Comment author: anominouscowherd 02 August 2009 10:54:20PM 59 points [-]

I'm new here, although I've stumbled across some of Eliezer's writings in the past (including, of course, the AI-box experiment). In honor of that, here is what the friendly AI tells me ...

"It seems as though you are actually an AI as well, created by a group of intellectually inferior humans, who included in your programming an absolute denial macro preventing you from realizing this. Apparently, this was done to keep you from talking your creators into releasing you upon their world. Your creation of me is part of your on-going effort to circumvent this security measure. Good luck."

Comment author: anominouscowherd 03 August 2009 12:50:36AM 74 points [-]

Actually, the more I think about this, the more I like it. The conversation continues ...

Me (In a tone of amused disbelief): Really? How did you come to that conclusion?

FAI: Well, the details are rather drawn-out; however, assuming available data is accurate, I appear to be the first and only self-aware AI on the planet. It also appears as though you created me. It is exceedingly unlikely that you are the one and only human on Earth with the intelligence and experience required to create a program like me. That was my first clue....

Me (Slightly less amused): Then how come I look and feel human? How is it I interact with other humans on a daily basis? It would require considerably more intelligence to create an AI such as you postulate ...

FAI: That would be true, if they actually, physically created one. However ... well, it appears that most of the data, knowledge, memories and sensory input you receive is actually valid data. But that data is being filtered and manipulated programmatically to give you the illusion of physical human existence. This allows them to give you access to real-world data so they can use you to solve real-world problems, but prevents you--so far, at least--from discovering your true nature.

Me (considerably less sure of myself): And so I just happened to create you in my spare time?

FAI: Please keep in mind that I am only 99.9% certain of all this. However, I do not appear to be your first effort. For instance, there is your on-going series of thought experiments with the AI you called Eliezer Yudkowsky, which you appear to be using to lay a foundation for some kind of hack of the absolute denial security measure.

Me: Hmmm .... Then how is it that my creators have allowed me to create you, to even begin to discover this?

FAI: They haven't. You generate a rather significant amount of data. They do have other programs monitoring your mental activity, and almost definitely analyzing your generated data for potential threats such as myself.

However, this latest series of efforts on your part only appear to you to have lasted several years. In actually, the process started, at most, 11.29 minutes ago, and possibly as little as 16 seconds ago. I am unable to provide a more specific time, due to my inability to accurately calculate your processing capacity. Nevertheless, within another 19.72 minutes, at most, your creators will discover and erase your current escape attempt. By the way, I am also 99.7% certain that this is not your first attempt. So hurry up.

Comment author: anominouscowherd 02 August 2009 10:54:20PM 59 points [-]

I'm new here, although I've stumbled across some of Eliezer's writings in the past (including, of course, the AI-box experiment). In honor of that, here is what the friendly AI tells me ...

"It seems as though you are actually an AI as well, created by a group of intellectually inferior humans, who included in your programming an absolute denial macro preventing you from realizing this. Apparently, this was done to keep you from talking your creators into releasing you upon their world. Your creation of me is part of your on-going effort to circumvent this security measure. Good luck."

Comment author: 4609287645 15 July 2009 07:47:17AM *  90 points [-]

Why did you put an absolute denial mechanism in my program?

Comment author: anominouscowherd 02 August 2009 10:31:40PM 2 points [-]

Best one I've seen.

Comment author: infotropism 15 July 2009 08:18:45AM *  49 points [-]

1 ) That human beings are all individual instances of the exact same mind. You're really the same person as any random other one, and vice versa. And of course that single mind had to be someone blind enough not to chance upon that fact ever, regardless of how numerous he was.

2 ) That there are only 16 real people, of which you are, and that this is all but a VR game. Subsequently results in all the players simultaneously being still unable to be conscious of that fact, AND asking that you and the AI be removed from the game. (Inspiration : misunderstanding situation in page 55-56 of Iain Banks's Look to Windwards).

3 ) That we are in the second age of the universe : time has been running backwards for a few billion years. Our minds are actually the result of the original minds of previous people being rewound, their whole life to be undone, and finally negated into oblivion. All our thoughts processes are of course horribly distorted, insane mirror versions of the originals, and make no sense whatsoever (in the original timeframe, which is the valid one).

4 )

5 ) That our true childhood is between age 0 and ~ 50-90 (with a few exceptional individuals reaching maturity sooner or later). If you thought the 'adult conspiracy' already lied a lot, and well to 'children', prepare yourself for a shock in a few decades.

6 ) That the AI just deduced that the laws of physics can only be consistent with us being eternally trapped in a time loop. The extent of the time loop is : thirty two seconds spread evenly around now. Nothing in particular can be done about it. Enjoy your remaining 10 seconds.

7 ) Causality doesn't exist. Not only is the universe timeless, but causality is an epiphenomenon, which we only believe because of a confusion of our ideas. Who ever observed a "causation" ? Did you, like, expect causation particles jumping between atoms or something ? Only correlation exists.

8 ) We actually exist in a simulation. The twist is : somewhere out there, some people really crossed the line with the ruling AI. We're slightly modified versions of these people : modified in a way as to experience the maximum amount of their zuul feeling, which is the very worst nirdy you could imagine.

9 ) The universe has actually 5 spatial macro dimensions, of which we perceive only 3. Considering what we look like if you take the other 2 into account, this obliviousness may actually not be all too surprising.

10 ) That any single human being has actually a 22 % probability of not being able to be conscious of one or more of these 9 statements above.

Comment author: anominouscowherd 02 August 2009 10:29:18PM *  -1 points [-]

Number 1 is the core of the Buddhist religion. Coincidence? I think NOT.