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Aside from the technical obstacles currently barring us from realizing AIs capable of human competency, we should be seriously considering the social question o

Aside from the technical obstacles currently barring us from realizing AIs capable of human competency, we should be seriously considering the social question of whether or not such a technology is something we really need or want. The world is already saturated with technical systems and artifacts that have effectively flattened social relations, eradicated traditions, and generally reduced the field of humanitarian meaning and theory to nil. All our problems have become technical problems. We’ve even reached a point where we try to solve social problems with technical solutions, and when that doesn’t work we try to fix the boo-boo the naive and rampant application of technology has caused with, guess what, more technology. The philosophy of technology is perhaps the most important discipline of our time—there’s little left in life that technics hasn’t in some way enveloped, either insidiously or openly.

nradov 8y ago
Those seem mostly like arbitrary value judgments based on what you personally happen to be comfortable with. Ask more fundamental questions. Are we necessarily better off with traditions than without?
- voidhorse 8y ago
  Sure. Imagine a world in which all tradition and culture was wiped out. Imagine a world in which all technology was wiped out. They're both absolutely horrible. And certainly, some traditions are better discarded, just as some technologies (the A-bomb being the prime example) are better left unexplored. I'm only trying to point out the tendency of our era is to forget humanitarian values entirely in the face of 'objective', 'practical', 'utilitarian' and technical progress. I am making a value judgement, and your dismissal of my points simply because they entail value judgements is exactly the sort of attitude that has led to the dissolution of culture and the near reemergence of fascist and populist thought in arguably the most technologically advanced country in the world. There's a reason technology couldn't stem the reemergence of such thinking, and in fact the social conditions rampant, unquestioned (or if so, not nearly enough) technological development has caused has contributed to the revival of such thought. Such an approach annihilates dialogue before it can begin. Living social subjects no longer endeavor to understand each other because they fall back on a ideology that tells them they it's "above" values. I am championing the philosophy of technology, and I am somewhat familiar with it, but I also genuinely believe it's important, and yes, that is a value, and one that I stand by. The sort of world I'm hoping will emerge in the future is dictated by those values. I just hope there's still enough folks in tech considering the future their current values might create.

nradov 8y ago

Those seem mostly like arbitrary value judgments based on what you personally happen to be comfortable with. Ask more fundamental questions. Are we necessarily better off with traditions than without?

voidhorse 8y ago
Sure. Imagine a world in which all tradition and culture was wiped out. Imagine a world in which all technology was wiped out. They're both absolutely horrible. And certainly, some traditions are better discarded, just as some technologies (the A-bomb being the prime example) are better left unexplored. I'm only trying to point out the tendency of our era is to forget humanitarian values entirely in the face of 'objective', 'practical', 'utilitarian' and technical progress. I am making a value judgement, and your dismissal of my points simply because they entail value judgements is exactly the sort of attitude that has led to the dissolution of culture and the near reemergence of fascist and populist thought in arguably the most technologically advanced country in the world. There's a reason technology couldn't stem the reemergence of such thinking, and in fact the social conditions rampant, unquestioned (or if so, not nearly enough) technological development has caused has contributed to the revival of such thought. Such an approach annihilates dialogue before it can begin. Living social subjects no longer endeavor to understand each other because they fall back on a ideology that tells them they it's "above" values. I am championing the philosophy of technology, and I am somewhat familiar with it, but I also genuinely believe it's important, and yes, that is a value, and one that I stand by. The sort of world I'm hoping will emerge in the future is dictated by those values. I just hope there's still enough folks in tech considering the future their current values might create.