DrMasonator t1_j8o4bb2 wrote on February 15, 2023 at 7:08 PM

Reply to comment by wastedtime32 in What will the singularity mean? Why are we persuing it? by wastedtime32

To preface - that has nothing to do with schizophrenia. Schizophrenia involves episodes of psychosis and hysteria (which I don’t believe my guy u/just-a-dreamer- was experiencing). The coolest part about life is that you can assign whatever meaning you want to it. You shouldn’t want that meaning to be handed to you in silver platter.

I would argue right now you’re upset in part because it HAS been handed to you your whole life and you now find yourself grasping for a reason to keep it that way. You (probably) believe that your meaning comes from the path of working, raising a family, having some friends along the way, and then dying near loved ones somewhere around the age of 80 after a life of hard work. Maybe you’re super into service too, maybe that’s where you find your meaning.

In the end, none of that matters. The only reason it ever mattered to you was because you were told that it matters - be it through instinct or your peers and teachers. There is not necessarily a logical reason we must have the meaning granted to us be out final goal. Maybe, per chance, you enjoy collecting cards. Maybe that is what gives you meaning, collecting the best cards you can find. If that’s the case, that’s awesome! Some might judge you for it or call you strange, but who cares!? You found your own meaning. When the whole world is your playground, might as well make the best of it, no? I know some people like working, and they can continue doing so in a post scarcity world. I know many people who don’t like working - note their time is free to do whatever!

It’s that change in perspective which is essential to understand why this is a good thing. We’re not soulless or devoid of ethics or morality, we’re just normal people who want something better.

wastedtime32 OP t1_j8oz15b wrote on February 15, 2023 at 10:23 PM

Fair assessment, but no I was not conditioned to value those things. Quite the opposite. I have grown to become a deontological thinker. To “think like a mountain” as Leopold put it. I see the interconnectedness of all things (scientifically not mystically) and have not been convinced (yet) that we as humans have the capacity to overwill the premise of nature. I like progress. But tactical, logical, and beneficiary progress. Financial incentive is at the very heart of the push for AI right now, there’s no way around it. I am not convinced that the desire for this particular future is not corrupted by the arbitrary notions of our current societal structures. The idea that this is natural progress comes from the assumption that progress as a product of market competition parallels the inevitable progress of species. I don’t think this is true. We have the capacity as humans to be self aware. This is a gift that could mean we collectively decide to moderate our progress for the benefit of all people.

I guess what I’m getting at is, as long as these innovations are coming from massive private tech firms, I don’t trust their motives. The idea that this system we’ve created perfectly distributes money to those who best abide by the natural forces of the world is silly to me. It’s a coping mechanism for people who want to see certain changes for a certain future, without acknowledging the world as it is today isn’t ready to morph into that future.