[ExI] Gene drift

[Stuart LaForge]

Tara Maya wrote:

> Having children invests your interest in a human future. Having no
> children means you don’t care if you destroy that future. That’s motive.

While I agree that it would be of benefit for mankind if smart people
bred, with or without the Singularity, I don't think it is fair to
characterize those who choose not to have children as misanthropes.

> Brains gives you the means, and all that remains is opportunity to come
> along to invest in a future which is very hostile to human well-being.

A psychopath is a psychopath, with or without children. Plenty of
psychopathic children have killed the parents and vice versa. The vast
majority of people without children, smart or not, are not psychopaths.
People without children still share a lot of genes with the rest of
humanity not to mention extended family like nieces and nephews.

Crazy is what crazy does but I fail to see any rational upside to
destroying the human race ESPECIALLY if one does not have children.
Whereas if one does have children one could rationalize genocide as
clearing the field for ones children.

>
> I don’t trust politicians with no children, especially. And if a
> roboticist with no children started praising some AI, I would be very
> suspicious. Why should I trust that he wants the kind of future in which
> my children can thrive?

Assuming the roboticist is a man, how do you know that he is is not just
shy and awkward around women because of his small penis. How do you know
he doesn't have people in his life that he loves who might have children
of their own?

Neither Isaac Newton or George Washington ever fathered any children and
neither of them turned out to be monsters.

> He has zero stake in it. It’s even worse if his
> biological urge to protect the next generation has been usurped by a
> robot parasite.

That parasite better be one damn cute and charming robot because he shares
more genes with complete strangers than he does with the robot. But that
does sound like the premise for a good story. ;-)

Stuart LaForge