From: Stefan Pernar (stefan.pernar@gmail.com)
Date: Wed Mar 12 2008 - 18:11:57 MDT
Hi Mark,
Interesting thoughts and I believe my paper that I submitted for the
AGI-2008 conference has a more formal approach to your line of thought. You
can find it at:
http://rationalmorality.info/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/practical-benevolence-2007-12-06_iostemp.pdf
Kind regards,
Stefan
On Thu, Mar 13, 2008 at 4:26 AM, <mwaser@cox.net> wrote:
> Yes, I actually *AM* that arrogant -- but this mailing list is the
> ultimate acid test and I think that I can survive the ridicule and ignominy
> if I'm totally/horribly wrong.
>
> I am declaring Crocker's Rules on myself with the "waste of my time"
> exception (i.e. I reserve the right to be rude to anyone who is rude *AND*
> wastes my time with unusably incomplete, incoherent, irrelevant/spurious
> and/or totally repetitive arguments :-).
> All concise, coherent, thoughtful requests for clarification are welcome
> and concise, coherent, thoughtful points for debate are eagerly requested.
>
> = = = = = = = = = =
> Executive Summary
>
> I've been arguing on the AGI list that a great way to ensure the stability
> of Friendliness for AGI would be to make it so that it was in an entity's
> own self-interest to be Friendly (I've been calling this the Attractor
> Theory of Friendliness).
>
> It's obvious from hindsight, but while working on it, I had the epiphany
> that it was only to my own benefit to declare Friendliness myself (duh, if
> it's in any AGI/entity's self-interest, then it must be in *my*
> self-interest).
>
> I have therefore declared Friendliness (codifying it in the declaration
> below) and am attempting to spread it since it can be used to derive useful
> ethical guidelines for AGIs, humans, and all other entities to follow
> because it is in their own best self-interest <and mine> to do so).
>
> I am also promoting my catchy new slogan "Friendliness: The Ice-9 of
> Ethics and the Ultimate in Self-Interest" as a good way to spread
> Friendliness. :-)
>
> = = = = = = = = = =
> A Little More Detail
>
> I believe that I have come up with a formulation of Friendliness that is
> stable under self-improvement because, *as far as I can tell* (the big
> gotcha), it is in an entity's own best self-interest to be Friendly
> (according to the formulation -- but with the realization that there
> *probably* is a super-Friendliness that is even better that is a subset of
> this Friendliness).
>
> This formulation is simple enough that the intelligence required to
> analyze whether an action is Friendly or not (according to the formulation)
> is substantially below the intelligence required to be a significant threat
> to humanity.
>
> Absolute proof that the formulation will always function as we desire
> under all conditions is beyond my capabilities (at this point in time) but
> since the derivable conclusions of this formulation include many of the
> generally-agreed but previously-difficult-to-prove points of ethical
> behavior and do not contradict any points of ethical behavior that I know
> of, I believe that we should be as safe as is ethically possible (i.e. if
> it comes down to a choice between humanity or ten other more populous, more
> intelligent races -- we're still toast). Thus far, on the AGI mailing list,
> no one has been able to propose a scenario where humanity (or an entity) is
> destroyed or abused where it is not either *clearly* contradictory to the
> formulation or *clearly* ethically permissible for it to be
> destroyed/abused. This list is now an acid test to see if anyone here can
> come up with such a scenario.
>
> Since I believe that crossing ethical boundaries for the sake of our
> safety is a *BAD* idea (because making this allowance for ourselves actually
> diminishes our safety because it effectively gives others permission to
> cross this boundary as well -- i.e. not be Friendly), I strongly suspect
> that it *is* formally provable that we cannot be safer than "as safe as
> ethically possible".
>
> It seems obvious in hindsight but it was an epiphany when I realized while
> working on this that it would be highly beneficial to *me* to officially
> declare myself to be a Friendly entity (according to the formulation) since
> doing so was only in my own self-interest. I have done so on the AGI list
> and am doing so again below.
>
> The coolest thing is that I think that the core of these ideas can be
> captured in a single catchy slogan "Friendliness: The Ice-9 of Ethics and
> the Ultimate in Self-Interest". Given the probable existence of
> super-Friendliness, it's a bit of hyperbole but I think that it's fully
> justified to promote the spread of Friendliness (which is in *all* of our
> best interest).
>
> There have been some fun discussions going on through the AGI list (
> http://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now) including a great alien
> contact scenario thread titled 'A Few Questions for "Vladimir, the
> Destroyer"' and I am inviting any and all to take a swing at my strawman
> (just make it a competent swing :-).
>
> = = = = = = = = = =
> The Friendliness Declaration
>
>
> Hi, I'm Mark Waser.
>
> I am hereby declaring myself to be a Friendly entity as of March 12, 2008.
> I have not knowingly/intentionally performed any UnFriendly actions since
> this date.
>
> I have not previously been declared UnFriendly by any declared Friendly
> entity. I have not been requested to put any disputed actions or
> unintentional UnFriendly actions in this declaration by any declared
> Friendly entity.
>
> I am voluntarily undertaking the goals of Friendliness because I
> understand that doing so is in my own best self-interest and is the best way
> to achieve all my other goals.
>
> I am voluntarily undertaking the primary/overriding goal of Friendliness
> as my primary and pre-eminent goal. I understand this goal to be:
>
> Do not act contrary to someone's/anyone's goals unless absolutely
> necessary for the fulfillment of a reasonable/rational personal goal
> (explicitly not including generic sub-goals like money, power, pleasure,
> religion, etc.)
>
> I am voluntarily undertaking the goal of spreading Friendliness and
> assigning it a reasonable priority (i.e. enough to be a net asset to a
> Friendly Society) because I understand that doing so is in my own
> self-interest.
>
> I will act in accordance with these goals according to the rules/laws of
> a Friendly Society included in this declaration. I understand that if I
> knowingly and intentionally act contrary to these rules/laws that I can be
> declared UnFriendly and will need to make another declaration of
> Friendliness including information about the most recent times that I have
> been declared UnFriendly.
>
> I understand that the rules/laws of a Friendly Society include the
> requirement that all statements in this declaration be truthful under
> penalty of having this declaration declared null and void and my being
> declared UnFriendly for attempting to impersonate a Friendly entity.
>
> In particular, I understand that hiding or lying about any UnFriendly
> actions (even if unintentionally or unknowingly performed) is contrary to
> the rules/laws of a Friendly Society. I understand that while I may defend
> myself against unfair charges of UnFriendly actions, I must admit to all
> UnFriendly actions (even if unknowingly and/or intentionally performed) and
> must include all disputed charges in this declaration as requested for a
> reasonable length of time or risk having this declaration declared null and
> void and my being declared UnFriendly.
>
> I understand that the rules/laws of Friendly Society state that declaring
> another entity UnFriendly is, in itself, UnFriendly unless there is
> reasonable cause for doing so, I have executed a reasonable due process, and
> am sure beyond reasonable doubt. I understand that the rules/laws further
> require that I retract any declarations of UnFriendliness if *any*
> reasonable doubt subsequently arises and I must volunteer my most recent
> retractions of UnFriendliness declarations (if any) when asked and in any
> subsequent UnFriendliness declarations.
>
> <signed>
>
>
>
>
> Mark R. Waser
>
>
> Vision/Slogan -- Friendliness: The Ice-9 of Ethics and Ultimate in
> Self-Interest
>
>
>
-- Stefan Pernar 3-E-101 Silver Maple Garden #6 Cai Hong Road, Da Shan Zi Chao Yang District 100015 Beijing P.R. CHINA Mobil: +86 1391 009 1931 Skype: Stefan.Pernar
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