The article speaks of the struggles of the first of the century. But a phrase really stands out today. In a short paragraph of awards, the authors say: “This meeting was made possible by the generous support of Jeffrey Epstein”. The symposium itself, in fact, was held in the Virgin Islands, the seat of the now well -known withdrawal of the island of Epstein. Looking back to this event reveals something on the State of the AI, as well as the executive financier of the symposium.
For the shame of the technological and scientific communities, a voracious sexual predator managed to make its way into relationships with some of the most important and influential figures of the field. The connections of Epstein, which included Bill Gates and Minsky, were documented exhaustively. In a deposition, Epstein’s survivor Virginia Giuffre said she was ordered to have sex with Minsky in Epstein’s Island; Minsky’s wife – who says she accompanied the scientist when he visited Epstein and who only went to the residences of New York and Palm Beach – has vehemently denied the accusation, which was made shortly before the death of Minsky and was not revealed much later. Epstein died in prison in 2019 (do not ask me to break down the theories of conspiracy in a miserable paragraph) and Giuffre tragically took his life in 2025.
For the vast majority of Epstein connections in Science and Technologies, the professional association with a sex predator has become an embarrassing, even harmful. Epstein penetrated the internal circles of these worlds, financing small meetings attended by names in bold. (I myself he was at the notorious 2002 “billionaire dinner“In Ted, where Epstein was mixed with Sergey Brin, Jeff Bezos, Rupert Murdoch, the singer Naomi Judd and important scientists, including some who flew to Epstein’s plane.) A point of entry to those circles was the literary agent John Brockman, whose list of customers included the best names in Science. Epstein Largel of Brockman of Brockman.
A source of mine who knew Epstein explained very well that the financier appeared sincerely fascinated by scientists. The source says he does not know his crimes. They agreed to discuss Epstein only on condition of anonymity. “I experienced it like this eccentric and rich boy who liked to surround himself with interesting people and scientists who had many questions about the world,” says the source. “He was interested in the scientist’s personality as he was with the scientist’s work.” Apparently Epstein understood why he was welcomed in those circles. “I’m no more than a hobbyist in science”, He said Journalist Jeffrey Mervis in 2017. “But money I understood, [and] I’m a fairly good mathematician. “
Invite only
The Spelter of Epstein launches a dark shade in the 2002 symposium. But how did the event arrive? My source gave me the background previously not reported. “Jeffrey said how much he was with Marvin and how much he loved talking to him of the AI,” says the source. In those years, the topic was not very popular. “It was a time when people were really skeptical that the IA had the legs,” said my source. So the idea was born to host a small artificial intelligence gathering with Minsky in the center. (It is not clear whether the loans for the event come from a Donation of $ 100,000 Made by Epstein to support Minksy’s search.)
After some deliberations, it was decided that the event would focus on the ideas of the stellar student of Minsky, Singh. In 1996, Singh had written a short document called “Because the IA has failed. “To obtain human intelligence, he claimed:” We need systems with common sense knowledge and flexible ways to use it. The problem is that the construction of these systems is equivalent to “resolving the IA”. As hard as it is, he wrote, “we have no other choice than to face it with your head held high”. (Bill Gates saw the newspaper and commented: “I think your field observations are correct.”)
Presumably, St. Thomas’s symposium was a way to face the problem frontally. But the event was difficult to organize. A first list of possible participants was missing with Stella power and had to be increased. In the end, the guests’ list grew up to include Roger Schank, a famous theorist of the AI whose The obituary was ruined Participating in the event and serving a short period as the Chopic University Chief Learning Officer. Another participant was Doug Lenat, the inventor of the ambitious CYC project, which involved humans to scrupulously type the explanations of everyday objects in a database for research AI. Vernor Vinge was also present, a science fiction writer to whom the concept of To singularity. Sloman philosopher of the United KingdomNow approaching 90, it was one of the following additions. “I was not in the original list of Epstein invitations”, he sent me an and -mail at the beginning of this week. “I was added at the suggestion of Marvin Minsky, in part because at that point I was helping to supervise his student (push singh).” Sloman says that his memory of the event is weak. But, remember, “I seem to remember that Epstein has provided sumptuous resources, including the use of a private plane to take us to the place”.