4 ms·

Is it inevitable that all science fiction premises will come true?

amichail 19y ago
Do you think it is at least feasible to fight wars in this way? Would you play any online game if there is a small probability that doing so may kill people in real life?
- rms 19y ago
  Yes, it is feasible to do so. But in the same way that there is close to no shortage of volunteers for the current army, there would be no shortage of volunteers for the robot army. I sure as hell wouldn't volunteer to go to Iraq, but I'd be much more willing to control a robot or spy drone remotely. There's no personal risk. In short, if war is fought in the far future the superior side won't have very many human soldiers, but the robots definitely won't be controlled by unsuspecting online gamers because they can just use paid remote soldiers.
  - amichail 19y ago
    One advantage to using unsuspecting online gamers is secrecy. It's also cheaper. Moreover, the guilt from killing people is reduced since there is only a small probability that the online game you are playing is for real.
    - rms 19y ago
      It's just a completely ridiculous idea. I can't seeing anything in the future of politics that could lead to this scenario.
- nostrademons 19y ago
  If all our guys are really online gamers, whose to say that their guys won't be too? Hell, after a few titanic clashes where nobody actually gets killed, they might get rid of the machines entirely and just have our guys duke it out with their guys in a virtual world. And then we'd have...battle.net. ;-)
  - amichail 19y ago
    This is for wars against low-tech countries. They won't have sophisticated drones/robots.
    - corentin 19y ago
      Right; they only have a few thousands of improvised fighters ready to sacrifice themselves for an idea. Yet, they usually beat the shit out of huge, well-trained and well-equipped armies. In most PG essays, replace the words "startups" by "guerrilleros" and "corporations" by "armies" and most of the ideas he defends still stand.
- mattmaroon 19y ago
  Pretty much the only way I'd play an online game is if that was a certainty.

Do you think it is at least feasible to fight wars in this way? Would you play any online game if there is a small probability that doing so may kill people in real life?

rms 19y ago
Yes, it is feasible to do so. But in the same way that there is close to no shortage of volunteers for the current army, there would be no shortage of volunteers for the robot army. I sure as hell wouldn't volunteer to go to Iraq, but I'd be much more willing to control a robot or spy drone remotely. There's no personal risk. In short, if war is fought in the far future the superior side won't have very many human soldiers, but the robots definitely won't be controlled by unsuspecting online gamers because they can just use paid remote soldiers.
- amichail 19y ago
  One advantage to using unsuspecting online gamers is secrecy. It's also cheaper. Moreover, the guilt from killing people is reduced since there is only a small probability that the online game you are playing is for real.
  - rms 19y ago
    It's just a completely ridiculous idea. I can't seeing anything in the future of politics that could lead to this scenario.
nostrademons 19y ago
If all our guys are really online gamers, whose to say that their guys won't be too? Hell, after a few titanic clashes where nobody actually gets killed, they might get rid of the machines entirely and just have our guys duke it out with their guys in a virtual world. And then we'd have...battle.net. ;-)
- amichail 19y ago
  This is for wars against low-tech countries. They won't have sophisticated drones/robots.
  - corentin 19y ago
    Right; they only have a few thousands of improvised fighters ready to sacrifice themselves for an idea. Yet, they usually beat the shit out of huge, well-trained and well-equipped armies. In most PG essays, replace the words "startups" by "guerrilleros" and "corporations" by "armies" and most of the ideas he defends still stand.
mattmaroon 19y ago
Pretty much the only way I'd play an online game is if that was a certainty.