Re: Trans- vs. Non-human

Twirlip of Greymist (phoenix@ugcs.caltech.edu)
Mon, 9 Dec 1996 15:07:35 -0800 (PST)


On Dec 8, 10:39pm, Eliezer Yudkowsky wrote:

} > Super intelligence need not necessarily come with correspond with
} > sophistication of values. Our human experience shows us that.
} I'm not going to go into any more detail, but nobody should be able to
} read that sentence without sensing a possible flaw.

Certainly. Humans obviously have a wider complex of values than
animals. One might well expect entities 'beyond' humans to have even
more complex values which we can't understand -- in fact, that is exactly
part of the strong Singularity.

On the other hand, I have seen no evidence that human geniuses have more
complex values than other humans. Since I maintain that Powers would be
*in principle* on our level, they needn't be any more ethically complex.
Anyway, having complex values doesn't imply being ethical.

} THIS LINE OF THOUGHT IS THE GREATEST KNOWN DANGER TO HUMANITY!

This statement I consider rather extreme, however.

Merry part,
-xx- Damien R. Sullivan X-) <*> http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~phoenix

But 'twas beyond a mortal's share/To wander solitary there:
Two paradises 'twere in one,/To live in Paradise alone.
-- Marvell, "The Garden"