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Better late than never
#15
Quote:Why do you think that way about AIs? 


Because they're not human. They don't share ancestry with any living creature. There's no reason why a supercomputer that somehow became self-aware would anything in common with us, not even the most basic of emotions. Why would a being whose ancestry hasn't included the evolutionary pressure of needing to cooperate to survive have empathy? Being able to model human minds in great detail doesn't count, because there's a world of difference between being able to predict that someone will feel a certain way and actually feeling that way yourself.

It would be like if a nest of ants or an earthworm somehow became more intelligent than a human being. For all we know, their mindset might be so alien they might not even realise humans are sentient. It's not that I think that AI would be evil, more like they might not even have the most basic curiosity about their fellow beings, and would inadvertently trample over anything that got in their way.

In other words, I understand that the AI are benevolent because the OA authors chose to write them that way, but I don't think it would work out like that in real life. I found it baffling that the setting even included Pro-Human AIs. Once the first AIs hit S1, they'd see humans like the dumb animals we are and not as people, because compared to S1 beings we really aren't people.


Quote:Its sort of a variant of that question about 'why does the universe operate in a way that is conducive to human beings evolving?' with one answer being - 'Because if it didn't we wouldn't be around to ask the question.'

A good way to summarise my perspective on the setting is that if the Singularity ever happens in real life, then we won't be around to ask that question, or not for long at any rate.

I believe there's far more ways intelligent life can develop than what we're used to, like the way a crocodile or a shark views the world. Those animals get by just fine as remorseless killers. Why would an AI resemble us more than them? Changes are we'll have developed AI to solve abstract mathematical problems or track the trajectory of hurricanes, not to understand and show compassion. Russia has a supercomputer dedicated to modelling war scenarios. Who knows what could come of a senient AI developed for that same purpose?


Quote:Anyway, as you say, not everyone views the setting the same way, nor do they need to. But it's interesting to see where different people are coming from re their different views of the setting.

Really? I seem to aggravate people when I try to explain my views on the setting. I didn't intend for this to turn into an argument, but if no one's bothered by it than it's all well and good. I'm not pooh-poohing the OA universe or claiming the editorial direction is wrong or anything.

Incidentally, mindkind really dodged a bullet with the emergence of GAIA. Given how risky ascending tends to be, it would have been an unmitigated catastrophe if she'd turned into a Perversity. Imagine a GAIA that evicted humanity from the Solary System, then went after our colonies to stop us wrecking any Garden Worlds we found...
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Messages In This Thread
Better late than never - by extherian - 03-19-2018, 10:06 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Rynn - 03-19-2018, 11:46 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Drashner1 - 03-20-2018, 02:52 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-20-2018, 05:46 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Rynn - 03-20-2018, 06:02 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Drashner1 - 03-20-2018, 02:07 PM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-20-2018, 06:40 AM
RE: Better late than never - by ProxCenBound - 03-20-2018, 07:45 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-20-2018, 07:15 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Vaktus - 03-21-2018, 02:56 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Rynn - 03-21-2018, 04:32 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-21-2018, 04:58 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Tengu459 - 03-21-2018, 04:30 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Drashner1 - 03-21-2018, 05:09 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-21-2018, 07:17 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Drashner1 - 03-21-2018, 08:53 AM
RE: Better late than never - by ProxCenBound - 03-21-2018, 08:56 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-21-2018, 09:49 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Drashner1 - 03-21-2018, 12:56 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Tengu459 - 03-21-2018, 10:40 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-21-2018, 10:50 AM
RE: Better late than never - by QwertyYerty - 03-21-2018, 12:24 PM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-21-2018, 07:17 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Tengu459 - 03-22-2018, 08:14 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-22-2018, 09:10 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Tengu459 - 03-22-2018, 11:09 AM
RE: Better late than never - by JohnnyYesterday - 03-23-2018, 06:20 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Drashner1 - 03-23-2018, 01:08 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Alphadon - 03-24-2018, 04:20 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Tengu459 - 03-24-2018, 07:08 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Alphadon - 03-24-2018, 07:38 PM
RE: Better late than never - by Drashner1 - 03-24-2018, 11:05 PM
RE: Better late than never - by selden - 03-25-2018, 12:29 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-25-2018, 12:41 AM
RE: Better late than never - by selden - 03-25-2018, 12:45 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Alphadon - 03-25-2018, 04:56 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Rynn - 03-25-2018, 05:13 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-25-2018, 05:50 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Rynn - 03-25-2018, 05:58 AM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-25-2018, 06:45 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Drashner1 - 03-25-2018, 07:50 AM
RE: Better late than never - by Alphadon - 03-25-2018, 05:27 PM
RE: Better late than never - by extherian - 03-25-2018, 08:51 PM

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