From: Gordon Worley (redbird@rbisland.cx)
Date: Sun Mar 18 2001 - 22:17:43 MST
At 11:55 PM -0700 3/16/01, James Higgins wrote:
>So, children in general are a non-issue and those under age 3 aren't
>"worth" uploading. Do you suggest tearing them apart for spare
>atoms then?
Of course not, thet're still humans and have all the natural rights
that other humans have. But let's face it: there just isn't much
inside a child's mind worth uploading. If they were uploaded, they'd
quickly becoming something totally unlike the child
>And you assume that SIs will only do what is required. Sure, SIs
>should be capable of duplicating themselves, but have you considered
>that just *maybe* they would *want* to produce new, unique minds?
>Unless I am woefully mistaken, the goal is to create intelligence
>beyond our own that has free will. I don't know about you, but I
>have no interest in uploading if I can't enjoy myself on the other
>side. Borg is not my idea of an ideal future.
We can only speculate now, but my guess is that SIs will not want
children either. Humans want to produce children because they have
to for the species to survive. Just the opposite is true for SIs.
The more SIs that there are, ultimately there will be less
computorium for each. That does not mean that we should stop people
from uploading or creating new AIs when needed, but it shouldn't be
done just to have someone else to talk to (use a simulation for that).
Aside from the Borg being a bad bit of SF television, does the show
really ever tell us that much about them to draw the conclusion that
they really are that bad. Forcing people into their hive minds is
bad, but we don't really know what it's like inside the things.
Also, I think that the Borg had some kind of problem, since they
could have gotten more out of creating uploads and turning the bodies
into computornium, but that's Star Trek for you.
>P.S. Sorry to everyone for the flame, but I haven't read anything
>that irked me this much in years. Obviously he doesn't have kids.
If this was a flame, I'd hate to see it when you get really mad. ;^)
I don't. Also, go into the archives and read my join message (I
think that it was posted December of last year). As you'll see, it
hasn't been that long since I was a kid and I know that most kids
even at 12 and 13 still weren't very interesting and worth uploading
(there were a few, myself included, but otherwise everyone was
focused on trying to fit in). Maybe you'll feel better if I tell you
that they can make theirselves worth something after being uploaded,
should they choose to do so.
Also, this makes me think, can parents force children to upload
(obviously parents would have a hard time stopping their kids from
doing it)? Under current laws, at least in the US, I think so, but
by the time lawmakers get it figured out it will probably no longer
be an issue since most folks who were going to upload would have.
-- Gordon Worley http://www.rbisland.cx/ mailto:redbird@rbisland.cx PGP Fingerprint: C462 FA84 B811 3501 9010 20D2 6EF3 77F7 BBD3 B003
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