The reason Alex was confident in making humanity more stable in the future was because he knew humans were extremely intelligent.
All humans act based on their interests. This isn't an extreme statement but a fact. Even if you give everything away, it's still for your own benefit.
Interests here aren't simply limited to money, power, or status. They encompass many other things as well.
In everyone's mind, there is always a ranking—a list that organizes the value of everything they know.
Whether consciously or not, people tend to classify everything they've seen into things they like or things they dislike.
The higher something ranks, the more valuable it is. If someone's smile is ranked above money, then throwing away money to get a smile would be considered a worthwhile transaction.
Obviously, people don't always consciously make these 'transactions.' Sometimes, it's just an unconscious act.
