AI is eating the world. How long until it becomes self-aware?
Ted Schaefer
13 replies
Bonus questions:
* What is your criteria for an AI to deserve rights, like a human?
* When AI is sapient, should it be emancipated?
Replies
Ted Schaefer@sixbangs
Albert
my guess is that OpenAI or Anthropic already have self-aware AI.
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Macula
Nice question! Not sure if we're there yet, but at the given speed it's fairly certain we'll be there before 2030.
As for the question of rights, generally speaking, sentience, consciousness (i.e. self-awareness), and the ability to experience suffering should be sufficient criteria to meet. But the struggle for equality is known to take time. So the horizon for emancipation to happen (if ever) would be much, much longer.
To start answering these kinds of questions I think looking into science fiction is a good starting point. After all, in order to create something, first we need to imagine it. And I'd say Iain M. Banks certainly did a great job imagining it.
Albert
@eltairovy great points, and agreed. unfortunately i don't think humanity is ready for this, and our descendants will remember the next few decades with disappointment - a time when we could have done the right thing, and largely failed.
i haven't read any of Iain M. Banks' works yet - what do you recommend?
Macula
@sixbangs Culture series. There are 10 books in total, all set in a utopian, advanced space society where resource scarcity is a thing of the past. They have superintelligent Minds (superior AIs) that are an essential part of the Culture society and harmoniously coexist with bio-lifeforms.
If you are into sci-fi, I honestly can't recommend this enough! :D
Albert
@eltairovy updating my reading list, can't wait! thanks!
Notta Showcase
I think in ten years.
this year
its already eat whole world
I remember reading about how mathematicians once feared calculators would end their careers, a sentiment that reminds me of today's concerns about AI. Those who learn to use and work with AI will find it beneficial. I believe the future, likely between the 30s and 50s, will be very different from our current time, though not in a science fiction sense.
Albert
Motiff
AI's journey towards self-awareness is more a philosophical question than a technological inevitability. The timeline is uncertain, but the impact on society and ethics warrants deep, ongoing discussion.
Motiff
AI's journey towards self-awareness is more about ethical boundaries and technological advancements than a fixed timeline. It's crucial we navigate this path responsibly, ensuring AI serves humanity, not the other way around.