[ExI] How fun could doom intelligent life to a blissful extinction

[Keith Henson]

On Thu, Jul 20, 2023 at 12:06 PM BillK via extropy-chat
<extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org> wrote:

snip

> The problem is the changeover time.

Bill, I don't think you are thinking this through either

There is no reason to think the replication time of the stuff at the
bottom of the nanotech world will take more than 20 minutes to
replicate.  Even if Drexler was off by 1000 times, the replication is
still very short by human standards.

> We are not just talking about Fred and Wilma in Seattle.
>
> For countries with nanotech it could help to address the challenges
> such as resource depletion and environmental degradation. On the other
> hand, it could lead to a widening gap between rich and poor countries,
> as those with access to nanotech could reduce their populations while
> those without would continue to grow.

The cost of nanotech stuff is as close to zero as you want to make it.
There is no reason that nanotech would not spread worldwide almost at
once.

The Clinic Seed story had a foundation distributing clinics to every
village in Africa.

When the cost of something falls to near zero, expect people to be generous.

Keith

> The distribution of nanotech is also an issue. If it falls into the
> wrong hands, it could be used for harmful purposes, such as
> bioterrorism or the development of new weapons. It is therefore
> essential to develop effective mechanisms for controlling the
> distribution and use of nanotech safely to poorer countries that hate
> the developed world.
>
> If nanotech with virtually unlimited power is developed, then humanity
> will only survive with total control over how every member of the
> population uses nanotech. Perhaps an AGI which monitors and controls
> the behaviour of every human will be required.
> Humans are a very unruly mob to be given unlimited power.
>
>
> BillK
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