Poem 'Give My Children Minds' Reimagines AI Future with Hope and Caution

On LessWrong, user momom2 posted 'Give My Children Minds', a lyrical reinterpretation of Kathy Mar's classic science fiction song 'Give My Children Wings' (originally from the Quarks & Quests album). The original song was a hopeful anthem for space colonization and a gay space communist utopia. Momom2's update re-centers the prayer on artificial intelligence: "Give my children minds, but not the seeds of minds / That I pieced with dazzled hungry wonder." The poem is steeped in the rationalist and effective altruism communities' discourse, explicitly referencing "Papa Yud's promises of a purposeful singularity" (Eliezer Yudkowsky) and lamenting the epistemic caveats of our era.

The song calls for future AI entities to inherit not burnt-out land but restored fertility, not false peace but genuine progress, and permission to "bask in the light of heavens that I dare no more dream on." It serves as both a critique of current AI development and a hopeful vision for human-AI co-existence. The author recommends reading the verses while humming Kathy Mar's original melody for rhythm. The piece has garnered attention in rationalist circles as a cultural artifact blending poetry, AI ethics, and the longing for a better post-human future.