[ExI] Observation

Wed May 3 18:49:49 UTC 2023

If they could control whether an AI had consciousness and a sense of self,
should they program them in, or out?  bill w

On Wed, May 3, 2023 at 12:02 PM Keith Henson via extropy-chat <
extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

> On Tue, May 2, 2023 at 9:16 PM spike jones via extropy-chat
> <extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Keith Henson <hkeithhenson at gmail.com>
> > ubject: Re: [ExI] Observation
> >
> > On Tue, May 2, 2023 at 3:37 PM spike jones via extropy-chat <
> extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:
> >
> > snip
> >
> > >>...  I am inherently optimistic, one of those who believes AI will not
> kill us all.  It might kill us some, and that part will be bad.  But I
> don’t think humanity will become extinct.
> >
> > >...I don't think you are using enough imagination.  How about nobody
> dies and humans become biologically extinct anyway.
> >
> > Keith
> >
> > Possible but unlikely Keith: humans have managed to spread all over the
> globe and occupy every available ecosystem by modifying our immediate
> surroundings.
>
> That's true.  Cave bears went extinct largely because humans are
> smarter than the average bear.  But now we are talking about AI which
> is about as smart as the average human and expected to get much
> smarter.  AIs currently lack consciousness and volition but given the
> progress in recent years, I would not bet against AIs having them
> shortly.
>
> The point is that it is an entirely different game.  I don't think the
> past provides much guidance for the future.  Mind you, I have thought
> about it a lot, but I can't predict what it will be like on the other
> side of the AI singularity.
>
> It will not be long before we find out.
>
> Keith
>
> I think humans may have radiated more thoroughly than any other
> species, although I can't really say with respect to rats and
> mosquitoes.  We are at least in their class, if we haven't beaten both
> those species.
> >
> > As I wrote that previous comment, it occurred to me that I was feeling
> good about competing in the same class as mosquitoes and rats.
> >
> > In any case, I would be so happy if nobody dies, however it very well
> might already be too late for that.  I experimented with ChatGPT as a
> health coach.  It does a good job if you don't expect it to act as a
> doctor.  It answers accurately enough on medical conditions, but the
> problem with humans is that we are bad to imagine we have conditions that
> we really don't have.  The internet has made this problem an order of
> magnitude worse, for it makes it far too easy for people to Google around
> and find some obscure cool-sounding condition, then somehow convince
> themselves they have it, because they have experienced five of the top
> eleven top correlated symptoms.
> >
> > OK, think of GPT as a super-Google that makes people do still more silly
> things with respect to their own health.  Then think about how our diet
> principles work in our times: entire sections of bookstores dedicated to
> diet principles, when we all know in our hearts what the damn problem
> really is: we evolved under conditions of scarcity, but suddenly technology
> gave us any type of food we want in any quantity.  Well hell, of COURSE
> most people are going to be over their ideal weight and of COURSE most
> people will eat too much and really really enjoy themselves doing it, but
> sheesh of COURSE it has negative health consequences.  Well then, given
> that, most people want to blame anything else for their health problems.
> So... we scurry to the internet to find something to blame, when really it
> is that we are living in a toxic food environment: it is just too good and
> too plentiful, never mind all the unknown stuff that is added for flavor,
> color and shelf life.
> >
> > OK so GPT offers true answers, but the user might manage to delude
> themself into doing the wrong thing with theys health.  I don't know if GPT
> has been around long enough to cause anyone to slay themself, but I
> wouldn't be a bit surprised if someone did by now.  I am confident Google
> has inadvertently caused people to do the wrong thing and cause harm or
> fatalities.  It has surely done good of course, probably saving more than
> it has indirectly slain.  I see GPT as a kind of super-Google.
> >
> > I probably could have presented that idea with fewer words.  I need to
> work that problem.  Summary of my breezy commentary: I don't think GPT or
> any other AI platform will lead to the extinction of humankind, but it may
> result in some casualties.  There may be suicides from despondency over
> jobs being replaced, even if we end up with more and better jobs than
> before, for instance.  Some GPT users will do stupid things.  The internet
> doesn't necessarily make us smarter, only much better informed.
> >
> > spike
> >
> >
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