3 ms·
There is the problem that everything can be subdivided in a bunch of menial task so every cog in the system isn't aware of their impact. It already happens a lo
by Heliosmaster 6y ago
There is the problem that everything can be subdivided in a bunch of menial task so every cog in the system isn't aware of their impact. It already happens a lot in software.
the idea of Hippocratic Oath reminds me of Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics in "The Naked sun" (SPOILERS ahead): the detective realises that the normally quoted First Law of Robotics ("A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.") is actually just an approximation, he argues that the real Law is "A robot may do nothing that, TO ITS KNOWLEDGE, will harm a human being; nor, through inaction, KNOWINGLY allow a human being to come to harm."
This is important because even though robots really try their best, different robots could perform sub-tasks that look very harmless by themselves, but combined kill a human being:
- A robot is instructed to pour this bottle of poison into a caraffe of water and then leave the room
- Another robot is instructed to enter the room, take the caraffe of water and give it to a human to drink
The human is poisoned, but none of the robots are directly responsible (in the first law sense). Is the act of connecting the two dots the evil deed.
- DetroitThrow 6y ago> There is the problem that everything can be subdivided in a bunch of menial task so every cog in the system isn't aware of their impact. It already happens a lot in software. Precisely the issue with the original proposal. Would it have mattered whatsoever if PhD's took a Hippocratic oath when developing the Manhattan project? I feel like this MSFT executive may already know that swearing engineer to "do no harm" is fruitless after reading the article, but it's still unfortunate that statements like his diverts attention from more meaningful proposals.