Artificial Super Intelligence - are we ready for it?

[Stavros]

Stavros, you're sort of hinting around this but I can't tell now from your recent missive that you would prefer to have humans in the cockpit. What do you think of human override by computers if they detect human action that will soon cause the deaths of 100's of people? If such a human override were possible to write into autopilots, it would seem that not only might the germanwings accident have been avoided, but perhaps the 9/11 actions, as well.

Right now no, computers are useful but if the computer that barks at me 'Unexpected item in bagging area' when there is no such item and won't let me leave the store...no, it doesn't give me enough confidence. The solution is in cockpit design, real-time communications between the aeroplane and the nearest air traffic control -real time video streaming?-and safeguards to protect the passengers from loony crews, but is any system of any kind 100% safe?

[trish]

Those of us who are lucky find a lot of psychological support, meaning and self-definition in our jobs. If we don’t find it in our jobs per se we find it in the fact that by having jobs we contribute to the support of our families and the economy of our communities.

There was a time when science enthusiasts naively praised the coming age of leisure which automation will make possible. Imagine a world in which people only have to work a few hours a week. Or not at all. Imagine a world where factories are “manned” by robots and offices are managed by computers and professors are online algorithms. We can devote all our time to the pursuit of art, sport, philosophy, self-improvement and self-governance. Oh, and of course, drugs, sex and serious partying. An entire population immersed within a life of full-time leisure would have to be capable of finding meaning in the pursuit of leisure. Though I’m pretty sure I’m up to it, I think society is not. We do not value leisurely pursuits in the same way we value other pursuits. We think of leisure as a sort of vice. It’s okay in small doses. But a life of leisure is a life (according to the work ethic) not worth living.

Who can see the future? Not me. Possibly automation will relieve all of us from the human labor that used to be required to ensure our survival. The first question we will have to face is: “If you don’t have a job how are to supposed to survive?” We will have to re-evaluate the political prejudices which shape our current economy. We will have to re-evaluate what it is that makes life meaningful. When we all become freeloaders we will have to re-evaluate the value of what freeloaders do.

Even AI’s will have to deal with the problem of self-worth. In Gibson’s Neuromancer the AI known as Wintermute felt incomplete. If I recall (its been a decade since I read it) it wanted to “merge” with Neuromancer. Besides engaging in a lot of nefarious manipulation, Wintermute dealt with its self-perceived inadequacies by constructing found art sculptures in the style of Joseph Cornell.

[martin48]

Deep points, but if we developed super intelligent machines what use would they have for us?

Just as some people push for apes and other animals to be granted human rights, so they will urge robots to be given rights. With rights come obligations - never certain what they are for my pet dog.

When to robots get the right to vote? Have they got to be 21 or over?

Does high AI mean that robots develop personality traits and issues (ah, issues - a characteristic so far limited to the human species)?

Will they become paranoid like Marvin in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

Marvin: "I am at a rough estimate thirty billion times more intelligent than you. Let me give you an example. Think of a number, any number."
Zem: "Er, five."
Marvin: "Wrong. You see?"

[trish]

My guess is that ultimately we'll be doin' all the shit work while the super-intelligent AI's will be drinkin' motor oil martinis, partyin' hardware and spendin' bit coins by the gig on high class ladybots like they goin' out of style.

[martin48]

So, no change then!

My guess is that ultimately we'll be doin' all the shit work while the super-intelligent AI's will be drinkin' motor oil martinis, partyin' hardware and spendin' bit coins by the gig on high class ladybots like they goin' out of style.

[Plaything]

My dog is 'obliged' not to shit in the house.

Otherwise it has the 'right' to long spells of healthy fresh air, and a rewarding outdoors existance.

I concede that I may have drifted off topic...

[martin48]

Drifting off - no problems. Trish and I do it all the time. We'll hijack anything

My dog is 'obliged' not to shit in the house.

Otherwise it has the 'right' to long spells of healthy fresh air, and a rewarding outdoors existance.

I concede that I may have drifted off topic...

[trish]

We'll hijack anything

Homeland Security, NSA and FBI, please be advised: THIS IS NOT TRUE! Martin is only joking. Really. Okay, okay, he did it. It wasn't me. Honest.

[Odelay]

Homeland Security, NSA and FBI, please be advised: THIS IS NOT TRUE! Martin is only joking. Really. Okay, okay, he did it. It wasn't me. Honest.

Right! After today we have one data point that hijacking the NSA is not as easy as it may appear in the movies. On the other hand, infiltrating the White House seems to be easier than what it appears to be in the movies. Go figure.

[martin48]

Well, that's one secret sleeper cell that busted

Homeland Security, NSA and FBI, please be advised: THIS IS NOT TRUE! Martin is only joking. Really. Okay, okay, he did it. It wasn't me. Honest.