Junto: Interspecies Futures
Interspecies futures can be approached through many lenses: ecology, cognition, AI, economics, law, and the quietly intimate reality of our own microbiome. The question isn’t whether we’ll be “post-human,” but how we’ll relate, how we’ll listen, coordinate, trade, protect, and share agency with intelligences that don’t speak our language (and sometimes don’t have one).
This Kernel-style Junto is a private, inquiry-driven conversation about interspecies futures: what “communication” and “representation” could mean across species, how AI might act as translator/mediator (or distorter), and what new institutions might emerge if we take the more-than-human world deeply seriously. We’ll draw inspiration from the work of researchers working with fungi, AI, whales, cats, crows, gorillas, and beyond.
What is Kernel? Kernel is a peer-to-peer learning environment dedicated to the journey towards a better understanding of truth: in our work, in our relationships with others, and in our inner worlds.
What is a Junto? Juntos are free-flowing group conversations conducted in the sincere spirit of inquiry after truth.
Benjamin Franklin founded the Junto Club to discuss morals, politics, and natural philosophy in order to improve themselves and their community.
Who should attend? Juntos are an opportunity to explore a topic deeply and see how other thoughtful people understand it. This is a good fit for you if you have:
Insatiable curiosity
Truth over ego
Strong opinions, weakly held
The ability to engage respectfully with views you don’t share