Re: Theoretical question for the list: publicity?

From: Samantha Atkins (samantha@objectent.com)
Date: Sun Apr 08 2001 - 15:06:01 MDT


Brian Atkins wrote:
>
> To the list I ask: if for instance Wired magazine wanted to do a large
> article about SIAI in the near future, complete with cover image of
> Eliezer with a quote "This 21 year old cognitive scientist is building an
> AI that will end the world as we know it" do you think that would accelerate
> our plans or hurt them? Assume that besides talking about Eliezer and our
> plans, it also presents FAI as the answer to Bill Joy's AI concerns.

Whew. I think we would definitely lose more than we gain at this point.
Fear is much easier to sell than hope (especially well reasoned
expectations). Many minds will shut down just on the above caption.
Many of the rest will be extremely on the defensive from that point on
as they read the rest.

There is enough difficulty right now getting the sympathetic and
somewhat cluefull to understand and believe in the goodness of FAI and
that it is doable. I don't think the message is well-honed enough for
targeting the general readership of Wired. I believe the main effect
will be to give ammunition to those who are preaching fear and
relinguishing opportunity.

- samantha



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