Matt_Simpson comments on Attention Less Wrong: We need an FAQ - Less Wrong

11 Post author: Kevin 27 April 2010 10:06AM

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Comment author: Matt_Simpson 28 April 2010 10:22:04PM *  1 point [-]

ETA: CEV, perhaps?

Is CEV even an ethical theory? I thought it was more of an algorithm for extracting human preferences to put them in an AI.

Comment author: thomblake 29 April 2010 12:33:03PM 0 points [-]

Surely it's a de facto ethical theory, since it determines entirely what the FAI should do. But then, the FAI is not supposed to be a person, so that might make a difference for our use of 'ethical'.

Comment author: Matt_Simpson 29 April 2010 01:23:43PM 0 points [-]

hmm. Then wouldn't it be premised on subjective relativism? (relative to humans)

Comment author: thomblake 29 April 2010 01:45:57PM 0 points [-]

Yes, I'd considered that when I wrote it, but it's an odd use of 'relative' when it might be equivalent to 'the same for everyone'.

Comment author: Matt_Simpson 29 April 2010 01:57:55PM *  0 points [-]

not all possible minds, just human minds

EDIT: but if you thought all possible minds had the same preferences, then it would be subjective nonrelative, wouldn't it?

Comment author: thomblake 29 April 2010 02:08:37PM 0 points [-]

EDIT: but if you thought all possible minds had the same preferences, then it would be subjective nonrelative, wouldn't it?

Maybe, though in that unlikely event I would suspect that there's some universal law behind that odd fact about preferences, in which case I'd think it would be objective.

Comment author: thomblake 29 April 2010 02:00:01PM 0 points [-]

Well I'm not sure we need to consider merely logically possible minds, and it's logically possible that non-human minds are physically impossible.

Comment author: RobinZ 29 April 2010 02:19:04PM 0 points [-]

Only in the sense that it logically possible that travel to Mars is physically impossible. The wording is deceptive.

Comment author: thomblake 29 April 2010 02:41:11PM 0 points [-]

I'm not sure what sense you're referring to, or what you're comparing it to, or how it's deceptive.

Comment author: RobinZ 29 April 2010 02:46:39PM *  0 points [-]
Comment author: thomblake 29 April 2010 03:10:47PM 0 points [-]

I'm afraid that wasn't enough to clear it up for me. Nor is it clear how privileging the hypothesis is relevant to a discussion of logical possibility. Or are you claiming that was the wrong domain of inquiry?