[ExI] Searle's review of Bostrom's book

[Bill Hibbard]

Sure Tim.

Merriam-Webster defines "pose" as "to set forth
or offer for attention or consideration" so I
think it's OK to say:

   Computers that can run the entire world economy and
   provide constant companionship to all humans will
   pose great danger to humans.

This does not say these computers will harm humans,
only that we need to give the possibility some
attention or consideration.

I also have never said that humanity should
forego AI, only that there are dangers. Like
you seem to, I think the development of AI is
an imperative.

Here's an op-ed I submitted, unsuccessfully,
to the NY Times in August 2010, also in reaction
to suggestions that AI isn't a big threat:

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~billh/g/hibbard_oped_aug2010.html

Best wishes,
Bill

> Date: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 06:32:20 -0400
> From: Tim Tyler <tim at tt1.org>
> To: extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> Subject: Re: [ExI] Searle's review of Bostrom's book
> Message-ID: <541EA934.6030205 at tt1.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> On 20/09/2014 08:18, Bill Hibbard wrote:
>
>> http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~billh/g/searle_comment.pdf
>
> Searle is completely confused (news at eleven).  However Bill's
> commentary says:
>
> "Computers that can run the entire world economy and provide constant
>  companionship to all humans will pose great danger to humans."
>
> This is speculation. Computers powerful enough to run the entire
> world economy could have the *potential* to pose great danger
> to humans.
>
> However, humans are already at risk. Unless we develop
> superintelligent machines we'll all be obliterated.
>
> Superintelligent machines are surely likely to *reduce*
> the chance of this happening.  IMO, the sooner we develop
> them, the safer we will be.
>
> What are the alternatives? A big war that keeps us stuck
> in the stone age? A luddite totalitarian government that
> criminalizes research and doesn't perform any itself?
> Are these alternatives *really* any safer?  Or would it
> be fair to say that they "pose great danger to humans".
> -- 
> __________
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