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PaperclipPerfector  1yr ago (text post)   33387 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of April 17, 2023

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hoping that if they and the Soviets can get on the same page

Whatever's coming, it is coming.

This is the correct take and it's sad to see Rationalists, who were first to anticipate AI advances, adopt this naïve solution that takes the worst ideas from Model UN ("just nobody defects") and Civ V-esque video games ("I'm rushing drone tech to take out his Fabs").

Doubly sad because this imagined golem of hard take off AGI is what will be used by power players to gain a regulatory monopoly on the technology. And disenfranchise these same Rationalists (and the vast majority of the public) from any benefits that actual AI tech does generate.

Doubly sad because this imagined golem of hard take off AGI is what will be used by power players to gain a regulatory monopoly on the technology.

Yep. Effective Altruism went from a movement of a bunch of tight-knit, smart, well intentioned youngsters to a huge nerd sniping by AI Safety.

I'm almost not sure if EA as a whole will even have positive impact in the long run, since it has been so crucial to slowing down AI progress and may succeed even more. It's really tragi-comic.

I'm almost not sure if EA as a whole will even have positive impact in the long run

I'm already counting FTX as negative score as it stands.

FTX can't be blamed on effective altruism. If SBF had been an ordinary greedy rich person instead of an enlightened effective altruist, he would have done the same thing. The problem was his arrogance that resulted in him believing that he could pull off what he was trying to do.

It certainly can't be blamed for all of it, but I do think it has some blame in providing a frame for SBF's greed that was particularly unhelpful for himself and others.

What can be blamed on EA?

If I understand correctly, you're asking if I know of anything wrong with EA or if I believe it's perfect and infallible.

I can't think of anything bad that's actually happened as a result of EA. Maybe those allegations of "sexual harassment" from a couple of months ago, but I think something like that can be found in any group composed of humans and the only reason the likes of Time chose to publicize it is because they have an irrational dislike for EA and wanted to attack the movement in any way they could (AKA concern trolling).

This doesn't mean that nothing bad could ever happen because of EA. Hypothetically, it could end up being the case that, as some critics of EA claim, the world can't be reduced to numbers and focusing on numerical effectiveness instead of cultivating relations with your community or what have you ultimately leads to worse outcomes. It could be the case that it really is more effective to give your money to a homeless person you pass on the street than to send it to Africa to buy malaria nets (as claimed by one post on TheMotte, which I think has since been deleted). Though it does seem unlikely.

Do you think crypto had that much positive impact to begin with?

I don't think that. I know that.

Progress on zero knowledge cryptography and a workable system to send money to my relatives in the third world certainly overset the scams.

I suppose facilitating the sale of illegal goods and information can go either way depending on ideology. I think it's righteous on account of my libertarian tendencies.

And the consumption which is what everybody wants to talk about is an almost complete red herring given the criticism is always backed by the idea the service provided is something nobody needs.

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