From: Eliezer S. Yudkowsky (sentience@pobox.com)
Date: Mon Jan 18 1999 - 13:25:36 MST
Max More wrote:
>
> Eliezer, before you say "screw dynamic optimism" and equate it with "raving
> optimism", please make sure you know what it means. If you read the
> relevant principle (and it's now called "Practical Optimism"), you'll see
> that it doesn't imply that the future is a playground with no dangers,
> problems, or challenges.
[Mission Statement? ExI has a *Mission Statement*? There goes your
chance to recruit Scott Adams. A pity; "evolve into pure energy and
become supreme overlord of the Universe" is a personal goal we could
help him with.]
"Living vigorously, effectively, and joyfully, requires dismissing
gloom, defeatism, and negativism. We acknowledge problems, whether
technical, social, psychological, or ecological, but we do not allow
them to dominate our thinking and our direction."
Okay, this is what I disagree with.
1) I think that negative mental states invoke a higher order of
intelligence than positive mental states; consider the evolutionary context.
2) Problems *should* dominate our thinking. First, worry about
survival/Singularity. Then, worry about creating the Culture.
In other words, I specifically object to, or "screw", the idea that
enthusiasm enhances intelligence; and blathering about the rewards but
refusing to acknowledge the dangers, and particularly the dangers of
deliberate misuse.
Someone has to keep track of the threats.
--
sentience@pobox.com Eliezer S. Yudkowsky
http://pobox.com/~sentience/AI_design.temp.html
http://pobox.com/~sentience/sing_analysis.html
Disclaimer: Unless otherwise specified, I'm not telling you
everything I think I know.
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