Jason Crawford
@jasoncrawford.org
The Roots of Progress (rootsofprogress.org)
In America’s darkest hour, less than a century after its birth, Lincoln asked his countrymen to rededicate themselves to cause of liberty, and to the great unfinished work in front of them. Now, after 250 years, it is time for us to do that once more newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-progre...
The progress of America
Thoughts on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
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Announcing Progress Conference 2026 Speakers this year include the Director of DARPA, co-CEO of Waymo, and two Nobel Laureates. Back at the beautiful Lighthaven campus in Berkeley, Oct 8–11 It's going to be great! Apply for an invitation: rootsofprogress.org/conference
Progress Conference
An annual event to connect people & ideas in the progress movement. October 8th-11th, 2026 in Berkeley, CA
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Sorry I [haven’t replied to your email / couldn’t make your event / have been ignoring your texts]. I’ve been vibecoding newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/as-we-may-...
As we may vibe
Reflections on six weeks of coding with Claude
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“Some kind of turning point,” Elon on Dwarkesh, a social network for AIs, and lots more in the latest links digest: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/links-and-...
Links and short notes, 2026-02-20
“Some kind of turning point,” Elon on Dwarkesh, a social network for AIs, and lots more
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Progressives used to believe in progress. The old left was not just the party of science—it was a party of science, technology, and economic growth. Today’s progressives need to embrace all three if they want to become the champions of abundance newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/progress-f...
Progress for progressives
The “party of science” must also embrace technology and economic growth
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If people don't believe the hopeful future is possible, they won't even try to build it. Enjoyed talking with @foundercoach.bsky.social about why I'm optimistic about technology as a force for good—and deeply skeptical about tech's default power dynamics.
Seb Agertoft@thefoundercoach.bsky.social · 7mo agoWhat happened to tech that made our lives better? Loved this conversation with @komorama.bsky.social Full podcast episode out today: open.spotify.com/episode/2Z82... podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a... www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bil1... #tech #technology #techethics #siliconvalley #bigtech
"I find the all-or-nothing thinking about AI safety counterproductive," writes TPN member @jasoncrawford.org. "We should embrace every idea that can provide any increment of security. History suggests that the accumulation and combination of such incremental solutions is the path to resilience."
No silver bullet
Lessons about how to create safety from the history of fire
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The wisdom of Vitalik, Voices from 2099, ultrasound BCI, preventative MRIs, a browser written by AI, and much, much more Links and short notes, 2026-01-26: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/links-and-...
Links and short notes, 2026-01-26
The wisdom of Vitalik, Voices from 2099, ultrasound BCI, preventative MRIs, a browser written by AI, and much, much more
newsletter.rootsofprogress.org
There is no silver bullet for risk. Safety is achieved through defense in depth, and through the orchestration of a wide variety of solutions. Here's an example: the history of fire safety newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/no-silver-...
No silver bullet
Lessons about how to create safety from the history of fire
newsletter.rootsofprogress.org
Nature is a complex system, we are told, and therefore unpredictable, uncontrollable, unruly. This is true but irrelevant: we can master nature in the ways that matter newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/how-to-tam...
How to tame a complex system
We can't predict or control them—but that doesn't matter
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Everyone loves writing annual letters these days—so here’s mine, including my annual reading highlights: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/2025-in-re...
2025 in review
What RPI and I were up to in the ninth year of this project
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My essay series The Techno-Humanist Manifesto has concluded, and you can read the whole thing online. I’m pleased to announce that the series will be revised for publication as a book from MIT Press (expected early 2027)! newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-techno...
The Techno-Humanist Manifesto, wrapup and publishing announcement
Revised version to be published by MIT Press
newsletter.rootsofprogress.org
The links digest is back! Claude’s soul, industrial leapfrogging, slop from the 1700s, the genius of Jeff Dean, and much more Links and short notes, 2025-12-19: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/links-and-...
Links and short notes, 2025-12-19
Claude’s soul, industrial leapfrogging, slop from the 1700s, the genius of Jeff Dean, and much more
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When the cost of creation falls, the volume of production greatly expands, but the average quality necessarily falls. This overall process, however, will usher in a golden age of creativity and experimentation newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/in-defense...
In defense of slop
When costs fall, average quality does too
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Announcing a career exploration summer program for high school students: *Progress in Medicine* Learn from experts and be inspired by heroic work from the past to build an even better future. Now accepting applications newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/announcing...
