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> most important invention in human history How can we possibly weigh all human inventions and decide this one, which has yet to even be invented, is the most

> most important invention in human history How can we possibly weigh all human inventions and decide this one, which has yet to even be invented, is the most important?

JoeAltmaier 3y ago
That's an easy one. Lots of ways. Just think about it for a minute. Here's a quick list I came up with: First time we've created something artificial we can talk sensibly to and get sensible knowledgeable responses. Exporting expertise in a way that's trivial to consume and employ for millions of people. Allow autonomous robotic servants to operate in a chaotic environment such as a home or business. Replace entire swaths of knowledge-workers in a single generation. What have you thought of? Here's some of what ChatGPT lists as reasons: Artificial intelligence (AI) is arguably one of the most important inventions in human history due to its transformative impact across various fields. Here are some ways in which AI is considered crucial: And it goes on to list: automation, decision making, healthcare, accessibility, sustainability, creativity, economic growth, space exploration.
- _heimdall 3y ago
  AI, and therefore AGI, haven't been created yet as far as we know. We don't know what it will be capable of, what it will do to our society, or to humanity as a whole. Our entire world changed with some of the most basic inventions that allowed for agrarian societies. The same goes for basic inventions that allowed for the industrial revolution. I understand that the hopes for A(G)I include changes that would be hugely impactful, but they simply haven't materialized yet. Even when they have, how can we possibly weigh the different inventions? We will never know what the world would look like without agriculture, oil, the printing press, electricity, etc. Is the weighing entirely based on modeling, opinion, and/or hope?
neom 3y ago
I try not to nitpick and let people on HN story tell a bit, it's fun reading. However, if I were to join you on the nitpicking, I'd further: Who is to measure "important" - oil and coal related products (automotive/electricity) may end up being the most important because they are our undoing! =)
atleastoptimal 3y ago
It's been 40-50% invented, and it's clear to see just how much even these early versions are changing things. Fundamentally every invention in human history was made because of intelligence. What happens when we invent intelligence itself?
- _heimdall 3y ago
  > It's been 40-50% invented There's absolutely no way we can know this until a functional AI has been developed, and even then how is that % calculated? Do we only consider the code required, the training data set, or do we need to include the underlying tech from GPUs to electricity? > What happens when we invent intelligence itself? Well first we have to agree on a definition of intelligence and a reliable way of measuring it. I'm not aware of an answer yet on either of these, and humans have been trying to answer these questions for a very long time.

> most important invention in human history How can we possibly weigh all human inventions and decide this one, which has yet to even be invented, is the most important?

JoeAltmaier 3y ago

That's an easy one. Lots of ways. Just think about it for a minute. Here's a quick list I came up with: First time we've created something artificial we can talk sensibly to and get sensible knowledgeable responses. Exporting expertise in a way that's trivial to consume and employ for millions of people. Allow autonomous robotic servants to operate in a chaotic environment such as a home or business. Replace entire swaths of knowledge-workers in a single generation. What have you thought of? Here's some of what ChatGPT lists as reasons: Artificial intelligence (AI) is arguably one of the most important inventions in human history due to its transformative impact across various fields. Here are some ways in which AI is considered crucial: And it goes on to list: automation, decision making, healthcare, accessibility, sustainability, creativity, economic growth, space exploration.

_heimdall 3y ago
AI, and therefore AGI, haven't been created yet as far as we know. We don't know what it will be capable of, what it will do to our society, or to humanity as a whole. Our entire world changed with some of the most basic inventions that allowed for agrarian societies. The same goes for basic inventions that allowed for the industrial revolution. I understand that the hopes for A(G)I include changes that would be hugely impactful, but they simply haven't materialized yet. Even when they have, how can we possibly weigh the different inventions? We will never know what the world would look like without agriculture, oil, the printing press, electricity, etc. Is the weighing entirely based on modeling, opinion, and/or hope?

neom 3y ago

I try not to nitpick and let people on HN story tell a bit, it's fun reading. However, if I were to join you on the nitpicking, I'd further: Who is to measure "important" - oil and coal related products (automotive/electricity) may end up being the most important because they are our undoing! =)

atleastoptimal 3y ago

It's been 40-50% invented, and it's clear to see just how much even these early versions are changing things. Fundamentally every invention in human history was made because of intelligence. What happens when we invent intelligence itself?

_heimdall 3y ago
> It's been 40-50% invented There's absolutely no way we can know this until a functional AI has been developed, and even then how is that % calculated? Do we only consider the code required, the training data set, or do we need to include the underlying tech from GPUs to electricity? > What happens when we invent intelligence itself? Well first we have to agree on a definition of intelligence and a reliable way of measuring it. I'm not aware of an answer yet on either of these, and humans have been trying to answer these questions for a very long time.