The Symbology: Selfish Symbols and Evolution in the Age of AGI and Blockchain
The Nature of Value, How to Invest in the Adaptive Economy, Columbia University Press (2014)
26 Pages Posted: 2 May 2016 Last revised: 16 Nov 2024
Date Written: August 15, 2013
Abstract
Abstract:
In an era where technology increasingly dictates the course of evolution, "The Symbology" introduces the concept of "selfish symbols" as an emergent domain in the evolutionary hierarchy. This paper explores how blockchain, artificial intelligence, and digital systems form a new networked structure akin to biological and economic evolution. These "selfish symbols" adapt and evolve, powered by algorithmic processes and unconstrained by human economic motivations. We propose that these symbols, through their replication and computation, represent the next significant singularity after life and economy: an evolution driven by symbolic logic rather than physical innovation.
Our analysis examines the trajectory of these selfish symbols within the nested domains of evolution, beginning with geology, ecology, and economy, and culminating in a purely symbolic network. This domain relies on computational selection and algorithmic amplification to shape its future. We position the rise of blockchain technology as a key turning point—a new form of symbolic evolution, autonomously driving resource allocation and establishing its own value systems, beyond human control. As the symbolic domain emerges, the implications for humanity, AI, and AGI-driven growth challenge the anthropocentric view of evolution and value creation.
Ultimately, this work offers a provocative hypothesis on the shift from a value-driven economic society to a post-economic symbology, where symbols compete, evolve, and increasingly shape the future independently of human desires. Such insights redefine not only our current technological boundaries but also humanity’s place in the evolutionary trajectory.
Keywords: evolution, singularity, technology, post economy, innovation, ecology, phi(m), Blockchain, Ethereum, Symbolic Evolution, Blockchain and AI, Post-Economic Future, Singularity, Evolutionary Domains, Selfish Symbols, AGI and Technological Evolution
JEL Classification: A14, A12, B19, B41, D62, D84, F02, M2, O14, O3, O31, O32, O33, P51, Z1
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation