X-Message-Number: 12538
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: more explication of Kurzweil's ideas
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 21:40:32 +1000 (EST)

Hi again!

I will not retract what I've said about Kurzweil's book. Yes, values,
feelings, and purposes ARE different, but human beings have them all,
and especially purposes come out of values and feelings (in the case of
human beings, at least).

The issue ISN'T whether or not some machines might turn out to be very
dangerous. We already know that, nor do those machines have to have
much intelligence at all. Nuclear bombs with a timer attached are
clearly very dangerous, especially if placed in a city --- but no
one would claim they were intelligent.

The issue is whether or not machines which have intelligence and ONLY
intelligence could ever be more than slaves (and yes, some rulers
did grow up slaves, too, to be very dangerous). I am simply pointing
out that they could not. And as slaves, such machines will help us and
there is no problem at all with them taking over (though once more, 
some people USING THEM might try to take over --- but that is again
a different issue). And so with highly intelligent machines we make
ourselves hyperslaves: more obedient than any human slave, and at the
same time more knowledgeable. This looks like it will turn out nicely
(though as with all machines we must use them with some knowledge of
our own).

Anyone on Cryonet (or elsewhere) who wishes to create a highly
intelligent machine which does have values, feelings, and purposes 
could eventually do so. I think they would be highly unwise, but perhaps 
they have a kink in their brains telling them that human beings really
MUST be surpassed and overrun by machines. The longer we live,
the less this possibility seriously worries me. And no doubt, if it
did come to a struggle, it would be a struggle between our slave
machines and other autonomous machines. Like all such struggles, lots
of energy and matter will be spent, and the outcome is far from clear.
But these thoughts have nothing whatever to do with Kurzweil's ideas,
since he did not even discuss purposes, much less their origins.

			Best and long long life to all,

				Thomas Donaldson

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