Announcing Progress in Medicine, a high school summer career exploration program
Help spread the word so talented teens can be inspired to tackle challenges in medicine, biotech, health policy, and longevity
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Instead of debating whether a technology is inherently good or bad, let’s discuss how to navigate new landscapes—and recognize the responsibility we all have to do so. A dynamic, agentic view of our relationship to technology, not a static, passive one newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/a-healthy-...
A healthy relationship with technology
A dynamic, agentic framing on the challenges of progress
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The Techno-Humanist Manifesto, Chapter 10: The Grand Project Progress is a grand project for humanity: one with an illustrious past and a glorious future. And its heroes are the scientist, the inventor, and the founder newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-grand-...
The Grand Project
Chapter 10 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
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Flush with the grand success of reason and science to improve human life, the 20th century stumbled into some critical errors. The resulting crisis of optimism posed a mortal challenge to the idea of progress: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-spirit...
The Spirit We Lost, part 2
Chapter 9 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
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Some people think Open Phil are luddites because we work on AGI safety, and others think we’re techno-utopians because we work on abundance and scientific progress. We’re neither. Here's why we think safety and accelerating progress go hand in hand: 🧵 www.openphilanthropy.org/research/wh...
The 19th century enthusiastically celebrated inventive and industrial achievements: with parades and fireworks, in speeches and advertisements, in art and poetry, in World's Fairs. From Chapter 9 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-spirit...
The Spirit We Lost, part 1
Chapter 9 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
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The Techno-Humanist Manifesto, Chapter 8: The Unlimited Horizon, part 2 We are all poor by the standards of the future. But there is no bold, ambitious vision of the future in mainstream culture. Here's one, based on mastery over all aspects of nature newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-unlimi...
The Unlimited Horizon, part 2
Chapter 8 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
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Seeking a freelance project manager to help me publish and launch my book, The Techno-Humanist Manifesto. Must have near-superhuman organizational skills and attention to detail. Experience with publishing projects is a bonus. Apply here: rootsofprogress.notion.site/23e543614e97...
Project manager – The Techno-Humanist Manifesto (book) | Notion
Made with Notion, the all-in-one connected workspace with publishing capabilities.
rootsofprogress.notion.site
The Techno-Humanist Manifesto, Chapter 8: The Unlimited Horizon, part 1 Is industrial production the end of economic history? Or could AI usher in a fourth age of humanity—an intelligence age? newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-unlimi...
The Unlimited Horizon, part 1
Chapter 8 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
newsletter.rootsofprogress.org
The combinatorial vastness of possibility space means that solutions are out there. The structure of that space, and the power of intelligence to navigate it, means that we can find them. newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-proble...
The Problem-Solving Animal, part 3
Chapter 7 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
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In part 1 of this chapter, I argued that economic growth is not limited by resources—because growth is not driven by resources, but by ideas. One might well ask, then: will we run out of ideas? newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-proble...
The Problem-Solving Animal, part 2
Chapter 7 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
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Steven Pinker's approach to humanism closely aligns with my own viewpoints on the world. (I may have a more favorable view of certain forms of collectivism though). Here's a great summary by @jasoncrawford.org of one of Pinker's books: "Enlightenment Now". blog.rootsofprogress.org/enlightenmen...
Enlightenment Now: A summary
The theme of Enlightenment Now is contained in its subtitle: it is that reason, science and humanism lead to progress. The corollary is: keep it up!
blog.rootsofprogress.org
The Roots of Progress Institute is seeking to commission stories for a new article series, “Intelligence Age,” on future applications of AI We are looking for stories of ~3k words, and will pay $2 per word. Details and apply within: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/we-want-yo...
We Want Your Stories About the AI Frontier
“Intelligence Age” series will focus on future applications of artificial intelligence
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As long as people have noticed progress, they have wondered: will we run out of natural resources? But there are no natural resources. All resources are artificial: the product of knowledge newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-proble...
The Problem-Solving Animal, part 1
Chapter 7 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
newsletter.rootsofprogress.org
The Roots of Progress fellowship deadline is tomorrow! Also, I’ll be at Edge Esmeralda this coming week, find me there! Plus many more announcements, links, charts and more in the latest links digest: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/links-and-...
Links and short notes, 2025-05-31
Fellowship deadline tomorrow! Edge Esmeralda next week! and lots more
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I was initially skeptical about claims of stagnation, but I was eventually convinced by a systematic survey of the evidence. Progress has not ground to a halt, but in the US, it has slowed relative to its peak in the late 19th to mid-20th century: newsletter.rootsofprogress.org/p/the-flywhe...
The Flywheel, part 2
Chapter 6 of The Techno-Humanist Manifesto
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