[extropy-chat] RE: Singularitarian verses singularity

Samantha Atkins sjatkins at mac.com
Thu Dec 22 04:01:00 UTC 2005


On Dec 21, 2005, at 2:52 PM, mike99 wrote:

> What Samantha says here about the value -- and the dangers -- of  
> superhuman
> intelligence reflects quite precisely what I believe on this  
> subject. Let me
> add a few points to bolster this position:
>
> 1) If merely human intelligence, and any current or past forms of  
> human
> organization, were sufficient to create the sort of world we desire  
> to live
> in, then such a world would have already been created. Therefore, no
> rearrangement of human relations (political, economic, etc.) and no
> humanly-manageable system of development could be sufficient to  
> take us from
> our current unsatisfactory state of life to the enhanced, long-lived,
> healthy, wealthy and free life we desire. Greater than human  
> intelligence is
> required.
>

This argument looks shaky.  Human intelligence in the form of total  
knowledge base is increasing.  Combining increasing levels of  
communication, storage and computational capabilities gives a larger  
set of possibilities than at any earlier time.   So it does not  
necessarily hold that the absence of the world we desire is proof  
that human level intelligence is incapable of achieving it.  While I  
agree with you conclusion this is not a good argument for that  
conclusion.

>
> 3) Many major economic organizations (companies) and political/ 
> military
> institutions recognize that SAI will inevitably be developed, so each
> nation-state and many major corporations (often with governmental  
> backing)
> are working toward this goal. Whether or not these organizations and
> institutions seek the Singularity, their self-interest (and survival
> instinct) drives them toward creating the SAI that will inaugurate the
> Singularity of asymptotically-increasing development. Once the SAI  
> genie is
> out of the R&D (sand)box, it cannot be put back in.
>

Do you have references to back up the claim that a lot of groups are  
working on SAI?  I have heard all the SAI teams I know of lament that  
there is very little real research on strong AI.  I would love to see  
any references you have for the above contention.

- samantha




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