>Some critics have mocked singularists for their obsession with "techno-salvation" and
>"techno-holocaust" - or what some wags have called the coming "nerdocalypse." Their >predictions are grounded as much in science fiction as science, the detractors claim, and >may never come to pass. - Associated Press The general public has not yet grasped the importance of AGI. Few understand how immanent and significant it will be to our daily lives and the direction of civilization. In fact, much of the current media coverage paints the prospect of AGI as highly speculative or even as "crack-pot science". For those that view AGI technology as achievable its significance is not hard to grasp. Of course, it must be admitted that at this point no true AGI technology has been demonstrated, so skepticism is to some extent justified. Grasping how AGI is possible is not intuitive. It will not be possible to fully dispel the skepticism of critics until some true AGI breakthroughs have been made. That being said, it is not too soon to begin preparing the public for the inevitability of AGI and to begin educating them on its benefits. In addition, a concerted effort to start developing interest and support for the technology before it is implemented can help counter the expected opposition it is certain to arouse within conservative and religious communities. AGI will be controversial. It is better to start addressing these issues now while AGI is still somewhat speculative. Of course, educating the pubic about AGI is one of the stated objectives of SIAI. However, there are a number of reasons why SIAI may be failing to achieve this goal and possibly having the opposite effect. Most AGI researchers admire the innovative work of Ray Kurzweil even if they do not necessarily agree with some of his observations and speculations. Ray Kurzweil is a brilliant and thought provoking futurist. Much of the Kurzweil's writing is highly speculative and that is acceptable and admirable. However, this high level of speculation can be used to paint AGI in general as unrealistic or even kooky. Obviously the public and the media are not going to be as open to the value of Kurzweil's far reaching speculations as leading edge AGI researchers. That is to be expected. In addition, SIAI has placed an unnecessary emphasis on speculative horror-story scenarios for AGI. Contemplating ways of safeguarding AGI is reasonable and important, but flaunting these highly speculative scenarios in front of the media and the public at this point is counter productive. Face it, Sci-Fi scenarios are fun to contemplate, but they scare the shit out of an already nervous and gullible public. These speculations are going to come back to bite AGI in the ass when this becomes a more high profile issue. What the AGI community needs is a conservative and well thought out media and public relations campaign. The objective of this independent PR campaign would be to: * Raise awareness and understanding of AGI technology on a layman level * Promote the social benefits of AGI technology * Counter fears and misunderstandings of AGI * Promote the visibility and viability of AGI as a profitable business Packaged properly this is a story that the media will snap at. However, it is important that it not be presented over the head of the general public, come off as crack-pot science, or stimulate unnecessary fear and opposition. The media thrives on controversy and that can be used to our advantage, however that controversy must be controlled and presented in an understandable and easily contradicted way. I am a true believer in the importance and value of AGI and have some interest in helping with this type of project. I would appreciate any feedback. Don Detrich Don-at-detrich-dot-com ----- 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=4007604&id_secret=46935268-b6b997
