On 18/11/2007, Dennis Gorelik <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > Why do you worry about such change?

People often have a narrow historical view and don't see the big
picture in this regard.  It's easy to assume that humans are "special"
or the pinnacle of evolution and that further change is somehow
undesirable.  In reality all creatures change over time and the
current state of affairs is just a transition on the way to something
else.

This cuts to the core of the "friendly AI" idea, because I see this
really as a kind of existential angst.  We can see technologies coming
which might fundamentally change the nature of what it means to be
human, or even render humans obsolete altogether (just one of many
evolutionary cul de sacs).  That humans might radically change or no
longer occupy "top dog" position is scary to many people, so it's
natural that they might come up with ideas about how to try to limit
or restrict the course of change so that the status quo can be in some
ways preserved.  Maybe I can prove that if I use the right technology
weeds will not spring up and choke the garden flowers!  Unfortunately
though evolution rarely favours the status quo.

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