An Open Letter to Steven Pinker on AI
astralcodexten.comI've never really considered the classic Skynet scenario, maybe because I've never watched Terminator.
But I agree with the article, it seems reasonable that when AI has enough factories to sustain itself it just decides to wipe out all the humans.
(I don't know about you all, but I was very worried around GPT-2/3 and I've been grieving since. We've already lost so much with the latest introductions of thinking machines, and it keeps taking, likely it will take our lives soon.)
Bemusing quote from TFA: "I agree that in-person debates are confrontational and bad for truth-seeking. But I didn't propose a debate in order to seek truth. I proposed it because, under California Penal Code § 415(1), it's illegal for me to challenge you to a duel. I think your public writing on this topic has been dishonorable. Out of obligation, I will respond to the meaty arguments that you have set out for me. But what would be viscerally satisfying would be to make you get up on a stage where I read your own words to you in real time and ask 'Really? Really?' after each sentence. Then I could watch you squirm as you try to square your output with your status as one of America's top public intellectuals."
Keep reading. What Scott really wants is
> I want to debate you so I can convert you to Pinkerism. Pinkerism rejects facile non-arguments and cherry-picked fake experts in favor of scientific consensus and rational thinking. It gracefully avoids both fatalist doomerism and dogmatic denialism in favor of confronting problems head-on. I believe that you are fertile soil for conversion to this ideology.