On Aug 19, 2007, at 12:26 PM, Matt Mahoney wrote:
I was never really a Singularity activist, but
1. I realized the singularity is coming and nothing can stop it.
Not so. Humanity could so harm its technological base as to postpone
Singularity on this planet for quite some time. We could still bomb
ourselves back into the Stone Age. We could do a Nehemiah Scudder
thing in the US and slow ourselves down for at least another century
and perhaps toss around some nukes to boot. The race toward
stupidity may overtake our best efforts. The push to control and
monitor everything may get a huge shot in the arm by the next real or
contrived terrorist attack and we may lose the freedom necessary to
the work as a result. I haven't even touched on natural disasters.
2. The more I study the friendly AI problem, the more I realize it is
intractable.
Largely agreed.
3. Studying the singularity raises issues (e.g. does consciousness
exist?)
that conflict with hardcoded beliefs that are essential for survival.
Huh? Are you conscious?
4. The vast majority of people do not understand the issues anyway.
So? Isn't that the way it always is with great advances?
See my answers below.
--- Joshua Fox <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
This is the wrong place to ask this question, but I can't think of
anywhere
better:
There are people who used to be active in blogging, writing to the
email
lists, donating money, public speaking, or holding organizational
positions
in Singularitarian and related fields -- and are no longer
anywhere near as
active. I'd very much like to know why.
Possible answers might include:
1. I still believe in the truthfulness and moral value of the
Singularitarian position, but...
a. ... eventually we all grow up and need to focus on career
rather than
activism.
I never considered it something that required a strong appeal to the
public at large. I also do think that expecting the Singularity to
solve all our problems to the point of focusing only on it is a very
illogical tact for all but a few researchers working on it. It is
the latest pie in the sky it will all be utter perfection by and
by. There is something that feels more than a bit juvenile in much
of the attitude of many of us.
b. ... I just plain ran out of energy and interest.
c. ... public outreach is of no value or even dangerous; what
counts is the
research work of a few small teams.
Mainly I agree with this.
d. ... why write on this when I'll just be repeating what's been
said so
often.
Too much time is wasted with repetition of the same old questions and
ideas. I am on way too many email lists and have too many interests
for my own good.
e. ... my donations are meaningless compared to what a dot-com
millionaire
can give.
2. I came to realize the deep logical (or: moral) flaws in the
Singularitarian position. [Please tell us they are.]
A position that says we should be in a great hurry to get to a state
of affairs that we cannot remotely understand or control and where we
will be nearly totally at the mercy of an incomprehensible and
utterly alien intelligence at least deserves serious questioning now
and again.
3. I came to understand that Singularitarianism has some logical
and moral
validity, but no more than many other important causes to which I
give my
time and money.
I am 53 years old and have too little net worth. I have much to do
to get my own house in order. I give to a few causes like life
extension. Most of the AGI groups that I believe have most traction
are not that easy to donate to. I don't believe at this point that
the Singularity Institute is likely to produce a working AGI. Many
things it does do are interesting and I would consider donating to it
for those reasons. But I think FAI is a vast distraction from much
needed AGI.
- samantha
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