[ExI] singularity summit on foxnews

[Anne Corwin]

Robert Picone said:
   
  > I doubt that this is the usual case, pets seem to be the exception to
> the rule because to many they qualify as family, and as such are a
> member of someone's human sub-groupings.
   
  That, and they're cute.
   
  As flippant as this may sound, in my pre-caffeine haze this morning it occurred to me that perhaps we just have to program the AIs to see humans as *cute*.  While pets certainly have "family member" status going for them, it's also true that plenty of humans find themselves outraged by the idea of baby penguins being killed in the Antarctic.  
   
  Whatever its cause, the "cute signal" seems to have the capacity to override the "destroy the weak and/or inconvenient" signal in a lot of cases.  Of course, there's a fine line between thinking something is "cute" and feeling the need to control that thing (or person), or dress it up in horrible little outfits, but still.
 
- Anne (who is, in fact, being rather silly, in case that wasn't clear...)


"Like and equal are not the same thing at all!"
- Meg Murry, "A Wrinkle In Time"
       
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