All, I believe that AI is more powerful than anyone believes it to be. For example, in regards to Ajay's vision for AI, I instead believe that it will instead show us that humans are not different or special in any way, but in fact our culture and intelligence makes as act as if we are. I'm sure a lot of you have heard me rant about that before, but I truly believe that AI may be the one thing to show us how self-centered we are to think that we are special in some way that can't be replicated by a "machine", so to speak.
Regardless of that, I believe that AI also has the power to either transcend, or alternatively destroy, our entire civilization. I feel that when AI reaches the "singularity", as has been postulated by numerous philosophers and machine learning researchers, our future existence will be defined by how we interact with the AI, and of course will be heavily based on the goals of the AI itself. If all goes well, issues like hunger, war, pain, even death, may become mere figments of our imaginations, and we will become beings that may no longer need to maintain our current physical bodies, nor even our current neural architecture. That said, if things go poorly, such as the AI being uncaring towards our well-being, or becoming defensive because we fear it and choose to attack it, we will all die. Not just humans, but possibly the entirety of life on the planet. Once begun, something like that will likely be impossible to stop, becoming an almost infinitely-powerful attractor of apocalypse. Either way, I look forward to observing and influencing our future as AI becomes more commonplace and powerful in the next few years, as we approach the tipping point termed the singularity. Sincerely, Julian Samaroo On Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 9:43 AM, Ajay Vasudeva <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi David, > > I have been inspired by AI from 1989 when I took this course during my MS > in CS in Texas USA. I sincerely believe that we as humans are different > because our brains have self learnt (tuned) through the *environment* we > grew in wrt country, culture, teaching....human interactions and lots more > which created our learning environment. > > I expect through proper use of AI technology in "every walk of life" we > can build a "FLAT WORLD" bring happiness, equality, coexistence and > contribute to healthy living for ALL (plants, humans, animals etc) and > manipulate (positively) our earth, crops, food, health and move towards > contributing to evolution of earth/universe rather than destroying it as it > is being done today. > > My one cent. > Ajay > > On Tue, Oct 27, 2015 at 5:52 PM, Richard Crowder <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Thanks Chandan. I hope so. This topic reminds me of suppressed work, such >> as Wilhelm Reich (taken with an open mind, and bearing in mind known >> knowledge during his life). >> For an overview; >> >> http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/ciencia/supressed_inventions/suppressed_inventions21.htm >> >> On Sun, Oct 25, 2015 at 8:07 PM, Chandan Maruthi < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> @David >>> I am excited with the possibility of making humans more smarter in every >>> walk of life. From the sales rep being more knowledgeable about their >>> product to the doctor who can diagnose his patients better. I am also an >>> avid believer in products that directly reach end users. Products that >>> people can use and benefit from everyday. So what I am working on lies at >>> the intersection of a Consumer product and top end AI. I wrote this article >>> a few days ago and it reflects my thoughts . >>> >>> >>> https://medium.com/@chandan.maruthi/thought-experiments-anyone-9221f7e7e33d#.shquf8c1w >>> >>> @Richard. To your last point. That's coming soon :-). In a limited form >>> though >>> >>> Chandan >>> >>> On Sun, Oct 25, 2015 at 11:55 AM, Richard Crowder <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>> >>>> I wrote the following reply before Matt's, but held off until now. I >>>> couldn't get into the Culture series for some unknown reason. His 'Iain >>>> Banks' books yes. Plus plenty of other authors; Huxley, Noon, Stephenson, >>>> Gibson, Hamilton, etc. >>>> Anyway, here's my main reply... >>>> >>>> >>>> I've always known personal limitations. Being an optimistic introverted >>>> deep thinker and 'jack of all trades, and master of none'. In our current >>>> globally connected world. With a huge variety of conflicts. Decades >>>> witnessing rising levels of information bombardment, on-going