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Singularitarianism [1] is a very real phenomenon, if a bit niche. I have seen some people online put genuine faith in AGI existing soon and solving essentially

Singularitarianism [1] is a very real phenomenon, if a bit niche. I have seen some people online put genuine faith in AGI existing soon and solving essentially everything that is wrong on Earth and in their lives. I don't think this is harmful because it may be "idolatry", but rather because, like real religion, it is often a substitute for actually improving one's situation or fighting for a better world. The idea of building a God is enticing [2], but I am not religious and prefer not to put faith in such things. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singularitarianism https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singularitarianism [2] https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Numidium https://en.uesp.net/wiki/Lore:Numidium

StefanBatory 2y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God-Building https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God-Building
- thrance 2y ago
  That's interesting, thanks for sharing. Believing an ideology is scientifc or natural and that its principles are discovered rather than invented" is a very dangerous thing indeed. So-called scientific socialism* is an obvious example of that. You can see some of this kind of thinking on the opposite side as well, with people claiming that humans are naturally greedy and selfish to justify objectivism or free market absolutism.
  - StefanBatory 2y ago
    On that, this might be of interest to you as well :) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42028697 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42028697
exe34 2y ago
I have faith that AI will wield unimaginable powers, but I also know that there will be rich people behind them making the decisions on how best to crush the rest of us.
- kouru225 2y ago
  If we have AGI then I doubt that the rich people will be able to control it at all
  - Mistletoe 2y ago
    What will prevent them from literally unplugging it from the wall?
    - dinosaurdynasty 2y ago
      Can you unplug the entire Internet?
    - Phlogistique 2y ago
      ...it will run in datacenters far from their homes, plugged into redundant power sources and high-availaibility systems?
      - nickburns 2y ago
        All 'unpluggable.' It's a metaphor.
        exe34 2y ago
        it's a pointless metaphor if there's an army of armed drones keeping you out.
        nickburns 2y ago
        You seem to have pondered this metaphor at least at some length before. Me too. :) And yes, that's certainly a plausible hurdle.
        exe34 2y ago
        the whole unpluggable thing doesn't make any more sense than saying every CEO has a Luigi out there - very few will ever get through.
carlosjobim 2y ago
> it is often a substitute for actually improving one's situation or fighting for a better world. You just defined idolatry and why it is harmful. Idolatry is the worship of man-made things or other things that do not deserve worship. Including worshipping the government, which is the religion of most people. It is a false path.
- thrance 2y ago
  Idolatry, as used by christians, naturally excludes their God from its definition. To me who doesn't believe in their God, there isn't much difference in finding solace in the christian God or in the coming of AGI. This is why I don't think Singularitarianism is bad because it is christian idolatry, but because it is a religious belief.
  - carlosjobim 2y ago
    Can you read the mind of other people and know that the idea of God that they worship is the same as the idea of God that you're rejecting?
- cratermoon 2y ago
  Idolizing the Free Market™ and private enterprise is also a false path.
  - carlosjobim 2y ago
    That's called Mammon and is well known idolatry.

StefanBatory 2y ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God-Building https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God-Building

thrance 2y ago
That's interesting, thanks for sharing. Believing an ideology is scientifc or natural and that its principles are discovered rather than invented" is a very dangerous thing indeed. So-called scientific socialism* is an obvious example of that. You can see some of this kind of thinking on the opposite side as well, with people claiming that humans are naturally greedy and selfish to justify objectivism or free market absolutism.
- StefanBatory 2y ago
  On that, this might be of interest to you as well :) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42028697 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42028697

exe34 2y ago

I have faith that AI will wield unimaginable powers, but I also know that there will be rich people behind them making the decisions on how best to crush the rest of us.

kouru225 2y ago
If we have AGI then I doubt that the rich people will be able to control it at all
- Mistletoe 2y ago
  What will prevent them from literally unplugging it from the wall?
  - dinosaurdynasty 2y ago
    Can you unplug the entire Internet?
  - Phlogistique 2y ago
    ...it will run in datacenters far from their homes, plugged into redundant power sources and high-availaibility systems?
    - nickburns 2y ago
      All 'unpluggable.' It's a metaphor.
      - exe34 2y ago
        it's a pointless metaphor if there's an army of armed drones keeping you out.
        nickburns 2y ago
        You seem to have pondered this metaphor at least at some length before. Me too. :) And yes, that's certainly a plausible hurdle.
        exe34 2y ago
        the whole unpluggable thing doesn't make any more sense than saying every CEO has a Luigi out there - very few will ever get through.

carlosjobim 2y ago

> it is often a substitute for actually improving one's situation or fighting for a better world. You just defined idolatry and why it is harmful. Idolatry is the worship of man-made things or other things that do not deserve worship. Including worshipping the government, which is the religion of most people. It is a false path.

thrance 2y ago
Idolatry, as used by christians, naturally excludes their God from its definition. To me who doesn't believe in their God, there isn't much difference in finding solace in the christian God or in the coming of AGI. This is why I don't think Singularitarianism is bad because it is christian idolatry, but because it is a religious belief.
- carlosjobim 2y ago
  Can you read the mind of other people and know that the idea of God that they worship is the same as the idea of God that you're rejecting?
cratermoon 2y ago
Idolizing the Free Market™ and private enterprise is also a false path.
- carlosjobim 2y ago
  That's called Mammon and is well known idolatry.