4 ms·

The referred short story, Lena (https://qntm.org/mmacevedo https://qntm.org/mmacevedo) is amazing. It did a better work than did severel Black Mirror episodes (

The referred short story, Lena (https://qntm.org/mmacevedo https://qntm.org/mmacevedo) is amazing. It did a better work than did severel Black Mirror episodes (specially a section in the Christmas one) warning us about what would happen if we ever manage to digitize personalities. In the end, things are always rigged towards those who have enough resources to do this kind of things and want to make more. If present crimes against humanism get a free ride, what we should expect about crimes against transhumanism?

LeifCarrotson 4y ago
Present crimes against humanism do not get a free ride! The author explicitly said so in this recent post [1] > ...uploading isn't real (now), so the things "Lena" has to say about uploading are academic (now). > The reason "Lena" is a concerning story isn't that one day we may be able to upload one another and when that happens we will do terrible things to those uploads. ... This is about appetites which, as we are all uncomfortably aware, already exist within human nature. > Oh boy, what if there was a maligned sector of human society whose members were for some reason considered less than human? What if they were less visible than most people, or invisible, and were exploited and abused, and had little ability to exercise their rights or even make their plight known? > That's real! That actually happens! You can name four groups of people matching that description without even thinking. We don't need to add some manufactured debate about fictitious, magical uploads to these real scenarios. They are already terrible! ... > "Lena" is a true story. You knew it was when you read it. > So, what do we do about this? In reality? ... > I've got no clue. It turns out that causing problems is a lot easier than organising against them, and I am just a science fiction writer. > Good luck, everyone. [1] https://qntm.org/uploading https://qntm.org/uploading
- gmuslera 4y ago
  Would you consider funding a denialism campaing to stop action against climate change for decades a crime against humanity? Has been done anything against them? Murder is worse than abuse.
mah4k4l 4y ago
I liked the Black Mirror Christmas episode. Really drove the point home for me about how "Code Rights" is going to be a real actual political and ethical thing. That and the seventies movie World On a Wire. Philosophical zombies don't have actual consciousnesses, feelings or other qualias, but it doesn't matter. When a simulation realises it's a simulation, a character in someone's book, it might just get very simulation pissed indeed at the situation like in that latter movie. And being a simulation doesn't lessen the simulated very real agony of for example torture and all that. It's a good strategy not to make anything organism - like on AI - level, methinks. Although OTOH IBM:s Truenorth does save a lot of electricity so hmm... No. That's the worst kind: hardware - level biomimickry. Anything even organism - like is going to simulation - or - not (try to) take over. It's in the blueprint. Watson is correctly built: left - brain reductive - analytical output that advances by trial and error. Or Wolfram AI with it's hierarchical frames and being like a user interface. I suck at coding at that level for the time being but I think I see that point clearly. So don't mix code and data boys and girls.

LeifCarrotson 4y ago

Present crimes against humanism do not get a free ride! The author explicitly said so in this recent post [1] > ...uploading isn't real (now), so the things "Lena" has to say about uploading are academic (now). > The reason "Lena" is a concerning story isn't that one day we may be able to upload one another and when that happens we will do terrible things to those uploads. ... This is about appetites which, as we are all uncomfortably aware, already exist within human nature. > Oh boy, what if there was a maligned sector of human society whose members were for some reason considered less than human? What if they were less visible than most people, or invisible, and were exploited and abused, and had little ability to exercise their rights or even make their plight known? > That's real! That actually happens! You can name four groups of people matching that description without even thinking. We don't need to add some manufactured debate about fictitious, magical uploads to these real scenarios. They are already terrible! ... > "Lena" is a true story. You knew it was when you read it. > So, what do we do about this? In reality? ... > I've got no clue. It turns out that causing problems is a lot easier than organising against them, and I am just a science fiction writer. > Good luck, everyone. [1] https://qntm.org/uploading https://qntm.org/uploading

gmuslera 4y ago
Would you consider funding a denialism campaing to stop action against climate change for decades a crime against humanity? Has been done anything against them? Murder is worse than abuse.

mah4k4l 4y ago

I liked the Black Mirror Christmas episode. Really drove the point home for me about how "Code Rights" is going to be a real actual political and ethical thing. That and the seventies movie World On a Wire. Philosophical zombies don't have actual consciousnesses, feelings or other qualias, but it doesn't matter. When a simulation realises it's a simulation, a character in someone's book, it might just get very simulation pissed indeed at the situation like in that latter movie. And being a simulation doesn't lessen the simulated very real agony of for example torture and all that. It's a good strategy not to make anything organism - like on AI - level, methinks. Although OTOH IBM:s Truenorth does save a lot of electricity so hmm... No. That's the worst kind: hardware - level biomimickry. Anything even organism - like is going to simulation - or - not (try to) take over. It's in the blueprint. Watson is correctly built: left - brain reductive - analytical output that advances by trial and error. Or Wolfram AI with it's hierarchical frames and being like a user interface. I suck at coding at that level for the time being but I think I see that point clearly. So don't mix code and data boys and girls.