NancyLebovitz comments on "Stupid" questions thread - Less Wrong

40 Post author: gothgirl420666 13 July 2013 02:42AM

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Comment author: NancyLebovitz 13 July 2013 05:38:35PM 6 points [-]

There's a third alternative, though it's quite unattractive: damaging civilization to the point that AI is impossible.

Comment author: Jonathan_Graehl 16 July 2013 06:37:25AM 0 points [-]

Given that out of billions, a few with extremely weird brains are likely to see evil-AI risk as nigh.

One of them is bound to push the red button way before I or anyone else would reach for it.

So I hope red technology-resetting buttons don't become widely available.

This suggests a principle: I have a duty to be conservative in my own destroy-the-world-to-save-it projects :)

Comment author: timtyler 14 July 2013 11:36:29AM -1 points [-]

Isn't that already covered by option b?

Comment author: arborealhominid 14 July 2013 12:09:07AM -1 points [-]

And there are, in fact, several people proposing this as a solution to other anthropogenic existential risks. Here's one example.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 14 July 2013 02:07:42AM *  3 points [-]

I would like to think that people who have the answer for each question in their FAQ open in a new tab aren't competent enough to do much of anything. This is probably wishful thinking.

Just to mention a science fiction handling.... John Barnes' Daybreak books. I think the books are uneven, but the presentation of civilization-wrecking as an internet artifact is rather plausible.

Comment author: hairyfigment 14 July 2013 06:06:46AM 0 points [-]

Not only that, they're talking about damaging civilization and they have an online FAQ in the first place. They fail Slytherin forever.

Comment author: Viliam_Bur 14 July 2013 11:49:34AM *  2 points [-]

My model of humans says that some people will read their page, become impressed and join them. I don't know how much, but I think that the only thing that stops millions of people from joining them is that there already are thousands of crazy ideas out there competing with each other, so the crazy people remain divided.

Also, the website connects destroying civilization with many successful applause lights. (Actually, it seems to me like a coherent extrapolation of them; although that could be just my mindkilling speaking.) That should make it easier to get dedicated followers.

Destroying civilization is too big goal for them, but they could make some serious local damage.

Comment author: hairyfigment 14 July 2013 08:29:34PM -1 points [-]

My model of humans says that some people will read their page, become impressed and join them

And my model of the government says this has negative expected value overall.

Comment author: D_Malik 15 July 2013 10:53:16PM 1 point [-]

An example of this: the Earth Liberation Front and Animal Liberation Front got mostly dismantled by CIA infiltrators as soon as they started getting media attention.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 14 July 2013 01:35:18PM 1 point [-]

Our standards for Slytherin may be too high.

Comment author: hairyfigment 14 July 2013 08:28:58PM -2 points [-]

I don't get it. None of us here set the standards, unless certain donors have way more connections than I think they do.

Comment author: NancyLebovitz 15 July 2013 04:48:26AM 2 points [-]

You're the one who mentioned failing Slytherin forever.

My actual belief is that people don't have to be ideally meticulous to do a lot of damage.