The Medium article answers the questions I posed earlier in the thread. This is pretty exciting and it seems to have a lot of good people involved already.
On Sun, Dec 13, 2015 at 12:11 PM, Ben Kapp <[email protected]> wrote: > "Our goal is to advance digital intelligence in the way that is most > likely to *benefit humanity* as a whole, unconstrained by a need to > generate financial return ... Since our research is free from financial > obligations, we can better focus on a *positive* *human impact*." > https://openai.com/blog/introducing-openai/ > > > So their mission is (to put it simply) to attempt to push AGI research > towards a positive outcome. > > "The outcome of this venture is *uncertain* and the work is difficult, > but we believe the goal and the structure are right. We hope this is what > matters most to the best in the field." > https://openai.com/blog/introducing-openai/ > > > So it seems they themselves are uncertain as to the outcome of their > venture. > > "It's hard to fathom how much human-level AI could benefit society, and > it's equally hard to imagine how much it could damage society if built or > used incorrectly. Because of AI's surprising history, it's hard to predict > when human-level AI might come within reach. When it does, it'll be > important to have a leading research institution which can prioritize *a > good outcome for all *over its own self-interest" > https://openai.com/blog/introducing-openai/ > > > So they seem to believe that if AI was created by a for profit company > then that company would use that AI for their own self-interest, where as > if you have an organization (like OpenAI) which is free > from financial obligations then such an organization would be free to > create AI for the betterment of all of mankind. > > > "If I’m Dr. Evil and I use it, won’t you be empowering me? > Musk: I think that’s an excellent question and it’s something that we > debated quite a bit. > Altman: There are a few different thoughts about this. Just like humans > protect against Dr. Evil by the fact that most humans are good, and the > collective force of humanity can contain the bad elements, we think its far > more likely that *many, many AIs, will work to stop the occasional bad > actors* than the idea that there is a single AI a billion times more > powerful than anything else. If that one thing goes off the rails or if Dr. > Evil gets that one thing and there is nothing to counteract it, then we’re > really in a bad place." > > https://medium.com/backchannel/how-elon-musk-and-y-combinator-plan-to-stop-computers-from-taking-over-17e0e27dd02a#.aojim3ery > > > Their rationale for making this openly available, is the belief that doing > so would result in many AGI's which would compete with each other and in > this way provide protection from one single super intelligence from taking > over. > > > On Sun, Dec 13, 2015 at 2:52 PM, Robert Levy <[email protected]> wrote: > >> I didn't get the impression that Musk was anti-AGI, but rather he >> expressed some unfortunately worded concerns about the specific way in >> which AGI is approached being important. From this perspective it makes >> perfect sense that he would want to direct the course of AGI development in >> the way he believes to be safe for the future of humankind. The problem >> isn't AGI itself, it's the way those other people might do it, who aren't >> me! >> >> On Sun, Dec 13, 2015 at 11:46 AM, Steve Richfield < >> [email protected]> wrote: >> >>> HI all, >>> >>> Am I missing something here, or is this really as stupid as it sounds?!!! >>> >>> On the one hand, Musk says that AI is "humanity greatest existential >>> threat" and then he pledges money to develop that threat?!!! Bad guys, e.g. >>> the military industrial complex, can simply take whatever OpenAI develops >>> and turn it on US. >>> >>> I have seen NOTHING suggesting any great value in AGI over fully funding >>> human efforts in the same areas that AGI is being promoted. Geniuses have >>> always been able to get to the bottom of things - IF they can live well >>> while doing so and not be impaired by competing interests. If you think AGI >>> can somehow sidestep these influences, think again, as these influences are >>> pervasive. Heck, even just living as we do is seen by some people as being >>> SO much of a threat that they are willing to kill themselves just to impair >>> a pleasant Friday evening in Paris. >>> >>> If not for drug company influence, I believe most chronic illnesses >>> would have been cured long ago. If not for self-serving mismanagement of >>> our economy, space travel would now be as routine as vacation travel. >>> Thorium reactors appear to be the cheap and simple solution to limitless >>> energy, with more thorium now being discarded than would be necessary to >>> power the world, yet special interests have kept thorium reactors from >>> being developed (see YouTube videos about this) >>> >>> Our system is SO mis-controlled "our" government won't even reduce the >>> length of a workweek to promote full employment - as some other countries >>> have done. Having an AGI come up with these same sorts of solutions would >>> be of ZERO value, because in present human society they would NOT be >>> implementable, unless you are contemplating the AGI of *Colossus, the >>> Forbin Project*. >>> >>> ONLY in the hands of unscrupulous entities (e.g. Skynet) could the AGI >>> of people's misguided dreams truly thrive without effective impairment by >>> the entirety of humanity. >>> >>> If these guys see SOME way their investments could do anything but >>> create humanity's greatest existential threat, then PLEASE let me in on the >>> secret. >>> >>> *Steve* >>> ======= >>> >>> On Sun, Dec 13, 2015 at 5:49 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>>> http://futurism.com/links/19499/ >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> >>>> <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/10443978-6f4c28ac> | >>>> Modify <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> Your Subscription >>>> <http://www.listbox.com> >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Full employment can be had with the stoke of a pen. Simply institute a >>> six hour workday. That will easily create enough new jobs to bring back >>> full employment. >>> >>> *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> >>> <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/18769370-bddcdfdc> | >>> Modify <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> Your Subscription >>> <http://www.listbox.com> >>> >> >> *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> >> <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/26973278-698fd9ee> | >> Modify <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> Your Subscription >> <http://www.listbox.com> >> > > *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> > <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/18769370-bddcdfdc> | > Modify > <https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;> > Your Subscription <http://www.listbox.com> > ------------------------------------------- AGI Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/21088071-f452e424 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=21088071&id_secret=21088071-58d57657 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
