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> I don't see the harm in thinking about preventing one of them There is indeed harm. Talented people are being diverted into masturbatory philosophizing rath

> I don't see the harm in thinking about preventing one of them There is indeed harm. Talented people are being diverted into masturbatory philosophizing rather than building the future. My personal opinion is that human industrial civilization's goose is already cooked, and that a transhuman intelligence may or may not help us out of our mess. Human intelligence almost certainly won't. The prevalence of the status quo bias of assuming that continuing as we are, AI-less, is "safe" - turns my stomach.

MarkPNeyer 17y ago
If they're not taking any money from the government, what do you care what other people study? Research is like buying lottery tickets, except you have no idea how big the payoff could be. If you think 'our goose is cooked' and a transhuman intelligence could help us out, doesn't it make sense to support the development of a transhumanist intelligence?
- asciilifeform 17y ago
  > what do you care what other people study? I watched people with genuine potential (Eliezer Y., for instance) turn from groundbreaking AI work to writing "AI might kill us all!" screeds and recycled mathematics. A decade ago I was half-certain that he would eventually invent an artificial general intelligence. Now I am equally certain that he never will. Philosophizing and screaming "Caution!" is simply too much fun - and too lucrative. Ever wonder why he doesn't have to slave away at a day job like the rest of us? > Research is like buying lottery tickets, except you have no idea how big the payoff could be The "Friendly AI" crowd is engaged in navel gazing, rather than research. > doesn't it make sense to support the development of a transhumanist intelligence? Yes, and I do support it. Whereas the Friendly AI enthusiasts are retarding such development, not only by failing to volunteer their own efforts but through frightening and discouraging others.
  - wlievens 17y ago
    I partly agree with your points, except the last. I doubt any researcher is ever discouraged by the fearmongering you describe.

MarkPNeyer 17y ago

If they're not taking any money from the government, what do you care what other people study? Research is like buying lottery tickets, except you have no idea how big the payoff could be. If you think 'our goose is cooked' and a transhuman intelligence could help us out, doesn't it make sense to support the development of a transhumanist intelligence?

asciilifeform 17y ago
> what do you care what other people study? I watched people with genuine potential (Eliezer Y., for instance) turn from groundbreaking AI work to writing "AI might kill us all!" screeds and recycled mathematics. A decade ago I was half-certain that he would eventually invent an artificial general intelligence. Now I am equally certain that he never will. Philosophizing and screaming "Caution!" is simply too much fun - and too lucrative. Ever wonder why he doesn't have to slave away at a day job like the rest of us? > Research is like buying lottery tickets, except you have no idea how big the payoff could be The "Friendly AI" crowd is engaged in navel gazing, rather than research. > doesn't it make sense to support the development of a transhumanist intelligence? Yes, and I do support it. Whereas the Friendly AI enthusiasts are retarding such development, not only by failing to volunteer their own efforts but through frightening and discouraging others.
- wlievens 17y ago
  I partly agree with your points, except the last. I doubt any researcher is ever discouraged by the fearmongering you describe.