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One thing I don't see discussed much in these superintelligence/singularity scenarios, is the possibility that there is an upper limit to intelligence. Maybe it

by troels 11y ago

One thing I don't see discussed much in these superintelligence/singularity scenarios, is the possibility that there is an upper limit to intelligence. Maybe it simply isn't possible to be much smarter than what we already are. So maybe we build AIG, but even with all its smarts it can't improve beyond - say - Einstein level (or what have you). But surely I ca't be the first to make that suggestion, so who has discussed this possibility?

pjscott 11y ago
Imagine an AI that's exactly as smart as Einstein, but thinks a thousand times faster. Now imagine a thousand of it. This fits easily within your speculations about limits to intelligence, since we know that Einstein-level intelligence can exist; even so it sounds pretty darn capable. I bet that Thousandfold Overclocked Albert could do some pretty impressive stuff. I find it very plausible that there are limits on intelligence, but those limits are high enough that this should not be very comforting.
pmichaud 11y ago
I think the reason it's not discussed is that if there is a bound, it's far outside of human-scale intelligence. Even from my limited human vantage point I can see virtually limitless ways to improve my own intelligence. Perception improvements, speed improvements, rationality, strategy, physical skills, etc. A being with all the improvements I can specifically think of would be a demigod. Presumably that demigod could build a god, but even if not, a demigod would be a formidable superintelligence.
xamuel 11y ago
Even if that's the case, quantity wins where quality fails. Imagine what you could do if you had so many clones of yourself that you could monitor every website, every forum, every person logged on IRC, 24 hours a day, giving each one of them your complete undivided attention. (Not that I'm taking an anti-AI stance. Machines do what we program them to do, that's a tautology. If there is risk, it's from user error / intentional terrorist action / AI upsetting distribution of wealth, not from some kind of magic skynet event)
- troels 11y ago
  Sure, but there is overhead of communication with a large group. One smart person can be extremely efficient, but 10 smart people are probably not 10 times as efficient. And it gets worse with scale.

by troels 11y ago

pjscott 11y ago

Imagine an AI that's exactly as smart as Einstein, but thinks a thousand times faster. Now imagine a thousand of it. This fits easily within your speculations about limits to intelligence, since we know that Einstein-level intelligence can exist; even so it sounds pretty darn capable. I bet that Thousandfold Overclocked Albert could do some pretty impressive stuff. I find it very plausible that there are limits on intelligence, but those limits are high enough that this should not be very comforting.

pmichaud 11y ago

I think the reason it's not discussed is that if there is a bound, it's far outside of human-scale intelligence. Even from my limited human vantage point I can see virtually limitless ways to improve my own intelligence. Perception improvements, speed improvements, rationality, strategy, physical skills, etc. A being with all the improvements I can specifically think of would be a demigod. Presumably that demigod could build a god, but even if not, a demigod would be a formidable superintelligence.

xamuel 11y ago

Even if that's the case, quantity wins where quality fails. Imagine what you could do if you had so many clones of yourself that you could monitor every website, every forum, every person logged on IRC, 24 hours a day, giving each one of them your complete undivided attention. (Not that I'm taking an anti-AI stance. Machines do what we program them to do, that's a tautology. If there is risk, it's from user error / intentional terrorist action / AI upsetting distribution of wealth, not from some kind of magic skynet event)

troels 11y ago
Sure, but there is overhead of communication with a large group. One smart person can be extremely efficient, but 10 smart people are probably not 10 times as efficient. And it gets worse with scale.