Cyprus, Nicosia

In the UK, the Institute for the Future of Humanity has been closed

27.04.2024 / 10:46

Oxford University has announced the closure of the Institute for the Future of Humanity.

The interdisciplinary research center was led by the renowned philosopher Nick Bostrom for 19 years.

The Institute for the Future of Humanity was founded at the university in 2005. It operated as part of the Faculty of Philosophy and the research unit "Martin School of Oxford," based in the Department of Social Sciences.

The institute's task was to study the most important and fundamental areas for humanity, such as the impact of technology and the possibilities of global catastrophe in the future. An interdisciplinary approach was employed for the work. Additionally, the institute facilitated public participation in the governance of states, enterprises, universities, and other organizations, as well as the development of a bilateral dialogue between the authorities and society.

The unwavering head of the Institute for the Future of Humanity all these years was the Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom. The scientist is known as a staunch proponent of the concept according to which the reality in which we live is just a simulation, similar to the Matrix. His ideas gained even greater recognition with the release of the movie "The Matrix" in 1999.

Elon Musk has been providing active support to the philosopher and the Institute for the Future of Humanity all these years, sharing this theory as well. To a large extent, thanks to the entrepreneur's patronage, Nick Bostrom was able to establish the Institute for the Future of Humanity. Subsequently, the famous American engineer and billionaire made generous donations to the project, which, however, did not save the institute from closure.

The research staff of the Institute also included futurist Anders Sandberg, engineer Eric Drexler, economist Robin Hanson, and the founder of the charitable community "Giving What We Can," Toby Ord.

In the scientific community, it is assumed that the researchers of the research center "have come too close to the truth," which is why the leadership of Oxford University decided to close the project.