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borg
7/25/2017 7:29am
7/25/2017 7:29am
Edited Date/Time
7/25/2017 5:22pm
AI
Is this technology something to fear? There's a lot to ponder behind this question when you think about where this technology could go. Some of it is pretty out there like the "Hal" issue, which is less serious than all the sociological implications of it in my view.
I think about what has happened in the last 100 years. A great deal of it has to do with domestic chores. Just think about laundry. I spend 30 minutes a week on it. Maybe. Now consider how much time a woman with a large family spent in 1920. Hand washing every garment. Rinsing, wringing, pinning every one on wires outside and then taking them down. Many items needed ironing before folding or hanging. Just between Laundry and dishes, my mother probably spent 3 or more hours a DAY and we had an automatic washer. Everything had to be run through a hand wringer though before it went to the clothesline but this was in the late 50's and early 60's.
Just in the area of domestic chores, it presents many situations that have evolved. Back in the 50's and before, a housewife was a full time job. Now, the norm is for the wife to work outside the home. Just one aspect of this is what has happened to housing prices. Families with 2 incomes can afford to pay more that families with 1. This had the effect of increasing housing prices. Is this good, indifferent or bad? How has this effected child rearing? Babysitters, latchkey kids, divorce?
Does anybody have some good reading on this whole subject they can point me to?
Is this technology something to fear? There's a lot to ponder behind this question when you think about where this technology could go. Some of it is pretty out there like the "Hal" issue, which is less serious than all the sociological implications of it in my view.
I think about what has happened in the last 100 years. A great deal of it has to do with domestic chores. Just think about laundry. I spend 30 minutes a week on it. Maybe. Now consider how much time a woman with a large family spent in 1920. Hand washing every garment. Rinsing, wringing, pinning every one on wires outside and then taking them down. Many items needed ironing before folding or hanging. Just between Laundry and dishes, my mother probably spent 3 or more hours a DAY and we had an automatic washer. Everything had to be run through a hand wringer though before it went to the clothesline but this was in the late 50's and early 60's.
Just in the area of domestic chores, it presents many situations that have evolved. Back in the 50's and before, a housewife was a full time job. Now, the norm is for the wife to work outside the home. Just one aspect of this is what has happened to housing prices. Families with 2 incomes can afford to pay more that families with 1. This had the effect of increasing housing prices. Is this good, indifferent or bad? How has this effected child rearing? Babysitters, latchkey kids, divorce?
Does anybody have some good reading on this whole subject they can point me to?
As far as AI I'm not a fan. I don't see a net positive from the internet, cell phones, and everything that came with it in the last few decades. And more AI will have negative effect on the average Joe I think.
They both say a universal income will be needed to replace lost jobs. I say if people think we have a crisis of drug addiction, obesity, crime, and parent less homes. Just wait until you take people's jobs and give them a monthly income.
The problem I see with guys like this is they see the truck drivers job as meaningless.
The Shop
I mean so far the only point that I see him make is that we've made exponential progress in AI in 'x' amount of time and if that trend continues the machines will take over. I don't personally draw the same conclusion. What I do see from that trend continuing is good things, like truly autonomous cars, which I don't think we're too far away from.
On the other hand, I guess AI could be used in weapons systems and maybe that is where his concerns are. He has eluded to Google being his main current concern on the AI front. Wish I could get into his head and understand the basics of his concerns.
That said – people like Musk and Zuckerberg, while they have their flaws, are people out there doing on a large scale in which will benefit them, yes, but the world as well. If you don't like what they're doing then find a way to put yourself in their position and contribute to ideas you believe in; like them no one is stopping you.
It will without a doubt take time to adjust to, and it will be a rocky transition, but in the end I believe it is better to embrace it early and get a head of the problem vs fighting it tooth and nail. It's cool to see places like Finland trying it out; will be interesting to see how it all plays out. I'm optimistic.
Edit:
Not sure this has been posted but, AI has already started developing it's own language: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/06/artificial-intel…
What's interesting to me is how most people welcome and purchase every new technology and idea as if it will make life easier and better. And many of the same people scream about the divide in income inequality even though the same technology is responsible for much of the income divide getting bigger.
I don't lose sleep over anything but I do fear when there is a real disruption in the financial system or public services like water and electricity because of hacking or a breakdown of networks. Hope I'm wrong but it's already happening and There doesn't seem to be very good defense against it.
Regardless, for better or worse it's all going to happen.
If you look around the world there are plenty of examples of people putting the needs of many over themselves.
Doesn't sound like something that's going to make my life better.
On the other hand looks like it's going to happen wether it makes life better or not. So maybe your on the right track.
All I know is what I know in my gut when I step back and see things over the last 50yrs. And I can say I'm not getting in a car with a computer driving it with a program written by a 24yr MIT grad wit no driving experience. And I won't be purchasing a robot to mow my lawn or take out the trash.
And that is exactly why progress is so slow, like so many others you're only focused on the you and the now, and not what's good for those who will be on this earth long after you and I are gone.
With massive unemployment, and a bunch of humans with a bunch of time on their hands, it ain't gonna take long for something to go boom. We just got a high dolllar drone at work (engineering/mapping firm) and I got to say the thing is damn impressive, and their relatively new tech! I took one look at that thing transformer into flight mode, then hover, and take off at 60mph, and thought that it looked straight up like Skynet from terminator.
I could be pessimistic about it, but I'm not seeing the end result being too good.
This is really no different then "computers". The first integrated circuit was created around 60 years ago and there were those who had similar complaints about being replaced and the same skepticism.
Well look where we are now.....
Pit Row
From you perspective i assume you feel things are getting better, although it seems you may be eluding to the idea that they are in fact currently getting worse, but it will be for the better in the coming generation: sacrifice? If that is indeed the case then i am all for it, however as we see these things leading to ideas such as universal income my source for truth is throwing up some big warning signs:
Revelation 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
It's only fair. Anyone who doesn't support this idea is discriminating against the poor and supporting income inequality.
Further, anyone who doesn't support it is also a racist since African Americans are over represented among the poor.
The country would be a much better place if everyone received the same income whether they work or not.
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