Re: Current events

From: Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
Date: Tue Jul 09 2002 - 16:38:36 MDT


On Tue, Jul 09, 2002 at 12:12:48PM -0700, Sehkenenra wrote:
>
> Yes Anders, but what better lure is there than technological candy?
> Philosophies, ideologies... these aren't what (most) people care about- they
> care about getting the goods.

But what are the goods? Is nanotechnology a way of making the world as
flexible and accomodating as software that will change the economic
system a lot, or just a new method of making stuff? Is AI about a
digital secretary or cleaning robot, or a profound change in (again)
economy and our view of ourselves?

When people look at new technologies with old ideas about what goods are
desirable (material comfort, safety, economy) they will try to shape
them according to that vision. But our ideas about these goods go beyond
this: we seek transformation, freedom, growth. And if people accept new
technology but in an old context they are going to build it
accordingly and create a situation that will strongly resist using it
for our context. We need to build a vision of tomorrow that makes people
think about each news story in the context of human transformation
rather than as a continuation of today.

-- 
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Anders Sandberg                                      Towards Ascension!
asa@nada.kth.se                            http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/
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