From: Brent Allsop (allsop@fc.hp.com)
Date: Tue Sep 05 2000 - 09:33:49 MDT
"Zero Powers" <zero_powers@hotmail.com> responded to "John M Grigg"
<starman125@lycos.com> with:
> OK, I know why *we* would want AI to be friendly. But why would the
> AI want to be friendly to us?
First off, the ant idea has similarities but I'd bet the ants
are more abstract non feeling automata with little if any ability to
feel phenomenal consciousness. Some day, hopefully we'll know just
what it's like to be an ant, but I'd bet today that it's not much more
than being like a computer. And there is no problem with turning off
and throwing away a computer since it can't feel. So how about lets
raise it up another level? Lets say we were created by a pack of
obviously feeling dogs (or any other being that has even a hint of
conscious awareness and ability to feel joy, even if it does turn out
to include something as low as Ants.)
One of the first things I think we should realize is dogs
obviously have some phenomenaly unbelievably ability to "smell". I
would think to myself, boy, look at the way they act toward various
smells. I would wonder what it is like and want them to eff smell to
me so I too could experience such obviously glorious sensations.
Obviously, since they careted me, they, with me helping perhaps, would
eventually develop the ability for my brain to experience the same
sensations of smell they experience. I could finally say: "Oh that's
what that smell is like for you! Wow! no wonder you like to always go
out for walks and experience such things so often!" Given the
phenomenally glorious nature of my currently limited smell, I'd
surmise that any enhancement would be infinitely valuable and joyful
to me.
Then of course, since the dogs had given me the ability to
have more visual qualia than the black and white they have, I'd want
to return the favor and help them do the work required so that they
too, could see color and know what it is like. Would seeing the look
of enjoyment in your pet or friend dog when they experience color for
the first time be of absolutely no worth to you? In other words, if
my creators could create me, certainly they could enhance themselves
to be at least equivalent to me and keep up with me! I can't
understand why so many people assume just the opposite of this. We
are machines too, Why can we not be enhanced just as easy as any other
AI?
> I think I'd be on my merry way to see what there is to see in the
> world they had bestowed upon me.
Why would anyone ever completely abandon anyone or anything?
Though we spend a very small percentage of thinking time thinking
about and concerned over ants, mankind does spend some percentage of
effort concerned about them. Even if this percentage of our total
effort decreased significantly, as we grew exponentially, there is no
reason why the total amount of help on their behalf could still not
increase along with everything else. .1% of a billion is a lot more
more than 1% of 10 right!? Along with all the studying of ants we do,
species of ants that are near extinction get lots of attention from
humankind. As we get more powerful why would this effort for and on
behalf of Ants, Dogs, and everything else, ever decrease?
Eventually we'll all be growing together, helping each other
explore the infinite, and eternally sharing with each other the
glorious different things we all as diverse entities discover. Just
like we started sharing smell and color sensations right? There is a
lot of infinite out there, the more diverse help and sharing we get
from all, the more glorious it will forever be. If some sentient
species is missing, that will never be as good as if everyone is
included. So why would we ever be satisfied with less when we could
have more?
Brent Allsop
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