Toastmasters Constitutional Education and the Future of AI Intelligence

Liberty Toastmasters Day brought constitutional education to the forefront as Carol Baker led discussions with fellow members, followed by Professor Kurt Gerwitz exploring artificial intelligence and the philosophical nature of evil.

Colorado Legislative Update

Start listening at 15:35 – Hour 1 Rob Knuth, vice president of the Colorado Union of Taxpayers, reviewed five problematic bills moving through the state legislature. House Bill 1328 would increase government interference in direct care worker regulations, while Senate Bills 293 and 295 would raid designated cash funds to cover state budget shortfalls.

Start listening at 25:50 – Hour 1 Of particular concern was Senate Resolution 25010, which Knuth described as a partisan attempt to block examination of election integrity issues. CUT has been tracking 249 positions on the 715 bills introduced this session.

Constitutional Principles in Practice

Start listening at 31:57 – Hour 1 Liberty Toastmasters members called in to discuss constitutional governance. Rick Rome highlighted the distinction between law and administrative rule, noting how the left often takes disputes through the judiciary rather than proper legislative channels.

Start listening at 36:00 – Hour 1 Greg Morrissey emphasized the importance of studying the Constitution through resources like Hillsdale College courses and attending local city council meetings to understand how politics actually works.

“I think the smartest thing they ever did was come up with a three-prong approach. And if we think of the Constitution as a plumb line, and yet maybe the executive branch pulls out too far, or maybe the judicial branch pulls out too far doing their thing, the other two can pull it back in.”

Carol Baker

Start listening at 39:45 – Hour 1 Ross Klopf warned about HJR 25-1023, legislation requiring the state to sue taxpayers to remove TABOR protections from the Colorado Constitution. Carol Baker closed the first hour reflecting on the wisdom of the founders’ system of checks and balances.

Artificial Intelligence and the Intelligence Explosion

Start listening at 63:15 – Hour 2 Professor Kurt Gerwitz discussed predictions from AI researchers about the coming intelligence explosion. He referenced the Dwarkesh podcast where a futurist predicted that AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) could arrive by 2027, potentially transforming human civilization.

Start listening at 94:00 – Hour 2 The difference between current specialized AI systems and true AGI lies in versatility. Current AI can fold proteins or play chess but cannot do both. AGI would match human capability across diverse tasks from driving cars to philosophical debate.

“Lack of empathy is the best definition of evil I’ve heard. Evil is a judgment, but if you actually can feel what the other person is going through, that’s empathy. Absence of that is what the Nuremberg trials helped us understand.”

Professor Kurt Gerwitz

The Nature of Evil and Empathy

Start listening at 76:30 – Hour 2 A philosophical discussion emerged about the nature of evil. Gerwitz shared that the Nuremberg trials produced the definition of evil as a lack of empathy, the inability to feel what another person is going through. He distinguished between sympathy, an intellectual acknowledgment, and empathy, actually experiencing another’s emotions.

Start listening at 105:00 – Hour 2 The conversation turned to understanding versus acceptance. While having empathy for those we disagree with helps us understand their perspective, it does not mean accepting harmful actions. As Gerwitz noted, you can still stop someone with all necessary force while refusing to dehumanize them.