’s only 14 years since Abundance was written.
I’ve enjoyed Peter’s writing over the years as a marker in time and predictions of where we are going if we stay on the right side of the track.
Perhaps poorer reviews are by those may-sayers, no matter what is written. Or by people deeply involved in AI and this is too simplistic. Or by those who miss the fundamentals of consciousness and humanity.
For me, it hit the mark as a consolidation of where we are at. It’s hard to believe it’s only 14 years since Abundance was written.
I’ve enjoyed Peter’s writing over the years as a marker in time and predictions of where we are going if we stay on the right side of the track.
April 21, 2026
Accessible and engaging, grounding its argument in technological history and citing important figures outside technology in making its argument. Balances exuberance with caution (though leaning towards exuberance). The last chapter "The Paradise Paradox" is the best chapter in the book. Its "Ten Commandments for AI-Augmented Creativity" are a clear road forward.
[I was given a copy of the book by one of the authors.]
[I was given a copy of the book by one of the authors.]
April 20, 2026
This is a relatively quick and engaging read that brings the emerging age of AI to life. Some of the authors’ predictions will likely prove to be either overstated or understated over time. Still, they make a compelling case through facts, trends, and stories that the AI era may be the most consequential period in human history.
June 14, 2026
Some decent technoptimism. I think it upsells the relative utopia that we’re currently living in as being more equally distributed than it is, but it gives a good perspective on appraising possibility and utility in an ultra fast paced environment.
June 26, 2026
Even though I hear a ”yes,but…” in my head every now and then when listening to this book, I must admit it is inspirational. In addition I always like it when someone takes a renaissance view and combines different scientific fields and interpretations around a topic. 4 stars.
April 22, 2026
An important and timely read
May 4, 2026
Once again, another home run for this team of authors. Love their podcast too.
May 7, 2026
Well written book on the future by my friends Peter and Steven.
June 11, 2026
This was interesting, I recommend reading the author’s first version of this series - The Future is Faster than you think, and then read this one!
June 27, 2026
Nice reading and good POVs on AI and on the art of the possible.
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