[ExI] stealth singularity

[spike at rainier66.com]

-----Original Message-----
From: extropy-chat <extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org> On Behalf Of Stuart LaForge
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2019 8:55 AM
To: ExI Chat <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org>
Subject: Re: [ExI] stealth singularity


Quoting Spike:


> _______________________________________________
>
> Rechargeable power source, ja good point thanks.  I had forgotten that 
> part, dang.  If we don't get carried away with the actuators, it 
> shouldn't take much power.
>
> If we keep going with this whole concept, we get down to where I think 
> it really eventually goes: immersive reality goggles.  That approach 
> standardizes a lotta lotta, and converts the exercise to mostly a 
> software task.  As an intermediate step, we could use a standard LCD 
> with eye motion or head motion detection, to make it respond to the 
> attention of the user.
>
> I have a wide-screen display which might be good for something like 
> that.  These things aren't even very expensive anymore.  We might be 
> able to adapt Second Life for this purpose somehow.

>...Actuator servos don't take that much juice. It will be the drive motor that will be the big drain. But our robot will not need to have a a long range nor move very fast.

>...I am not so sure about the virtual companion idea. I read that in Iraq, American troops developed emotional ties for bomb disposal robots to the point of feeling grief when the robots were lost in action, even though they did not look remotely human or even cute.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/09/funerals-for-fallen-robots/279861/

But I have not heard of anybody developing an emotional tie to a virtual assistant outside of the movie "Her". Anybody else know how likely an old person is to bond with a "virtual" character?

Stuart LaForge




_______________________________________________


Stuart, that notion of emotional attachment to the bomb disposal robot is likely grim soldier humor.  Consider what they do to them in USMarine boot camp, where they make them sleep with their rifles, name their weapons, all that kinda stuff.  The marine who watches the pet bomb-disposal robot explode knows that coulda been her body parts flying in all directions, but the robot can be replaced.

People in the business of killing while not getting killed develop their own brand of humor.

A long time ago, I watched and listened as new computer users learned to become more competent keyboard users with Eliza.  There were those who felt a kind of compelling emotional attachment to Eliza, even if they fully realized they were talking to themselves.  Human emotion is a puzzling thing.

If we go the entirely-software route, it opens the possibilities.  I am finding that notion compelling.

spike