In the race to where humankind explores next, the two richest men on Earth - Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk – share the same fervor for space exploration. Both magnates, known to many as madmen and to others as visionaries, are forging their paths upwards and beyond our world. They are driven by a shared realization that the earth is finite - not overpopulated, but underpopulated, and that humanity needs to expand into space.
Bezos, during an interview, shared his grand vision for the future - an era in which we are not grounded by the constraints of the Earth. 'I would love to see a trillion humans living in the solar system. If we had a trillion humans, we would have a thousand Mozarts and a thousand Einsteins,' he shared. His belief is not restricted to planetary surfaces. Instead, he places his bets on gigantic space stations for such an era. 'The planetary surfaces are just way too small.'
This vision seems surreal, but the thought of a trillion people forces you to redefine your concept of 'big' and 'small.' The universe is immense, and as we learn more about it, our understanding of these dimensions will undoubtedly change.
However, not everyone shares Bezos's optimistic view of artificial intelligence (AI). There have been calls from many CEOs to slow down on AI capabilities due to the potential risks. But Bezos supports the idea that AI could be beneficial to us and help save humanity rather than leading to its destruction.
A common belief among these billionaires is the need to focus on grandeur. For Musk, it's freedom of speech, outer space, and transportation, while Bezos focuses on commerce, outer space, and AI.
This desire for interplanetary expansion raises tricky questions about quality of life. The barren lands of Mars or the frigid landscapes of Pluto may not be the most appealing destinations for life as we know it. Living in a massive cylindrical space station isn't seen as an appealing alternative either, despite Hollywood's attempts to romanticize it. But as our knowledge and technology evolve, so will our perspective on what life beyond Earth looks like.
