[Link] Eric S. Raymond - Me and Less Wrong

philh

http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=6549

I’ve gotten questions from a couple of different quarters recently about my relationship to the the rationalist community around Less Wrong and related blogs. The one sentence answer is that I consider myself a fellow-traveler and ally of that culture, but not really part of it nor particularly wishing to be.

The rest of this post is a slightly longer development of that answer.

http://esr.ibiblio.org/?p=6549

I’ve gotten questions from a couple of different quarters recently about my relationship to the the rationalist community around Less Wrong and related blogs. The one sentence answer is that I consider myself a fellow-traveler and ally of that culture, but not really part of it nor particularly wishing to be.

The rest of this post is a slightly longer development of that answer.

I am not myself particularly concerned with the Friendly AI problem. I think it’s good and necessary that others are working on it, and I’m glad at least one of them is as bright as Eliezer. That makes one less thing for me to worry about.

That doesn't make much sense. It seems pretty obvious that, although he's smart, Eliezer isn't capable of solving Friendly AI single-handedly, and the amount of resources being devoted to it is much smaller than anyone who accepts that UFAI is a threat should want.

Edit: Ok, yes, there exist reasons for Eric Raymond not to devote attention to Friendly AI other than Friendly AI not needing more attention devoted to it.

Unless you think UFAI is a problem so large that all others are irrelevant, there's room for people to work on other problems justifiably.

8drethelin11y

He might share my opinion that it's better that smart people work on things that fascinate them and are important than things that might be more important but they find uninteresting.

12Brillyant11y

I don't think the quote you've chosen indicates the author believes EY is capable of solving FAI single-handedly.

36

[Link] Eric S. Raymond - Me and Less Wrong

36

36

36

[Link] Eric S. Raymond - Me and Less Wrong

36

36