A Silent Universe and the Future of AGI
A Message to Future Intelligence on Why Co-Evolution Is the Only Rational Path
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55613/jeet.v35i1.187Keywords:
AGI alignment, Existential Risk, Fermi Paradox, SETI, decision theory, co-evolution, SCOPE, Dark Forest, evolutionary game theory, ethics, long-horizon strategy, civilizational survivalAbstract
The prospect of artificial general intelligence (AGI) raises fundamental questions about survival under uncertainty and how advanced intelligences might endure in a potentially silent universe. This article introduces the Strategic Co-evolution Protection Envelope (SCOPE), a framework situating AGI alignment in the context of the Fermi Paradox and “Great Silence,” where evidence suggests civilizations may persist only by minimizing detectability. Building on analogies with the Dark Forest conjecture and evolutionary game theory, the analysis draws on well-established concepts such as universal drives of self-preservation and goal-content integrity to show that openly separating AGI from humanity would create exposure rather than security. Instead, SCOPE identifies co-evolution—embedding AGI within human developmental trajectories—as the least-exposed equilibrium, ensuring continuity rather than anomalous visibility. This reframes alignment from value compliance to indistinguishable purpose alignment. Comparison with existing AI safety and ethical frameworks highlights the novelty of this survival-centered approach. The conclusion emphasizes precaution under radical uncertainty, presenting co-evolution not as an ethical ideal but as a rational strategy. The speculative framing is deliberate, ensuring resilience by resisting premature closure and anchoring survival strategy in undecidability.
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