From: Ben Goertzel (ben@goertzel.org)
Date: Fri Jun 04 2004 - 18:48:55 MDT
Hi,
> Yes, and I still wonder whether projects are going
> forward elsewhere on the other side of the world with
> teams who never read CFAI and for that matter have
> completely different ideas about individual/collective
> volition.
It's guaranteed that at least a few dozen whacky AGI projects are going
on quietly in the former Soviet nations.
I know of three such projects (neither well-funded or progressing too
fast, admittedly), just within my own circle of acquaintances.
> Incidentally, I think that general AI research in
> this country could get shut down like stem cell research did
> (I mentioned this in an offline message). I can easily
> imagine you, for example, having to decamp hastily for Brazil
> to continue on Novamente. For this reason I have not
> mentioned Singularity research AT ALL in certain circles. I
> think you may be better off in the shadows. Better to be
> underfunded than to draw the notice of people who are
> threatened by everything about your project.
This could happen, however, I don't think it will happen till after some
big, public AGI success has occurred.
Stuff to do with human biology gets the religious right upset a lot
easier than stuff to do with machines. But a chimp-level AGI in all the
newspapers could change all that, I suppose.
Fortunately, software is eminently portable.
So the message is: If you're gonna launch a real AGI upon the world,
first be prepared ... keep backup copies all over the world, and hire
some bodyguards and prepare an overseas hideout.
Isn't humanity fun?? ;-)
-- Ben G
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