[ExI] Yudkowsky's reply (was: Minsky's Transcript)

[Harvey Newstrom]

Ben wrote,
> > Harvey Newstrom <mail at harveynewstrom.com> wrote:
> >
> > I agree with Marvin that
> ...
> > Although all these professions have to be integrated on the team to
> > prevent the technology from doing bad things.
> 
> Isn't that a bit of a pessimistic (and anti-extropic) viewpoint?
> 
> I can't help notice that the way that people say things not only reveals
> their attitudes, it also affects how other people form theirs.
> 
> The implication here is that technology does bad things. Yet, we're all
> about technology doing good things. Amazingly good things.
> 
> So, how about ".. to help ensure that the technology does good things"?
> Do you think that's an improvement?

Not really.  Technology can do good things, bad things, or both.  It is very
important to make sure it does not do bad things.  Making sure it does good
things is not enough.