[ExI] How do we construct workable institutions and ethical behaviors?

[Anders Sandberg]

Kelly Anderson wrote:
>  Consider how things would be
> different if every person working for a corporation had to wear a
> video and audio recorder 24/7, and in the event of some kind of
> corporate breakdown, that recording could be reviewed (automatically
> without human involvement) for relevant information, which could then
> be brought up before the relevant authorities.

This works against deliberate wrongdoing, but a lot of the recent 
problems have been due to overconfidence and cognitive bias. People did 
things that was eventually shown to be ultra-stupid without any 
deliberate plan. As much as I am a fan of transparency, I don't see it 
fixing this. In fact, the above system might allow scapegoating people 
more effectively without helping them making the right decisions.

(Still, I want to see it implemented in government - any time somebody 
proposes an extension of government surveillance powers, suggest this as 
part of the package. After all, we must make sure any misuse will be 
harshly dealt with eventually.)


> More government clearly isn't the answer. In fact, it is often the
> government that causes the problems in the first place.
>   

I just read Tyler Cowen's "The Great Stagnation" (a quick read, 
recommended). He made the argument that we have gotten more government 
because we can afford it, due to economic growth in turn driven by 
technological innovation. We are unlikely to see much bigger government 
simply because we cannot afford it right now. He also points out that 
people are likely applying the wrong recipes to solve the crisis, and 
this makes the more/less government issue irrelevant.

(His suggestions for what we ought to do likely appeals to people like 
us, since they lean heavily on the importance of more innovation, better 
globalized spread of clever solutions and higher status for scientists 
and innovators)


-- 
Anders Sandberg,
Future of Humanity Institute
Philosophy Faculty of Oxford University