Re: 'Singularity Realism' - A few thoughts

From: Marc Geddes (marc_geddes@yahoo.co.nz)
Date: Fri Mar 12 2004 - 03:07:40 MST


Samantha,

Rememeber these lines from 'The Matrix'?

"The Matrix is a system, Neo. That system is our
enemy. Look around, what do you see. Business men,
lawyers, carpenters... the very minds of the people we
are trying to save, but until we do, they are still
part of the system..."
 
"Most of these people are not ready to be unplugged
and many of them are so inered, so hopelessly
dependent on the system that they will fight to
protect it."

Don't make the mistake of assuming other people are
anywhere near as beningn or rational as we are. Did
you just catch the news about the huge terror blasts
in Spain? Over 1000 wounded, hundreds dead. These
people are trying to kill us. The world is still
filled with people just like that , who unfortunately,
don't respect reason and are quite prepared to impose
their own views on those they disagree with through
violence.

Sooner or later (probably sooner) the shit is going to
hit the fan (9/11 was just a small sneak preview of
how fast the shit can hit the fan without warning).
As we get closer and closer to the Singularity we can
expect the social and political situation to become
ever more dangerous and unstable ('phase transitions'
are chaotic). I wouldn't be surprised to see the
United States Federal Government collapse well before
the Singularity occurs. Betting markets are offering
odds as high as 25% that the U.S Federal government
will collapse within the next 25 years. What Eliezer
seems to have overlooked in 'Creating Friendly AI' are
all the ways social chaos could stop a successful
Singularity from occuring. Imagine that at some point
in the future Sing Inst is established at a physical
location, working away, and then suddenly social chaos
erupts. I wouldn't want to be in any state outside
New Hampshire when it happens. In fact, I'd be scared
of being the States at all.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that people are
more benign than they really are. People who are not
Libertarian-Transhumanists are NOT our friends.
They're a part of the 'System' we are tring to escape.
 Don't forget it.

=====
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