Re: IA vs. AI was: Longevity vs. Singlularity

paul@i2.to
29 Jul 1999 13:51:33 -0700

Max More wrote:

>Why should SI's see turning humans into uploads as competition in any sense
>that harms them? It would just mean more persons with whom to have
>productive exchanges.

I agree. Why waste the benefits of diversity and *unique* informational structures (us) in the sole pursuit of more raw materials for computronium? However one must consider that it might be more efficient for them to deconstruct us using a destructive upload, and use our informational strucutures for their convenience rather than ours? The benifts could be equal as far as they are concerned - yet for us it is either our extinction as individuals or at the very least our utter mental enslavement. I'm not willing to risk my life on the hope that SI are benevolent in exactly the way I want them to be. Regardless of anything else, thats a completely reckless attitue towards our future.

> While uploads and SI's may not have any inevitable desire
>to wipe us out, some might well want to, and I agree that it
>makes sense to deal with that from a position of strength.

I agree with this sentiment completely, but what could this position of strength possibly be? That *is* the $1 million dollar question. IMHO the answer is our own Intelligence Augmentation. But as Eli and others are claiming AI will always be ahead of IA unless they *are* benevolent.

I would really like to hear your thoughts on this Max.

Paul Hughes