[extropy-chat] Clock rate or rather communication delays

[Eric Messick]

Keith:
>Assuming you can't get around the speed of light, imagine an AI mind spread 
>out over a cubic light year.  If a person operating at human speeds tries 
>to interact with such a creature, they better have life extension because 
>there is no way such a thing can respond to them quickly in a way that 
>engages the far corners of its "mind."

While this is true, think about how much of that AI would really be
needed to respond to a human: not very much.  Suppose the AI operates
as a collection of independent mind processes that are each spatially
located to maintain local clock synchronization.  They talk to each
other over connections that become progressively less coordinated as
the distance increases.

The AI as a whole "changes it's mind" only very slowly, but local
subunits can react quickly.  I imagine such creatures would
occasionally divide, with each portion competing for resources to grow
again.

If a set of such creatures is willing to form a corporate entity, does
that turn it into a larger creature again?

Hmmmmm.....

-eric