From: John Grigg (starman2100@lycos.com)
Date: Sat Sep 14 2002 - 01:16:45 MDT
Eliezer wrote in response as to why a postsingularity civilization might intercede on another's behalf:
>compassion
Just maybe. I tend to think they would have a "prime directive" which would cause them to stay out of the affairs of other races, especially if they were at a presingularity stage.
I realize we value individual lives as very important, but to them only the "big picture" might matter. If many millions die of disease, famine, war, etc., it could be a sad thing to them, but not worthy of a vast rescue effort. After all, other races must learn the necessary lessons which will help them attain maturity, and if many perish before that point, so be it. I realize this thought drives poor Brent Allsop crazy! : (
Instead of coming upon a dark monolith on the lunar surface to alert the universe of our coming of age, I could see the very energies we release in a postsingularity surge outward to the stars as being enough to warrant a visit from our cosmic neighbors.
Eliezer, discounting extraterrestrial intercession, please tell us what exactly YOU would do if you brought about a singularity here on earth with your seedAI. If your AI obeyed your every command, how would you mold the world? I am very curious.
I would enjoy reading a novel, or viewing a film which shows a small rogue element of a postsingularity civilization which sneaks around the universe helping ailing worlds. But hard on their heels is their law enforcement element! Damien, are you interested? lol
I look forward to seeing the film "Citizen Termite" when it comes out in the next year or two. I was stunned to read in a science fiction trade magazine that it had been optioned and was gearing into production. I had read the novel a year before, and found it a marvelous blending of alien ufo mythology and modern geopolitical thrillers. Hopefully it will stay out of the awful place known as "development hell!" It is not quite the plot I mentioned wanting in the preceding paragraph, but it is still very interesting.
Should the stories of the little grey aliens with big black eyes actually be true, then I can envision them after going public saying over and over again, "we are nothing like the greys in that Citizen Termite movie!" lol
Not that they were truly bad little guys, just misunderstood. ; )
best wishes,
John
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