[MURG] The main problem...

Eugen Leitl eugen at leitl.org
Sat Feb 7 13:51:35 EST 2004


On Sat, Feb 07, 2004 at 09:54:48AM -0500, Yan King Yin wrote:

> >If it only was so easy. No wonder Eliezer is so frustrated.
> 
> It's stupid to talk about some threats without being able
> to state clearly what it is, if you can be scared into

I believe I described the threat model envelope adequately. I can paint you far more
specific scenarios, but I fail to see the point. The more specific, the less
probability that that particular scenario becomes relevant.

> buying that stuff I can't help you anymore.

I haven't been "scared into buying this stuff". I've been talking about this stuff
since mid 80's, last century (about the same time I figured out that
immortality won't most likely arrive within my lifetime, that freezing is
thus only viable option, and that molecular circuitry might be good enough 
for uploading -- I completely missed machine-phase nanotechnology until I ran
into Drexler's preprint of "Nanosystems", though). 
 
> What are you going to do? Quit your job and join Eliezer?

Eliezer sees many things accurately, but he has latched upon a specific
gloom-and-doom scenario which inevitability I do not share. Also, his
countermeasure will most probably result in exactly the same thing he's
fearing. Luckily (assuming, I'm not mistaken -- I do not understand the
details of his design, if he has one) his chance for a successful
deployment, resulting in a runaway, is minimal.

Color me an optimist.
 
> =(

-- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a>
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