Explanations of the Fermi Paradox and the Drake Equation

Abstract

The Fermi Paradox highlights the apparent contradiction between the high probability of extraterrestrial intelligent life existing and the lack of observational evidence for it. Enrico Fermi famously posed the question, "Where is everybody?" given the vastness and age of the universe, and the expectation that intelligent civilizations should have had ample time to expand and make their presence known. The relevance of the Fermi Paradox to AGI safety is expressed in what is called The Great Filter theory, which proposes that a highly improbable evolutionary leap or a catastrophic existential barrier, such as the AGI singularity, prevents emerging life from achieving long-term, galaxy-spanning intelligence.