RE: Augmenting humans is a better way

From: Gordon Worley (redbird@rbisland.cx)
Date: Sat Jul 28 2001 - 12:34:35 MDT


At 8:31 AM -0400 7/28/01, Ben Goertzel wrote:
>Frankly, although I think it's unlikely, I would *much* rather see the first
>real AI created by Hugo, who is basically a sweet guy who has thought deeply
>about the philosophical ramifications of AI, than by oh, say, a US military
>AI lab.... I don't think that mild-mannered eccentric scientists are our
>greatest worry by any means.

Actually, they could be our greatest worry. For example, let's say
in five years we have the basic core for AI developed (I'm thinking
back to when you, Ben, mentioned that WM has a core of about 200
lines of code that make the whole thing work) and it works well. At
the same time, Eli hasn't finished the Friendliness module yet (let's
say it's version 0.9 and may still have a bug or two and is clearly
marked as not ready for production use yet). Now, some "sweet guy"
who is a "mild-mannered eccentric" gets ahold of both and wants to do
an AI project on his own just for fun. Well, if he's not careful, we
could all be hosed. Ergo, it is key that the really important code
for AI be kept out of the hands of all but a few qualified people who
really know how to use it. At all times, such code should be under a
red button if you will, so it can be destroyed easily if it looks
like the wrong people might get ahold of it (by the wrong people I
mean ignorant, well-meaning researchers and evil corporations and
governments).

-- 
Gordon Worley                     `When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty
http://www.rbisland.cx/            said, `it means just what I choose
redbird@rbisland.cx                it to mean--neither more nor less.'
PGP:  0xBBD3B003                                  --Lewis Carroll


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