Perhaps the reason you approach it this way is because you don’t think it’s possible for humans to determine whether virtualizing everyone is ethical?
I think it may not be possible for humans to determine this, in the time available before someone builds a UFAI or some other existential risk occurs. Still, I have been trying to determine this, for example just recently in Beware Selective Nihilism. Did you see that post?
Were you serious about having Eliezer censor my comment? If so, now that you have a better understanding of my ideas and relationship with SIAI, would you perhaps settle for me editing that comment with some additional clarifications?
Sorry for not responding sooner. The tab explosion triggered by the links in your article and related items was pretty big. I was trying to figure out how to deal with the large amount of information that was provided.
If you want to consider my take on it uniformed, fine. I haven’t read all of the relevant information in the tab explosion (this would take a long time). Here is my take and my opinion on the situation:
If a person is copied, the physical original will not experience what the copy experiences. Therefore, if you remove the physical original, the physical original’s experiences will end. This isn’t perfectly comparable to death seeing as how the person’s experiences, personality, knowledge, and interaction with the world will continue. However, the physical original’s experiences will end. That, for many, would be an unacceptable result of being virtualized.
I believe in the right to die, so regardless of whether I think being virtualized should be called “death”, I believe that people have the right to choose to do it to themselves. I do not believe that an AGI has the right to make that decision for them. To decide to end someone else’s experiences without first gaining their consent qualifies as violence to me and it is alarming to see someone as prominent as you advocating this.
My opinion is that it’s better for PR for you to edit your comment. Even if, for some reason, reading the entire tab explosion would somehow reveal to me that yes, the physical original would experience what the copy experiences even after being destroyed, I think it is likely that people who have not read all of that information will interpret it the way that I did and may become alarmed especially after realizing that it was you who wrote this.
I would be really happy to see you edit your own “virtualize everyone” comments. I do think something needs to be done. My suggestion would be to either:
A. Clearly state that you believe the physical original will experience the copy’s experiences even after being removed if that’s your view.
B. In the event that you agree that the physical original’s experiences would end, to refrain from talking about virtualizing everyone without their consent.
I added a disclaimer to my comment. I had to write my own since neither of yours correctly describes my current beliefs. I’ll also try to remember to be a bit more careful about my FAI-related comments in the future, and keep in mind that not all the readers will be familiar with my other writings.
I think it may not be possible for humans to determine this, in the time available before someone builds a UFAI or some other existential risk occurs. Still, I have been trying to determine this, for example just recently in Beware Selective Nihilism. Did you see that post?
Were you serious about having Eliezer censor my comment? If so, now that you have a better understanding of my ideas and relationship with SIAI, would you perhaps settle for me editing that comment with some additional clarifications?
Sorry for not responding sooner. The tab explosion triggered by the links in your article and related items was pretty big. I was trying to figure out how to deal with the large amount of information that was provided.
If you want to consider my take on it uniformed, fine. I haven’t read all of the relevant information in the tab explosion (this would take a long time). Here is my take and my opinion on the situation:
If a person is copied, the physical original will not experience what the copy experiences. Therefore, if you remove the physical original, the physical original’s experiences will end. This isn’t perfectly comparable to death seeing as how the person’s experiences, personality, knowledge, and interaction with the world will continue. However, the physical original’s experiences will end. That, for many, would be an unacceptable result of being virtualized.
I believe in the right to die, so regardless of whether I think being virtualized should be called “death”, I believe that people have the right to choose to do it to themselves. I do not believe that an AGI has the right to make that decision for them. To decide to end someone else’s experiences without first gaining their consent qualifies as violence to me and it is alarming to see someone as prominent as you advocating this.
My opinion is that it’s better for PR for you to edit your comment. Even if, for some reason, reading the entire tab explosion would somehow reveal to me that yes, the physical original would experience what the copy experiences even after being destroyed, I think it is likely that people who have not read all of that information will interpret it the way that I did and may become alarmed especially after realizing that it was you who wrote this.
I would be really happy to see you edit your own “virtualize everyone” comments. I do think something needs to be done. My suggestion would be to either:
A. Clearly state that you believe the physical original will experience the copy’s experiences even after being removed if that’s your view.
B. In the event that you agree that the physical original’s experiences would end, to refrain from talking about virtualizing everyone without their consent.
I added a disclaimer to my comment. I had to write my own since neither of yours correctly describes my current beliefs. I’ll also try to remember to be a bit more careful about my FAI-related comments in the future, and keep in mind that not all the readers will be familiar with my other writings.
Thanks for listening to me. I feel better about this now.