[ExI] Destructive uploading.

[Kelly Anderson]

On Sun, Sep 4, 2011 at 2:06 PM, BillK <pharos at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Sun, Sep 4, 2011 at 8:43 PM, Kelly Anderson  wrote:
> <snip>
>> I like to think of it as multiple threads of execution, perhaps even
>> distributed to different physical computers. When the threads are
>> merged later, you just have new memory of having done two different
>> things yesterday. It would be weird at first, but I think we could get
>> use to remembering two yesterdays, or twenty. It would probably be
>> perceived initially as yesterday, and the day before yesterday....
>> which would be confusing, but I think we could adapt to that pretty
>> quickly. If the new me looks like the old me, or is in VR only, then I
>> think others would adapt to that as well, but there would still be a
>> unique "real" you in the perception of most people.
>
> What you are describing will probably be a very temporary phenomenon.
> When uploading and merging becomes possible, we and our environment
> will be changing rapidly.

It is entirely possible that you are correct about the temporary
nature of this phenomenon. But I suspect that people will initially be
more comfortable with merging memories back into their own wet ware,
than totally uploading. Yes, it will probably happen in a period of
time when things will be changing very quickly. Perhaps a steep part
just prior to the Singularity. Once you have enough merged memories to
feel safe that those were "normal" experiences, then people will
probably feel good about taking the next step, total uploading,
leaving the physical behind.

> I suspect that merging multiple versions will quickly produce a
> hive-mind type of entity. Economies of scale, etc. Why stick with
> merging two versions when you are competing with entities with
> thousands or millions of merged IDs?

Absolutely... but I'm not entirely sure what is meant by a hive
mind... when I think of that, I think of a group of individuals, not
necessarily related to a root individual... It's kind of like there
are two kinds of hive minds, those consisting of lots of different
minds, and those consisting of many copies of my mind... and of course
there are intermediates...

>  If you do choose to remain alone, you will quickly be swamped by the
> more powerful Minds.

Not if you have the resources sufficient to make enough copies of your
own mind. Also, a copy of your mind doesn't have to run in real
time... given enough resources three months of experience can be
emulated in twenty minutes... potentially. I think of this as a way to
acquire a skill, like speaking Chinese, or what not... merging it back
into the main mind through some kind of nanotech inside the brain. The
thing is that if the minds diverge too much, then it might be
difficult to merge back into the main brain. We have a lot to learn
before this is possible, obviously :-)

-Kelly