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I don't understand how in 2017 the author completely ignores the problem of avoiding detection in the Mechanical Turk phase of the story. Let's handwave away t

I don't understand how in 2017 the author completely ignores the problem of avoiding detection in the Mechanical Turk phase of the story. Let's handwave away the initial secret epiphany that creates the AI compiler in the first place. You've still got to get it to solve the following problems: * route around or trick the various Narus devices located at unknown places on the internet to get the software up and running on AWS, and to somehow launder the money you earned on MTurk * somehow avoid detection by the agencies leveraging the Narus devices and Amazon itself while a non-trivial number of MTurk tasks are being completed by new accounts which themselves are all on AWS. There are of course variations on those themes (use botnets, ratchet up, etc.) and various associated chess moves. But I don't see any chess move that doesn't end up with both an NSL and a state-level actor taking over the means of producing those AIs for the chief tasks of code-breaking and stockpiling exploits (exploits both in the traditional sense as well as novel ones for the AI compiler itself). With that in mind I don't think the author's plot arc would be able to mirror today's reality the way author imagines. Because the moment you get the AI equivalent of Stuxnet leaking out onto the internet, the resulting catastrophe would be so obvious and so dependent on AI for a solution that hiding AI would no longer be an option. Edit: clarification

pdimitar 9y ago
The story has a few weak points, and having to fight against powerful adversaries with metric tons of vested interest in virtually all areas the AGI would disrupt is probably the biggest. As you said, it would require much more chess moves. I personally think the plot of the movie "Transcendence" is more believable -- if your AGI is fond of you (for one reason or another; you might even program it that way in a way that's not overridable) you can just freely let it loose in the internet and only give it instructions. The movie demonstrated how that AGI first made very sure to survive and then started to both expand itself and help its human creator and benefactor. That being said, this story was still very enjoyable but I feel it lacked conflict. "As if they fell into a well-placed trap" is just not that captivating. And yet again, there are a lot of powers in our current world, most of which unseen and unofficial. For me to really like such a story, I want to see how the AGI will deal with them. I am 99% sure that any respectable AGI will eventually win but the journey to there would be extremely interesting!

pdimitar 9y ago

The story has a few weak points, and having to fight against powerful adversaries with metric tons of vested interest in virtually all areas the AGI would disrupt is probably the biggest. As you said, it would require much more chess moves. I personally think the plot of the movie "Transcendence" is more believable -- if your AGI is fond of you (for one reason or another; you might even program it that way in a way that's not overridable) you can just freely let it loose in the internet and only give it instructions. The movie demonstrated how that AGI first made very sure to survive and then started to both expand itself and help its human creator and benefactor. That being said, this story was still very enjoyable but I feel it lacked conflict. "As if they fell into a well-placed trap" is just not that captivating. And yet again, there are a lot of powers in our current world, most of which unseen and unofficial. For me to really like such a story, I want to see how the AGI will deal with them. I am 99% sure that any respectable AGI will eventually win but the journey to there would be extremely interesting!