Oops, I thought we were having fun, but it looks like I have offended somebody, again. I plead guilty for being somewhat off the purely technical discussion topic, but I thought "Edward W. Porter" and I were having a pretty interesting discussion. However it seems my primary transgression is focusing on AGI as a business opportunity rather than a coming apocalypse.
>>AGI is a real danger, any campaigns to promote the development of AGI while specificially ignoring discussion about the potential implications are dangerously irresponsible. helping foster an atmosphere that could lead to humanity's demise.<< So, let's look at this from a technical point of view. AGI has the potential of becoming a very powerful technology and misused or out of control could possibly be dangerous. However, at this point we have little idea of how these kinds of potential dangers may become manifest. AGI may or may not want to take over the world or harm humanity. We may or may not find some effective way of limiting its power to do harm. AGI may or may not even work. At this point there is no AGI. Give me one concrete technical example where AGI is currently a threat to humanity or anything else. I do not see how at this time promoting investment in AGI research is "dangerously irresponsible" or "fosters an atmosphere that could lead to humanity's demise". It us up to the researchers to devise a safe way of implementing this technology not the public or the investors. The public and the investors DO want to know that researchers are aware of these potential dangers and are working on ways to mitigate them, but it serves nobodies interest to dwell on dangers we as yet know little about and therefore can't control. Besides, it's a stupid way to promote the AGI industry or get investment to further responsible research. Let me tell you what IS a danger to humanity; global warming, nuclear weapons, the demise of oil, greed, corruption, poverty, medieval religions and paranoia of technology. Now that really IS scary. I fear the current direction of humanity a hell of allot more than I fear any future AGI. If we are lucky, and I mean REALLY lucky, AGI and other technologies will arrive just in time save our ass. Don Detrich ----- This list is sponsored by AGIRI: http://www.agiri.org/email To unsubscribe or change your options, please go to: http://v2.listbox.com/member/?member_id=8660244&id_secret=48177027-39e5c3
