X-Message-Number: 19751
Date: Sat, 10 Aug 2002 18:30:02 -0400
From: 
Subject: Machine "Desires and Aims"

Thomas Donaldson wrote:
>...it is assumed by those who write about it that
>this great machine intelligence will also come with its own desires
>and aims. It's far from obvious that this is so, especially if we
>simply don't build such a creature.

I'm sorry, but this is not the way things work on our planet.  With the 
existence of persons who have no reluctance whatsoever to take over moving 
vehicles (airplanes, trucks, boats, whatever) and do suicide bombing runs, 
to plant pipe bombs wherever and run, to do ghastly experiments on humans 
(Nazi Germany), to build stockpiles of chemical, biological and nuclear 
warfare agents, and on and on, it is impossible for me to believe that 
someone, somewhere, will *not* "build such a creature."

Some countries will legislate against it, of course, such as some have 
lately misguidedly legislated against things like cryonic suspensions, stem 
cell research, and cloning.  That won't stop underground work, privately 
funded work, or work in countries without such laws.

Along this line, I suggest that anyone who has not yet done so plug 
"singularity" into your search engine, and take a look at the web sites 
actively *promoting* this event and whether they know it or not, the 
consequent obliteration of the human species.  It is sad.

Unfortunately, I don't see any eventual solution to this problem.  I can 
only suggest that all keep eyes open, and have "hunker down" plans in place 
for when it hits.  (As for what "it" is, my best guess would be attempted 
deprival of food, water, air, and other necessities for human existence.)

Unless, of course, you are just itching to be "assimilated" - sorry, the 
Borg are not going to visit you; they are fictional creatures - but 
wouldn't you like to just go and join some nice Eastern religion whose 
ultimate aim is to "become one" with nothingness, and leave the rest of us 
alone to enjoy our real lives?  Thank you.

And those of the Judeo-Christian-etc. slant who think that "God" will help 
them may have a wakeup call coming -- there is a good possibility that any 
such "gods" that do exist are the product of singularities from other 
planets in the universe, and are unlikely to be very sympathetic to humans 
who would prefer to stay just about the same way we were.  They might as 
well be considered part of the enemy right along with those intelligent 
machines with their own desires and aims.

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