Earlier this year, Leopold Ashenbrenner’s podcast with Dwarkesh on the race for Superintelligence sent me into a bit of a pessimistic spiral… For anyone else concerned about the risks of AGI, I’ve found the “The New Map” and “Chip War” to be immensely helpful for understanding what will constrain AI.

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“The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations” — a chronicle of how the emergence of American fracking in the 1990s reshaped global power, why we can’t yet completely transition away from fossil fuels, and how energy security underlies global conflicts (like those in Ukraine and the South China Sea).

“Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology” — a history of the development of semiconductors, the emergence of global supply chains from America’s post-Cold War policies, and the choke points that now define tech power struggles.

Both of these books are also fantastic stories of American ingenuity. They show how quickly markets change when well thought out government policies are paired with the right incentives for businesses to innovate.

Also, someone get these guys on Farcaster…