Re: BASICS: Uploads (was Re: Probable naive questions on this Uploading thing)

Anders Sandberg (asa@nada.kth.se)
14 Sep 1997 20:07:51 +0200


Mark Grant <mark@unicorn.com> writes:

> > Could a virus be introduced to
> > control/corrupt/erase an uploaded individual?
>
> Yep, just as you could inject a human with the HIV virus today. However,
> AIs would probably have better 'immune systems' than humans, since they
> wouldn't need to run software that they downloaded. Of course a memetic
> virus is a real possibility, particularly if an attacking AI has been able
> to analyse your software to look for security holes.

A very nice description of such a (memetic) virus can be found in David
Zindell's "The Wild". Beware Greeks bearing gifts...

-- 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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