Re: Why Not Planet of the Apes?

Robin Hanson (hanson@hss.caltech.edu)
Mon, 9 Jun 1997 13:40:48 -0700 (PDT)


"Erik M?ller" writes:
>Not doing simple jobs should be the work of apes, for what motivation
>should they have? If I was an ape, I would prefer getting my bananas for
>free to having to brush the streets for them. Instead a continous
>learning process for apes, including the use of computers and the
>internet, could make humanity evolve into a multi-racial environment.

Sure they might work their way up the job ladder, but now they aren't
even on it, so that's where to focus initial attention. Of course
most of us prefer free stuff to working, but the niche for that is
pretty small and fragile. Apes should prefer to work for the same
reason we do, because that's the only realistic way they can grow and
thrive.

Robin D. Hanson hanson@hss.caltech.edu http://hss.caltech.edu/~hanson/