XiXiDu comments on Our Phyg Is Not Exclusive Enough - Less Wrong

25 [deleted] 14 April 2012 09:08PM

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Comment author: XiXiDu 15 April 2012 11:17:49AM 0 points [-]

You run a high risk of fooling yourself and then causing your audience to fool themselves too. This is especially the case in mathematical physics.

What reason do I have to believe that this risk isn't even stronger when it comes to AI?

Comment author: Alsadius 15 April 2012 06:10:52PM 0 points [-]

What, you mean the part where we're discussing a field that's still highly theoretical, with no actual empirical evidence whatsoever, and then determining that it is definitely the biggest threat to humanity imaginable and that anyone who doesn't acknowledge that is a fool?

Comment author: ciphergoth 16 April 2012 09:56:27AM 2 points [-]

and that anyone who doesn't acknowledge that is a fool?

This is one of the classic straw men, adaptable to any purpose.

Comment author: Alsadius 16 April 2012 11:33:52AM 0 points [-]

Mockery is generally rather adaptable, yes.

Comment author: David_Gerard 15 April 2012 12:40:49PM 0 points [-]

It's not clear how to compare said risk - "quantum" is far more widely abused - but the creationist AI researcher suggests AI may be severely prone to the problem. Particularly as humans are predisposed to think of minds as ontologically basic, therefore pretty simple, therefore something they can have a meaningful opinion on, regardless of the evidence to the contrary.