From: Robert J. Bradbury (bradbury@aeiveos.com)
Date: Sun May 14 2000 - 00:54:51 MDT
On Sat, 13 May 2000, E. Shaun Russell wrote:
> I had the chance to talk a bit with Hugo at one of Forrest Bishop's parties
> a few years back. Even then he was shooting for a cybernetic cat by 2001,
> so it seems he is right on track.
Ooooh, first hand knowledge, I'm jealous... (really!).
> To answer the question: if Hugo de Garis truly feared for the extermination
> of the human race, do you really think that he would be plotting the
> creation of superior AI? I doubt it.
Not clear, I suspect there is hardly a microbiologist or genetic engineer who
does not know the ills that the technologies they develop may be turned to.
The Russians are still trying to destroy a huge store of bioweapons with no AI.
> On its own, superior AI could mean the extermination of the human race; however,
> in truth, there are many advances being made in nanotech, genetic engineering,
> space travel and a plethora of other "perpetual human longevity" pursuits.
Not true, you have to require that (a) AIs must develop a control over
the physical reality sufficient to exterminate humans; or (b) Humans in
the face of overwhelming AI decide to go like lemmings down to the sea
and drown themselves. The fact that *most* of humanity is frequently faced
with a need to interact with individuals more intelligent than themselves
(usually the individuals higher in the power structures) and lives to
talk about it, seems to suggest that we will not suddenly become lemmings.
> The question will be whether or not we can keep up to AI; I, for one, don't
> think so.
If our children end up using sub-AIs on a regular basis, they may not be
so reluctant to incorporating them into their being.
> If Hugo and others succeed in creating superior AI, some humans will
> probably try to co-exist, but it would be most convenient for the majority
> of the human race to eventually leave the planet.
It is a profound sociological & psychological issue as to whether a
conscious species that clearly understands that it has the technology
to evolve to higher levels, but chooses to occupy a non-pinacle niche
in the life forms of the galaxy would continue to survive in the long term.
The waves of genetic drives are going to fall hard upon the shores of
the reality of chosen inferiority.
Robert
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