This post explores a few recent news items: more AI bloopers, the AI bubble, and Musk’s ridiculous claim that everyone will get “universal high income” once AGI arrives.
You know it’s posts like this that remind me that there a still rational people out there (Not those Rationalists btw!). You know if you go on the r/Singularity subreddit or pretty much any “AI Utopia”/“AI Apocalypse” subreddit you see people acting like this, that once AGI/ASI is developed all our problems go away. And it really makes you wonder what these people’s rationals are: No matter who it is they’ll defend because without them no AGI: Musk, Altman, Amodei. It never stops with these people. And of course the other side thinks the same way, “AGI is dangerous but we should still develop it so it doesn’t become dangerous”.Of course I also don’t believe we are getting AGI anytime soon, but it is amazing how much those people across the internet will defend what we’re doing to “get there”, especially in terms of destroying the environment. Again Émile, I salute you 🫡.
It's the seductive power of utopian thinking! It really is amazing -- history is absolutely full of people claiming that the end is nigh / utopia is imminent. The seduction is that *this time might be different*. Lol. thanks so much for reading, and for sharing your thoughts here! :-)
The people seems to be already powerless in your analysis. An American pov? I agree with your demonization of the oligarchs, but the possibility of democratic or violent political change remains as long as there is a “poor” supermajority. Socialist (even post-socialist “authoritarian”) countries can deal with this better than capitalist countries, imo.
UBI isn’t about having “normal” buying power. It’s about survival. You’re naive about AI, btw. I work at a company where the past three jobs we were going to fill, we didn’t bother thanks to MCP servers and Open AI, and the native AI popping up in all the workspace tech, martech, operations, finance, etc. And it’s just getting started. If you own IP or do something very personal and high touch, like relationships or very fluid judgement calls, fine. But the workforce is about to plummet.
UBI is not about buying a house. It’s about escaping the rat race. Living minimalistic and rebooting your mind back into sanity. What we actually need: 3,000 calories, shelter from cold/heat, water, WiFi, electric, ability to go to doctor if sick or pay for meds. Not much else. What do you get besides that? Something only the wealthiest people have: freedom of time. The most valuable asset in life. Freedom to grow, learn, explore, connect, self actualize. People will start to get wise to those very quickly: the rarified “luxuries” and experiences we all spaced for 8-10 hours a day? Kinda worthless. A bed and a roof. 3 square. A bike. WiFi. A little patch of grass to grow veggies. And oceans of free time to learn, create, invent, move your body, laugh, connect, and BE. That’s what UBI is. It’s coming and it’ll be beautiful and it’s the birthright of all human beings once we hit a certain level of automated productive capacity. Blocking this is an impulse that comes from fear, ignorance or selfishness. And trying to do so is futile.
The AGI utopia peeps might be correct. The theory I can see them following is that an AGI that takes over the world will wipe away all the debt, and all the nice, noble, honourable people will be rewarded by the big giant head, sorry, AGI. : Of course, that popular sci-fi scenario isn't going to happen - musk would just turn it off! I can see the ultra rich building robot armies of their own, and soon. All those tesla cars and tesla robots which can be thrown under control of the big giant head at HQ... Makes you wonder.
You know it’s posts like this that remind me that there a still rational people out there (Not those Rationalists btw!). You know if you go on the r/Singularity subreddit or pretty much any “AI Utopia”/“AI Apocalypse” subreddit you see people acting like this, that once AGI/ASI is developed all our problems go away. And it really makes you wonder what these people’s rationals are: No matter who it is they’ll defend because without them no AGI: Musk, Altman, Amodei. It never stops with these people. And of course the other side thinks the same way, “AGI is dangerous but we should still develop it so it doesn’t become dangerous”.Of course I also don’t believe we are getting AGI anytime soon, but it is amazing how much those people across the internet will defend what we’re doing to “get there”, especially in terms of destroying the environment. Again Émile, I salute you 🫡.
It's the seductive power of utopian thinking! It really is amazing -- history is absolutely full of people claiming that the end is nigh / utopia is imminent. The seduction is that *this time might be different*. Lol. thanks so much for reading, and for sharing your thoughts here! :-)
The people seems to be already powerless in your analysis. An American pov? I agree with your demonization of the oligarchs, but the possibility of democratic or violent political change remains as long as there is a “poor” supermajority. Socialist (even post-socialist “authoritarian”) countries can deal with this better than capitalist countries, imo.
UBI isn’t about having “normal” buying power. It’s about survival. You’re naive about AI, btw. I work at a company where the past three jobs we were going to fill, we didn’t bother thanks to MCP servers and Open AI, and the native AI popping up in all the workspace tech, martech, operations, finance, etc. And it’s just getting started. If you own IP or do something very personal and high touch, like relationships or very fluid judgement calls, fine. But the workforce is about to plummet.
UBI is not about buying a house. It’s about escaping the rat race. Living minimalistic and rebooting your mind back into sanity. What we actually need: 3,000 calories, shelter from cold/heat, water, WiFi, electric, ability to go to doctor if sick or pay for meds. Not much else. What do you get besides that? Something only the wealthiest people have: freedom of time. The most valuable asset in life. Freedom to grow, learn, explore, connect, self actualize. People will start to get wise to those very quickly: the rarified “luxuries” and experiences we all spaced for 8-10 hours a day? Kinda worthless. A bed and a roof. 3 square. A bike. WiFi. A little patch of grass to grow veggies. And oceans of free time to learn, create, invent, move your body, laugh, connect, and BE. That’s what UBI is. It’s coming and it’ll be beautiful and it’s the birthright of all human beings once we hit a certain level of automated productive capacity. Blocking this is an impulse that comes from fear, ignorance or selfishness. And trying to do so is futile.
The AGI utopia peeps might be correct. The theory I can see them following is that an AGI that takes over the world will wipe away all the debt, and all the nice, noble, honourable people will be rewarded by the big giant head, sorry, AGI. : Of course, that popular sci-fi scenario isn't going to happen - musk would just turn it off! I can see the ultra rich building robot armies of their own, and soon. All those tesla cars and tesla robots which can be thrown under control of the big giant head at HQ... Makes you wonder.
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