We need to cut all funding to R&D......

mortifiedpenguin · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 15, 2004 Posts: 119

.....and put those funds into AI technology.

Quite simply, humans suck. We are offline about 7-8 hours when we sleep, we complain all the time, we constantly need food and water, we're not that strong, we get sick......lots of flaws. You won't find any of these problems with robots. All they need is electricity and they'll work without complaining.

So my idea is to build a superintelligent AI to figure out new technologies for us. It makes sense. Obviously, computers can hold a hell of a lot more information than we can. And obviously they can learn a hell of a lot faster than we can. And obviously if we built a superintelligent AI, it could figure out fusion, cures for diseases, and the like.

The only possible problem (aside from actually creating this AI) is that it will get out of control and try to take over the world, in an I, Robot scenario. Simple- don't give it access to anything. Just build it to learn. Don't give it control over power, water, military, etc. If it does manage to do this, just build some sort of device that would shut it off.

Thoughts? Comments?

RonMN · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:58 pm Post subject:

let's build that "shut off device" FIRST! Laughing

ever hear of the grey-goo scenerio?

ThinkGeek · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:35 pm Post subject:

lol, gray goo! Shock

They're eating all of our precious carbon!
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BorneoRagnarok · Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 6:36 pm Post subject:

Are you involve in Computer Science ?
Almost all the AI projects and research end up in failures.
In the 1980's Japanese scientist try to create AI but they failed.

And of course, that includes hot fusion too.
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GD · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 8:35 am Post subject:

(I'm no expert, but) I believe the biggest problem with AI is "common sense", which may not be possible without an organic brain.
(Yes it is being worked on.)
No amount of processing speed, memory and learning algorithms can make up what a real brain can.

IMO this idea belongs in the SF books because:
1) It is most likely impossible.
2) We don't have the time wrt PO.

Our money is best put into transforming our society to a sustainable one, using proven methods (a lot of re-educating and rebuilding to be done!) to avert a massive die-off. Then moving forward from there.
Right now I'm not worried about being replaced by a star trek "data".
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sjn · Posted: Wed Apr 06, 2005 9:03 am Post subject:

I'm not an expert in AI either, though I have read quite a bit on the subject. I am somewhat an IT expert though so I'm not entirely talking out of my *rse.. Wink

Yes, "common sense" or rather evolved neural structures are likely the biggest issue. Nature has had millions upon millions of years to work out the nuances of emergent consciousness. That said, if it's been done once it can be done again, and it could happen quickly. Current supercomputers may be sufficiently powerful for a rudementary intelligence, maybe. Brains are very sophisticated pieces of hardware.. Also it probably doesn't help much to try to replicate a human mind in an AI, it is just too different.

I'm not counting on this to save us. In fact I believe there are too many of us to save. We don't need a super intelligent AI to tell us that. Sad

anomaly · Coal Joined: Apr 04, 2005 Posts: 14

I think it would be very counterproductive to cut all R&D funding to focus on an AI project that could take thousands of years, if it is even possible. I find it much more likely that we can discover solutions to our problems faster than we could build the ultimate robot that could do everything.

That being said, I think our R&D funds are being completely wasted in the wrong areas... It is simply beyond me why we don't put more money into technologies such as Nuclear Fusion. I think it is much more likely(and safe, for that matter) that we could develop and use fusion to solve the world's energy problem (as opposed to building the ultimate robot and waiting for it to come up with the solution).

Keith_McClary

Keith_McClary · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 1:57 am Post subject:

katkinkate · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 2:27 am Post subject:

This has already been done. The answer is 42. Cool

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lowem · Posted: Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:35 am Post subject:

Hell yeah, let's build SkyNet, and give it control of all the ICBM's ... Laughing

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tmazanec1 · Heavy Crude Joined: Oct 12, 2004 Posts: 424

My vote is for molecular nanotechnology and molecular manufacturing. That at least has a prayer of being developed in time to avert the new Dark Age (though probably not in time to avert the next Great Depression).