On Sun, Aug 05, 2001 at 06:38:16PM -0400, JoshCahoon@cs.com wrote:
> My idea is simply that, once an AI is created that is more intelligent
> than its creators (specifically, is more proficient in creating AI), then it
> will be capable of creating an AI superior to itself, and a cycle will be
> initiated whereby godlike intelligence and powers will be created. I'm not
> particularly concerned with the rate or predictability of the cycle, but just
> awestruck by the potential. I think this is a new idea to humanity, as
> opposed to something that most generations have been preocuppied with.
The idea is new, but Harvey's point is that there are always new and
radical ideas, possibilities and things to do. The discovery of (say)
banking or the New World may pale when compared to the capital S
Singularity, but that is because our major turning points tend to become
larger over time. The discovery of new land today isn't the exciting news
that it was in the 1400's, but it was great news then and would have been
even more amazing to the ancients. AI, nanotechnology or similar things of
course change everything, but it might look like childs play when the
jupiter brains debate on their mailing lists about the upcoming
technologies that worry them ("But what if we lose control over
pregeometry? We can't predict anything beyond the horizon of acausal
technology and epistemic engineering!").
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Anders Sandberg Towards Ascension! asa@nada.kth.se http://www.nada.kth.se/~asa/ GCS/M/S/O d++ -p+ c++++ !l u+ e++ m++ s+/+ n--- h+/* f+ g+ w++ t+ r+ !y
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