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I'm much less scared of skynet than I am of a world where robots can do most of the work. And I'm not talking about building cars. What happens when computers

by enomar 17y ago

I'm much less scared of skynet than I am of a world where robots can do most of the work. And I'm not talking about building cars. What happens when computers can write software or manage a company better than humans can? What place would we have in such a world? How would the economy work? And what about war? Assuming we don't get "self-aware" machines, it seems like humans would derive their power based on the capabilities of the computers and robots they control. Then of course, natural resources also come into play; you can't build machines without materials and you can't run them without power. In the end, I think it's much more likely that the war will be humans with robots versus (other) humans with robots.

apgwoz 17y ago
while we're dreaming, I hear there's a new source of power called "the sun"
- enomar 17y ago
  That's a good dream. I only hope that our ability to harness solar energy advances faster than our desire to kill each other over other forms of energy. And even if we have abundant energy, there are probably other resources we'll want to fight over.
dgallagher 17y ago
My hunch is that computers won't suddenly outdo humans and overtake the working world. Rather, I'd imagine that technology will meld with humans. We'll eventually "technologically-evolve" into hybrid human-machines, eventually leading up into being completely machine. Pieces of our bodies and minds will slowly be replaced with enhancements and superior components as technology evolves. I have no idea what we'll end up as, but it's probably going to be different than what we are now. Evolution didn't reach perfection when humans evolved. There are plenty of area's that can be improved. The beginnings of this are already happening. Computers are an extension of our social existence. Technology is getting closer to "jacking in" to the mind, Matrix-style (http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/07/researcher-claims-to-read-thoughts-from-neuronal-activity/ http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/07/researcher-claims-to-read...). So will there be a human vs. robot war, Skynet style? I'd bet probably not. Skynet turned on, became self-aware unintentionally (AI's one hell of a "glitch" to code up!), was plugged into the military, and did its thing instantly. AI of that magnitude probably won't come-about suddenly. Rather, gradually, like in evolution. It'll probably be built into us as it evolves. So if Skynet-level AI does develop, each human mind will probably already have its own copy running locally. It'll be pretty tricky for 1 instance of Skynet to outsmart 10 billion other instances and take over the planet...
- enomar 17y ago
  Interesting thoughts. I can't imagine that humans will uniformly adopt such modifications to their bodies. Even if everyone could afford it, many would be skittish about the idea. Things may happen slow enough for social norms to change, but technology seems to advance faster than we can adapt to it. It will be interesting to see how "augmented" people treat the non-augmented (and vice-versa). We could see a more extreme version of the "digital divide".
leecho0 17y ago
ya, I wonder what will happen to society when the organization with the most money will be able to afford the most computing power for their AI bots and will be able to earn more money with them. a few ridiculously rich people, and ridiculously many poor people?

by enomar 17y ago

apgwoz 17y ago

while we're dreaming, I hear there's a new source of power called "the sun"

enomar 17y ago
That's a good dream. I only hope that our ability to harness solar energy advances faster than our desire to kill each other over other forms of energy. And even if we have abundant energy, there are probably other resources we'll want to fight over.

dgallagher 17y ago

My hunch is that computers won't suddenly outdo humans and overtake the working world. Rather, I'd imagine that technology will meld with humans. We'll eventually "technologically-evolve" into hybrid human-machines, eventually leading up into being completely machine. Pieces of our bodies and minds will slowly be replaced with enhancements and superior components as technology evolves. I have no idea what we'll end up as, but it's probably going to be different than what we are now. Evolution didn't reach perfection when humans evolved. There are plenty of area's that can be improved. The beginnings of this are already happening. Computers are an extension of our social existence. Technology is getting closer to "jacking in" to the mind, Matrix-style (http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/07/researcher-claims-to-read-thoughts-from-neuronal-activity/ http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/07/researcher-claims-to-read...). So will there be a human vs. robot war, Skynet style? I'd bet probably not. Skynet turned on, became self-aware unintentionally (AI's one hell of a "glitch" to code up!), was plugged into the military, and did its thing instantly. AI of that magnitude probably won't come-about suddenly. Rather, gradually, like in evolution. It'll probably be built into us as it evolves. So if Skynet-level AI does develop, each human mind will probably already have its own copy running locally. It'll be pretty tricky for 1 instance of Skynet to outsmart 10 billion other instances and take over the planet...

enomar 17y ago
Interesting thoughts. I can't imagine that humans will uniformly adopt such modifications to their bodies. Even if everyone could afford it, many would be skittish about the idea. Things may happen slow enough for social norms to change, but technology seems to advance faster than we can adapt to it. It will be interesting to see how "augmented" people treat the non-augmented (and vice-versa). We could see a more extreme version of the "digital divide".

leecho0 17y ago

ya, I wonder what will happen to society when the organization with the most money will be able to afford the most computing power for their AI bots and will be able to earn more money with them. a few ridiculously rich people, and ridiculously many poor people?