Longtermism poses a real threat to humanity

https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2023/08/longtermism-threat-humanity

“AI researchers such as Timnit Gebru affirm that longtermism is everywhere in Silicon Valley. The current race to create advanced AI by companies like OpenAI and DeepMind is driven in part by the longtermist ideology. Longtermists believe that if we create a “friendly” AI, it will solve all our problems and usher in a utopia, but if the AI is “misaligned”, it will destroy humanity…”

@technology

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    51 year ago

    There are some seeds there. Llms show that automation will eventually destroy all jobs, and at any time even things we think are unassailable for decades could suddenly find themselves at risk.

    That plants a lot of seeds. Just not the ones the average longtermist wants planted.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      71 year ago

      I think we agree. LLMs and automation in general have a massive labor saving potential, but because of the way our economic systems are structured this could actually lead in the opposite direction of a Utopia instead of toward one as was suggested by the “longtermists” (weird to type that out). The seeds as you suggest are very different than towards the end of conflict and want.