Bernie sounds crazy to me. On Fri, Sep 25, 2026 at 6:07 PM Rob Freeman <[email protected]> wrote:
> On Sat, Sep 26, 2026 at 1:25 AM Matt Mahoney <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > > Bernie Sanders introduced a bill to permanently ban artificial super > intelligence, defined as > > "a system that exceeds human cognitive ability or has sufficient > capabilities to plan and > > execute the destruction or disempowerment of humanity". > > An entity already exists that "has sufficient capabilities to plan and > execute the destruction or disempowerment of humanity". It's called > humanity. > > The only solution to that danger, is not a permanent ban on computer > technology. But a permanent ban on any form of new scientific > discovery, period. Which by its nature can have unknown consequences. > Research into health can be used to kill. Research into energy, the > bomb. Who can say but that research into black holes might not create > one, and swallow us all up. > > Knowledge is just too dangerous in the hands of unchained primates. > > Our only safety lies in permanent control by an oppressive central > authority which will punish all curiosity. Endless stasis. Or even > regression to an agricultural state. One in which our current energy > technology does not slowly kill us through global warming. Or our > current biological technology through viruses. Or chemistry consume us > all in an encroaching "grey goo", runaway chemical reaction. > > Or we can seek greater intelligence to anticipate dangers. Safety in > variety. For each example of malice a counter example of benevolence. > Anticipating and counteracting. Fighting fire with fire. As has been > our only defense against species extinction from our existing state of > power over our environment, for some years now. > > Computers are a lot safer than humans in control of ever more powerful > technology. Because humans have malice. Up to us if we are stupid > enough to program malice into computers. There's no reason why they > should develop it on their own. Unless perhaps we give them a survival > imperative. But things like a survival imperative are very > idiosyncratic to humans. Who are the main risk. The main risk of > computers is their continuing stupidity. The paper clip maximizer. > Good intent, with unexpected bad consequences. And the best defense > against that is a variety of computers, identifying unexpected > consequences as they occur, and mitigating both the accidental harms > of computer stupidity, and whatever unexpected consequences humans > manage to mess up on our own. > > -Rob ------------------------------------------ Artificial General Intelligence List: AGI Permalink: https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/T8d5b2f4ea82b5542-M7be964f7e0bfa42fc5991ee6 Delivery options: https://agi.topicbox.com/groups/agi/subscription
