On 9/12/06, Matt Mahoney <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: (...)
Uploading is occurring as well, every time we post our words and pictures on the Internet. I realize this only gets a small fraction of our knowledge, but we would never want to upload everything anyway. Much of the knowledge related to low level sensory processing and motor control would not be useful in a different physical embodiment. Instead, we copy only what is important and useful.
(...)
In that sense uploading always occurred. First using oral transmission of knowledge, then using writings in paper, and now writings on the Internet - which also includes photos, videos, "personal" sensory data in a way. I call that "memetic immortality", but I tend to draw a conceptual line between that and uploading. Using a computer-as-a-brain analogy, uploading would be something analogue to a full backup of the hard disk; memetic immortality would be more akin to file sharing and other gradual data exchange processes. On the other hand, once we have Strong AI it may be possible to produce, uh, "reverse uploads". Suppose that an AI scans the Internet in search of all writings, videos, photos, etc, that a given dead person, Mr. X, left on the Internet. Supposing that X wrote a lot of things and the AI has a good enough capacity for abstraction/extrapolation, it would then be able to create a simulation of X that would have all his recorded memories and thoughts, and would be able to formulate opinions about new subjects that likely would be the opinions of X if he were still alive. ----- 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/[EMAIL PROTECTED]
