[ExI] Fwd: [wta-talk] The Singularity - A Dissent

[Samantha Atkins]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Samantha  Atkins <sjatkins at mac.com>
> Date: June 2, 2008 10:56:20 PM PDT
> To: World Transhumanist Association Discussion List <wta-talk at transhumanism.org 
> >
> Subject: Re: [wta-talk] The Singularity - A Dissent
>
>
> On Jun 2, 2008, at 5:25 PM, Stathis Papaioannou wrote:
>
>>>
>>
>> In the possibility space of all AI's, there will be some that will
>> manage our affairs better than we could. But the two problems are how
>> to recognise which ones these will be, and how to prevent people from
>> building other AI's that they believe will further their selfish
>> interests. In the case of nuclear weapons only a few have access to
>> them, and it is obvious even to a stupid person how dangerous they  
>> can
>> be. Neither of these things is certain about AI research.
>
> I am rather depressed to admit that I find worries about AGI much  
> less compelling of late.  The reason is that it seems more certain  
> to me by the day that humans are far too relatively stupid and bound  
> hopelessly by their evolutionary programming to pose much of a  
> threat of any sort of real transcendence or building that which will  
> transcend or is even the seed of such.  We take too long to mature  
> only to decay too rapidly.  We spend most of our energies, even many  
> of the best and brightest of us in exceedingly mundane activities  
> and concerns.  Even the best of us seem quite poor at consistent  
> high quality thinking much less action on any significant scale of  
> cooperating individuals.  Our organizations, no matter how high- 
> minded in stated intent, are mired in common monkey feces slinging  
> to such an extent that very little of real value gets done or can  
> get done.   I am hoping it is a passing melancholy.  But of late  
> this is very sadly how this all too human world of ours looks to  
> me.   Perhaps it is only or mostly what I see in the mirror and  
> perhaps harshly.  Perhaps many live on a different level.  But I am  
> not seeing the evidence this is so and I would very much like to.
>
> - samantha
>

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