currency and >>>> financial manipulation, proxy and conventional wars, climate and nature >>>> manipulation, and the interrelated aspects and changes that that has had to >>>> the planet and all that share it. Including a personal level of history for >>>> the conflicts and changes. >>>> >>>> A bachelor dedicating more than the average person to observing all >>>> this. I went from entertaining millions of people, to spending quite a few >>>> years thinking about how to help mankind. The shortening of peoples >>>> collective memory. New generations of people and how they differ. Everyone >>>> reading this, will within them invoke differing thoughts and connotations. >>>> Some similar to mine others opposing. Without face-to-face contact only so >>>> many words, and use of appropriate words/wording, can convey my thoughts to >>>> others. >>>> >>>> As some great people remind me, a 'one many army' never wins. But we >>>> all have an opportunity right now to read around topics and statements to >>>> discover a balanced opinion and work out relations to one's self, loved >>>> ones and environment. So, I imagine a day within my life time (45+ years on >>>> this planet so far) where all the technologies we're aware of coming >>>> together more. To evolve ways of living. To assist us to bring further >>>> associations and correlations together to form opinion and decisions. Now >>>> where have we heard that before ;) Hint: the curly bit of mammals brains, >>>> something 'neo' we all share. >>>> >>>> "Their's an app for that", point your 'smart' phone at a person >>>> speaking. And it looks back through current and historical information to >>>> determine whether they are telling half-truths and what the half-missing >>>> information is. Then form opinion one's self. Individualism versus >>>> collectivism duality is certainly a tricky balance. >>>> >>>> >>>> On Sun, Oct 25, 2015 at 4:27 PM, Matthew Taylor <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I am hoping for a future similar to the Culture series of science >>>>> fiction books, and we need serious machine intelligence for that to >>>>> happen. >>>>> >>>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Culture#Minds >>>>> >>>>> --------- >>>>> Matt Taylor >>>>> OS Community Flag-Bearer >>>>> Numenta >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Sat, Oct 24, 2015 at 10:59 PM, Takenori Sato <[email protected]> >>>>> wrote: >>>>> > Hi David, >>>>> > >>>>> > Thanks for reminding me of such a basic question. >>>>> > >>>>> > The root of curiosity about AI in my life is when I had an education >>>>> to >>>>> > become an airline pilot(it may sound strange, but there is one such >>>>> public >>>>> > college in Japan). It was a huge shock that most of the fatal >>>>> accidents >>>>> > since 1990 are caused by human(human error). Then, I actually have >>>>> realised >>>>> > the computer(AI) is a lot better controlling an aircraft when I got >>>>> > IFR/multi engine ratings. >>>>> > >>>>> > The theory, non-human flight is safer, have haunted me, and became >>>>> one of >>>>> > the biggest reasons why I had changed my carrier. >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> > Today, I think it is great if AI can help elderly people spend >>>>> better life >>>>> > toward their ends. As we get older, some of our parts get worn out. >>>>> Some in >>>>> > our brains, and others in our devices. Some people say a car driven >>>>> by an >>>>> > elderly person is more dangerous than a bear, but in the very near >>>>> future >>>>> > we'll see autonomous cars in rural areas :) >>>>> > >>>>> > Thanks, >>>>> > Takenori >>>>> > >>>>> > On Sat, Oct 24, 2015 at 11:29 PM, cogmission (David Ray) >>>>> > <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >> >>>>> >> Hi Everybody, >>>>> >> >>>>> >> I always wanted to ask, why is everyone interested in this? And what >>>>> >> motivates us to do this? >>>>> >> >>>>> >> I'll start... >>>>> >> >>>>> >> My answer is here (http://www.cogmission.ai/about-the-author), but >>>>> feel >>>>> >> free to link or answer in-line as you see fit? >>>>> >> >>>>> >> I'm interested in knowing some thoughts behind these interesting >>>>> faces in >>>>> >> our community... >>>>> >> >>>>> >> Cheers, >>>>> >> David >>>>> >> >>>>> >> -- >>>>> >> With kind regards, >>>>> >> >>>>> >> David Ray >>>>> >> Java Solutions Architect >>>>> >> >>>>> >> Cortical.io >>>>> >> Sponsor of: HTM.java >>>>> >> >>>>> >> [email protected] >>>>> >> http://cortical.io >>>>> > >>>>> > >>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Regards >>> Chandan Maruthi >>> >>> >> >
