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While I believe there are real dangers AI can cause, I don't know how you'd go about proving such a thing without recreating the problem in a different construc

While I believe there are real dangers AI can cause, I don't know how you'd go about proving such a thing without recreating the problem in a different constructed variant. Psychology and sociology are 'soft' sciences because you can't test people psychologically and sociologically in 'hard' ways without seriously crossing some serious ethical boundaries. It could be argued that a lot of the decisions being made that back the design in contemporary infrastructures already are engaged in this sort of testing and behavioral modification, in ways that seem innocent from the onset, but yet still propagate across social systems in ways that are far too chaotic and complex to forecast.

Retric 8y ago
"While AI will no doubt have countless benefits for people, and already is beneficial in a lot of cases" I think this is less about AGI/ full AI than it is about learning systems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_general_intelligence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_general_intelligenc... That said, the impact of this stuff especially in the context of the web is both profound and evolving.
- s-shellfish 8y ago
  Trained algorithms, even if they are not designed for directed impact, can be manipulated via data fed into them to have a targeted impact. To be trained is to have bias.
emiliobumachar 8y ago
Proving to a high standard of proof would indeed be very hard. But a lot of useful Science can be done by observing, documenting, cataloging and explaining the effects of AI being already inflicted on us.
- s-shellfish 8y ago
  I don't know if I would use the word 'inflict' when one is inferring intents. I think if there were more transparency concerning these systems and their affiliated organizations, that would obviate the need to add another layer of reasoning, which would reduce the number of unknowns, rather than increase. Of course, that requires cooperation and trust. Which brings one back to the question of intents. Which can conflate intents meant to 'inflict' (harm?) or intents meant to grow, develop, inspire, progress.

Retric 8y ago

"While AI will no doubt have countless benefits for people, and already is beneficial in a lot of cases" I think this is less about AGI/ full AI than it is about learning systems. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_general_intelligence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_general_intelligenc... That said, the impact of this stuff especially in the context of the web is both profound and evolving.

s-shellfish 8y ago
Trained algorithms, even if they are not designed for directed impact, can be manipulated via data fed into them to have a targeted impact. To be trained is to have bias.

emiliobumachar 8y ago

Proving to a high standard of proof would indeed be very hard. But a lot of useful Science can be done by observing, documenting, cataloging and explaining the effects of AI being already inflicted on us.

s-shellfish 8y ago
I don't know if I would use the word 'inflict' when one is inferring intents. I think if there were more transparency concerning these systems and their affiliated organizations, that would obviate the need to add another layer of reasoning, which would reduce the number of unknowns, rather than increase. Of course, that requires cooperation and trust. Which brings one back to the question of intents. Which can conflate intents meant to 'inflict' (harm?) or intents meant to grow, develop, inspire, progress.