From newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!psych.toronto.edu!michael Tue May 12 15:50:25 EDT 1992
Article 5558 of comp.ai.philosophy:
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Path: newshub.ccs.yorku.ca!ists!helios.physics.utoronto.ca!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!psych.toronto.edu!michael
>From: michael@psych.toronto.edu (Michael Gemar)
Subject: Re: AI failures
Organization: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
References: <uc2m8INNn5d@early-bird.think.com> <1992May8.155052.13848@psych.toronto.edu> <1992May11.160456.15469@math.okstate.edu>
Message-ID: <1992May11.183017.14806@psych.toronto.edu>
Date: Mon, 11 May 1992 18:30:17 GMT

In article <1992May11.160456.15469@math.okstate.edu> gindrup@math.okstate.edu (Eric `'d'kidd' G..) writes:
>In article <1992May8.155052.13848@psych.toronto.edu> michael@psych.toronto.edu (Michael Gemar) writes:
>>
>>I find such speculation yet another indication that AI folks don't
>>*really* think that what their doing is creating *REAL* minds, entities
>>that are equivalent to humans mentally.  If they did, I don't see how
>>they could possibly suggest such things as the above...
>>
>>- michael
>
>Since there are 5 billion+ individuals on this planet who are alive and who,
>as a group, contend to be equivalent to humans mentally, it seems that life
>and being mentally equivalent to humans is pretty cheap.  To summarize,
>since there are going to be quite a few deaths today (Why go into genocide,
>you can't catch up with the lead God has already...) what will one or two
>hundred more "intelligences"?
>This argument completely ignores the fact that there are probably very many
>other species that are composed of individuals who are alive and probably
>have more mental capacity than I'll use in the next few minutes (maybe I'm
>a moron ...).  It would seem that life and thinking are cheap. 
>Really cheap.
>If I were to die tomorrow, what would be the net effect on the amount of
>life and intelligence on the planet?  Very little, I think.  I would say
>that this claim is true for any person or group of persons.  
>If life were dirt, everyone would be alive.
>(They are.)
>So, what's the beef about one or two more lost entities?
>(Judging by the weather here, it will be a great day to die.  *I* don't 
>have it on my List Of Things To Do, but it will happen when it happens.
>Stop worrying about it and live while you can.  Don't save it up 'til
>you aren't fretting any more...)

So is this newsgroup only for the ethically-impaired?  I am quite
appalled at the cavalier notions of morality (or lack thereof) being
spouted on this topic.  

(Here is an exercise for you, Eric.  Would it be *wrong* for me to
kill you?  Why or why not?  Be careful how you answer - I have Mafia ties
at your school... ;-)

- michael




