From: Ben Goertzel (ben@goertzel.org)
Date: Tue Feb 24 2004 - 07:20:43 MST
Mitchell,
The independence you propose doesn't fully hold...
For instance, we are currently applying our partially-complete Novamente
system in the bioinformatics domain. As such I think we can make a VERY BIG
difference in the progress of biotechnology, including the antibiowarfare
area. Bioscience badly needs what advanced narrow AI and proto-AGI can
bring, as well as what true AGI can bring of course.
Working on this is not really incompatible with working on true AGI with a
Singularity focus.
Of course, our Singularity-ward progress would be a LOT faster if we were
working exclusively on Singularity-focused AI ... but the fact is that we
need to support our Singularity work financially, and in order to do so,
it's better to work on applications that are helpful to the human race and
its survival, than on other things...
-- Ben G
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-sl4@sl4.org [mailto:owner-sl4@sl4.org]On Behalf Of Mitchell
> Porter
> Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2004 8:55 AM
> To: sl4@sl4.org
> Subject: catastrophes with Shock Level < 4
>
>
> Emil killed the climate change thread, but I want to respond
> to Brett Swanson's question:
>
> >If this new paradigm for viewing global warming is to be taken
> seriously,
> >and I would emphatically argue that it is, how might it affect the
> >singularity and transhumanism?
>
> Let's start with some obvious things.
>
> 1) Any worldwide catastrophe has the power to prevent
> the Singularity, delay the Singularity, or increase the odds
> of an unfriendly Singularity.
>
> 2) The tasks involved in preventing or surviving such
> catastrophes (if they don't arise from Singularity-enabling
> technologies), or minimizing their impact on the pre-Singularity
> world, do not directly engage with the problems and dangers
> peculiar to the Singularity.
>
> It's probably also true that
>
> 3) If you choose to devote enough time and energy to
> really make a difference to major SL<4 issues, you will
> not make a difference to SL4 issues, and vice versa.
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Hot chart ringtones and polyphonics. Go to
> http://ninemsn.com.au/mobilemania/default.asp
>
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