Re: Why FAI Theory is both Necessary and Hard (was Re: SIAI's flawed friendliness analysis)

From: Cliff Stabbert (cstabbert@the-beach.net)
Date: Sun May 11 2003 - 21:24:52 MDT


Hi, you wrote:

CR> Let me put it this way. Imagine a *succesful* Friendly AI
CR> programmer. Someone who really understands the process by which a
CR> Friendly seed AI will change the entire universe forever, making
CR> it a much better place for everyone. Can you expect them to get
CR> involved in the (relatively) pathetic little quarrels that are
CR> presently taught to us as human History?

I do get your point, but still think it's somewhat naive. We, as
humans, don't deign to "get involved" with this trifling little matter
called history. *It* tends to get us involved (cf. Joyce, "History is
a nightmare from which I am trying to awake.").

Presumably, being human and growing up in a human environment, the
people working on FAI will be embedded in human history -- have human
desires, human weaknesses, relationships with other humans, etc.
Becoming free of such involvement, for most people, is what would take
an effort, not becoming involved.

I am not entirely convinced that (what-I-perceive-as) Eliezer's
attempt to be as unencumbered as possible with the extraneous
business of life, i.e. anything not related to achieving a friendly
singularity, is a) successful b) healthy or c) helpful to his goals.
Perhaps it will turn out to be, but I'm certainly not buying an
argument based on imagination.

--
Cliff


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