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Mission

The Future of Humanity Institute is the leading research centre looking at big-picture questions for human civilization. The last few centuries have seen tremendous change, and this century might transform the human condition in even more fundamental ways.  Using the tools of mathematics, philosophy, and science, we explore the risks and opportunities that will arise from technological change, weigh ethical dilemmas, and evaluate global priorities.  Our goal is to clarify the choices that will shape humanity’s long-term future. 

Research Staff

Dr Stuart Armstrong

James Martin Research Fellow

stuart.armstrong@stx.oxon.org

Stuart Armstrong’s research at the Future of Humanity Institute centres on formal decision theory, the risks and possibilities of Artificial Intelligence, the long term potential for intelligent life, and anthropic (self-locating) probability. He is particularly interested in finding decision processes that give the “correct” answer under situations of anthropic ignorance and ignorance of one’s own utility function, ways of mapping humanity’s partially defined values onto an artificial entity, and the interaction between various existential risks. He aims to improve the understanding of the different types and natures of uncertainties surrounding human progress in the mid-to-far future.

His Oxford D.Phil. was in parabolic geometry, calculating the holonomy of projective and conformal Cartan geometries. He later transitioned into computational biochemistry, designing several new ways to rapidly compare putative bioactive molecules for virtual screening of medicinal compounds.

CV 

Publications

AI Studies

• ‘Risks and mitigation strategies for Oracle AI’ (2012) Philosophy and Theory of Artificial Intelligence 2011 Conference Proceedings.
• Technical Report Future of Humanity Institute:  'Utility Indifference' 2010.
• Minds and Machines:  'Thinking inside the box: using and controlling an Oracle AI' submitted.

Computational biochemistry

• Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design: 'ElectroShape: fast molecular similarity calculations incorporating shape and electrostatics' (first author; with G. Morris, P. Finn, R. Sharma, L. Moretti, R. Cooper and W. G. Richards) 2010.
• Journal of Computer-Aided Molecular Design: 'Improving the accuracy of ultrafast ligand-based screening: incorporating lipophilicity into ElectroShape as an extra dimension' (first author; with P. Finn, G. Morris and W. G. Richards) 2011.
• Journal of Molecular Graphics and Modelling: 'Molecular similarity including chirality' (first author; with G. Morris, P. Finn, R. Sharma, L. Moretti, R. Cooper and W. G. Richards) 2009.

Mathematics

• Mathematische Nachrichten: 'Decomposable conformal holonomy in Riemannian signature' (with F. Leitner) publication pending.
• Journal of Geometry and Physics: 'Einstein connections and involutions via parabolic geometries’ 2010.
• Journal of Geometry and Physics: 'Addendum to “Ricci-flat holonomy: a Classification”: the case of Spin(10)' 2008.
• Journal of Geometry and Physics: 'Ricci-flat holonomy: a Classification' 2007.
• Journal of Geometry and Physics: 'Definite signature conformal holonomy: a complete classification' 2007.
• International Mathematics Research Notices: 'Einstein Metrics with Anisotropic Boundary Behavior' (with O. Biquard) 2009.
• Annals of Global Analysis and Geometry: 'Projective Holonomy I: Principles and Properties' 2008.
• Annals of Global Analysis and Geometry: 'Projective Holonomy II: Cones and Complete Classifications' 2008.
• Monatshefte für Mathematik: 'Ambient connections realising conformal Tractor holonomy' (with T. Leistner) 2007.