paper-machine comments on Tool for maximizing paperclips vs a paperclip maximizer - Less Wrong

3 Post author: private_messaging 12 May 2012 07:38AM

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Comment author: [deleted] 15 May 2012 12:42:34AM 1 point [-]

If not even humans satisfy your definition of agent (which was, at least a couple comments ago, a tool possessing "real world intentionality"), then why is your version of the tool/agent distinction worthwhile?

Comment author: asr 15 May 2012 01:22:10AM 0 points [-]

My impression is that the tool/agent distinction is really about whether we use the social-modeling parts of our brain. It's a question not about the world as much as about what's a fruitful outlook. Modeling humans as humans works well -- we are wired for this. Anthropomorphizing the desires of software or robots is only sometimes useful.