Re: Singularity awareness

From: Mary Tobias (mariet@got.net)
Date: Fri Jun 02 2006 - 00:06:38 MDT


Michael Vassar wrote:

> I strongly agree. that knowledge of the singularity becoming public is
> an existential risk, but I would worry more about a governmental race
> to UFAI or to strong MNT as the mode of destruction. Oh yes, and the
> possibility of fanatics killing those few people who could plausibly
> enable FAI to happen first. I think that the singularity is already
> too high profile for my tastes, though there is a trade-off between
> awareness and the difficulty of recruiting FAI researchers.

What of those who have trillions of dollars invested in the status quo,
people with intrenched interests in having the world continue on exactly
the way it's currently going? I am personally much more concerned that
global governments and the industries that control them (and just to be
clear, those interests are not pointed in the direction of the greater
good or human advancement) are systematically shutting down the very
structures required to take humanity to the next level. With the recent
decision sealed by the new supreme court, Justice Alito espoused that
"Government employees cannot expect the right, or to have ability to
practice the First Amendment..." in effect government should be opaque
to the public, and anyone who tries to penetrate that obfuscation,
should be considered at least a security risk and possibly a terrorist.

Before we can even begin to seriously address the critical conditions
necessary to create any kind of transcendental AI or even a pervasive
global technocracy, we may well first have to address the human
propensity for totalitarianism, fascism, sociopathy, superstition and
genocide. A world where only a tiny handful of obscenely weathy people,
using the fruits of technology to enslave and control the greater masses
will never achieve the end we envision or hope for... those in power
will never allow a run-away intelligence to be born let alone exist.
That would certainly be the beginning of the end of their control.



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