[ExI] Brain emulation, regions and AGI [WAS Re: Kelly's future]

[Richard Loosemore]

BillK wrote:
> On Sat, Jun 4, 2011 at 4:29 PM, Kelly Anderson wrote:
>> I think this is all more a matter of training or upbringing if you
>> will, rather than leaving some magical module out. There are people
>> who are wonderfully non-violent, but it's not because they don't have
>> some physical module, but because they were taught that violence is
>> bad, and it sunk in.
>>
>> Admittedly Richard did not say if this module was a software or
>> hardware module. And we probably differ a bit on how much is
>> "programming" vs. "training".
>>
>>
> 
> 
> There are some threats that cannot be negotiated away.
> 
> The AGI must have the resources to get violent when the circumstances demand it.
> 
> Could be tricky deciding when and what level of violence is needed.

Ah, that is a different thing, I believe, than an aggression module.

So, consider a person who has never in their life experienced feelings 
of rage or anger (trying to approximate, here, an AGI with no aggression 
module).  Now, in a situation in which interstellar invaders turn up and 
make it clear they want to set up an Intergalactic Walmart on Earth, and 
they will need to erase all native life first, that non-aggressive 
person might still decide that it will be necessary to nuke the invasion 
force on the way in.

That would not be an aggression-driven action.  No need for the agg. 
module.  And there is no reason to believe that a person who felt 
overwhelming aggression toward the invaders would be better at building 
the defence force (quite the opposite, perhaps).

I cannot think of any circumstances where violent (or potentially 
dangerous) motivation modules would be *required* for the AGI to 
function properly.  People often quote the invading space aliens 
scenario I just described, but other than that I know of none.


Richard Loosemore