8 ms·

Completely agree, and while we are at it... look I'm just a guy, not an expert, but I can't understand why there's so much focus on AGI. It feels like there are

Completely agree, and while we are at it... look I'm just a guy, not an expert, but I can't understand why there's so much focus on AGI. It feels like there are so many niche areas where we could apply some kind of analytical augmentation and by solving problems in the small, might learn something that would help figure the larger question of intelligence. I don't need the AI to replace everything I do, I need it to solve 10,000 micro problems I solve every day - each of which is a business opportunity for someone.

sgregnt 3y ago
Many of the seemingly small problems do require a good model of the world for context and edge case solving, so they still get very close to general intelegence.
- pixl97 3y ago
  Yep, at least in my eyes you'll never be able to "solve" self driving without solving the G in AGI. You require a world model for predictions in order to have enough time to avoid many bad outcomes. Avoiding an empty soda can and avoiding a brick are similar problems, but one can easily lead to critical failures if you miss it.
Avicebron 3y ago
I've thought about this a bit as well, and I think it's almost like this toxic concoction of incentive (how can "we" hype this until and make boatloads of money off of it, coupled with a genuine (if sub-conscious) desire to be seen as a visionary/great engineer who "created artificial life." I mean, at least on HN, I see lots of this aspirational attitude for living the sci-fi future circa. Star trek, ex-machina, etc, while couching their language in professions of expertise now that the firehose of cash has turned on. Also there is the general hubris in all this to only look at the new and shiny, I remember when there was that pizza robot (some multi-dimension axis hand thing) that cost whatever in building and research, when the costco pizza "robot" is pretty darn good, but doesn't sell as "futuristic/cool" because its a spigot on a servo.
tivert 3y ago
> ...but I can't understand why there's so much focus on AGI. Lots of software engineers have spent their lives reading sci-fi that features AGI, and they're excited by/lost in that fantasy. It's interesting to see that in people who often view themselves as hyper-rational.
- tim333 3y ago
  AGI as in computer intelligence that out does humans would be a huge deal in practical terms. Chat GPT and similar are kind of like handy toys. With proper AGI you could link it to a robot body and tell it to go off, design a better version of itself, make a billion more robots and take over the world. It's a different category of thing. And if you think that's just sci-fi I think you'll get a surprise at some point during your life.
  - tivert 3y ago
    > With proper AGI you could link it to a robot body and tell it to go off, design a better version of itself, make a billion more robots and take over the world. ^^^^^ literally a plot ripped from the pages of science fiction used to reason about the real world. > And if you think that's just sci-fi I think you'll get a surprise at some point during your life. Such faith that fantasy can be made real. Wake me up when you have my hyperdrive ready.
    - tim333 3y ago
      I've never actually read that in fiction. It's just logical really. I mean I'm sure it is in fiction somewhere because the idea is obvious.
      - tivert 3y ago
        > I've never actually read that in fiction. I find that hard to believe. Ever watch Terminator? But even if true, that science-fictional plot is so pervasive it would be easy to pick up from the millions who have the software engineer's blurry line between fantasy and reality. > It's just logical really. OK, then. You're a GI, go off and build an army of better yous and take over the world.
pixl97 3y ago
>I need it to solve 10,000 micro problems I solve every day - each of which is a business opportunity for someone. Because you have to solve 10,000 different problems. And a huge number of those problems are going to have significant overlap, but sharing lessons between them is going to be difficult unless you have a generalized algorithm. Hence AGI is the trillion dollar question.

sgregnt 3y ago

Many of the seemingly small problems do require a good model of the world for context and edge case solving, so they still get very close to general intelegence.

pixl97 3y ago
Yep, at least in my eyes you'll never be able to "solve" self driving without solving the G in AGI. You require a world model for predictions in order to have enough time to avoid many bad outcomes. Avoiding an empty soda can and avoiding a brick are similar problems, but one can easily lead to critical failures if you miss it.

Avicebron 3y ago

I've thought about this a bit as well, and I think it's almost like this toxic concoction of incentive (how can "we" hype this until and make boatloads of money off of it, coupled with a genuine (if sub-conscious) desire to be seen as a visionary/great engineer who "created artificial life." I mean, at least on HN, I see lots of this aspirational attitude for living the sci-fi future circa. Star trek, ex-machina, etc, while couching their language in professions of expertise now that the firehose of cash has turned on. Also there is the general hubris in all this to only look at the new and shiny, I remember when there was that pizza robot (some multi-dimension axis hand thing) that cost whatever in building and research, when the costco pizza "robot" is pretty darn good, but doesn't sell as "futuristic/cool" because its a spigot on a servo.

tivert 3y ago

> ...but I can't understand why there's so much focus on AGI. Lots of software engineers have spent their lives reading sci-fi that features AGI, and they're excited by/lost in that fantasy. It's interesting to see that in people who often view themselves as hyper-rational.

tim333 3y ago
AGI as in computer intelligence that out does humans would be a huge deal in practical terms. Chat GPT and similar are kind of like handy toys. With proper AGI you could link it to a robot body and tell it to go off, design a better version of itself, make a billion more robots and take over the world. It's a different category of thing. And if you think that's just sci-fi I think you'll get a surprise at some point during your life.
- tivert 3y ago
  > With proper AGI you could link it to a robot body and tell it to go off, design a better version of itself, make a billion more robots and take over the world. ^^^^^ literally a plot ripped from the pages of science fiction used to reason about the real world. > And if you think that's just sci-fi I think you'll get a surprise at some point during your life. Such faith that fantasy can be made real. Wake me up when you have my hyperdrive ready.
  - tim333 3y ago
    I've never actually read that in fiction. It's just logical really. I mean I'm sure it is in fiction somewhere because the idea is obvious.
    - tivert 3y ago
      > I've never actually read that in fiction. I find that hard to believe. Ever watch Terminator? But even if true, that science-fictional plot is so pervasive it would be easy to pick up from the millions who have the software engineer's blurry line between fantasy and reality. > It's just logical really. OK, then. You're a GI, go off and build an army of better yous and take over the world.

pixl97 3y ago

>I need it to solve 10,000 micro problems I solve every day - each of which is a business opportunity for someone. Because you have to solve 10,000 different problems. And a huge number of those problems are going to have significant overlap, but sharing lessons between them is going to be difficult unless you have a generalized algorithm. Hence AGI is the trillion dollar question.