Western AI is much more likely to be democratic and have humanity’s values a bit higher up. Chinese one is much more likely to put CCP values and control higher up.
But yes, if it’s the current US administration specifically, neither option is that optimistic.
I don’t know what it would mean for AI to “be democratic.” People in a democratic system can use tool AI, but if ASI is created, there will be no room for human decision-making on any level of abstraction that the AI cares about. I suppose it’s possible for an ASI to focus its efforts solely on maintaining a democratic system, without making any object-level decisions itself. But I don’t think anyone is even trying to build such a thing.
If intent-aligned ASI is successfully created, the first step is always “take over the world,” which isn’t a very democratic thing to do. That doesn’t necessarily mean there is a better alternative, but I do so wish that AI industry leaders would stop making overtures to democracy out of the other side of their mouth. For most singularitarians, this is and always has been about securing or summoning ultimate power and ushering in a permanent galactic utopia.
Democratic in the ‘favouring or characterized by social equality; egalitarian.’ sense (one of the definitions from Google), rather than about Elections or whatever.
For example, I recently wrote a Short Story of my Day in 2035 in the scenario where things continue mostly like that and we get positive AGI that’s similarish enough to current trends. There, people influenced the initial values—mainly via The Spec, and can in theory vote to make some changes to The Spec that governs the general AI values, but in practice by that point AGI controls everything and it’s more or less set in stone. Still, it overall mostly tries to fulfil people’s desires (overly optimistic that we go this route, I know).
I’d call that more democratic than one that upholds CCP values specifically.
There are a number of ways that the US seems to have better values than the CCP, by my lights, but it seems incredibly strange to claim the US values being egalitarian, and social equality or harmony more.
Rule of law, fostering diversity, encouraging human excellence? Sure, there you would have an argument. But egalitarian?
I don’t think the Trump admin has the capacity to meaningful take over an AGI project. Whatever happens, I think the lab leadership will be calling the shots.
The heads of AI labs are functionally cowards that would been the one at the first knock on their door by state agents. Some have preemptively bent the knee to get into the good graces of the Trump admin like Altman and Zuckerberg to accelerate their progress. While Trump himself might be out of the loop, his adminstration is staffed by people who know what AGI means and are looking for any sources of power to pursue their agenda.
I just think they’ll be easy to fool. For example, historically many companies would get political favors (tariff exemptions) by making flashy fake headlines such as promising to spend trillions on factories.
Completely agree. Also find it interesting that commentators here are talking about the U.S. having a moral superiority when we are responsible for millions more deaths and destruction in recent years.
This sounds like “western AI is better because it is much more likely to have western values”
I don’t understand what you mean by “humanity’s values”. Also, one could maybe argue that “democratic” societies are those where actions are taken based on whether the majority of people can be manipulated to support them.
Western AI is much more likely to be democratic and have humanity’s values a bit higher up. Chinese one is much more likely to put CCP values and control higher up.
But yes, if it’s the current US administration specifically, neither option is that optimistic.
I don’t know what it would mean for AI to “be democratic.” People in a democratic system can use tool AI, but if ASI is created, there will be no room for human decision-making on any level of abstraction that the AI cares about. I suppose it’s possible for an ASI to focus its efforts solely on maintaining a democratic system, without making any object-level decisions itself. But I don’t think anyone is even trying to build such a thing.
If intent-aligned ASI is successfully created, the first step is always “take over the world,” which isn’t a very democratic thing to do. That doesn’t necessarily mean there is a better alternative, but I do so wish that AI industry leaders would stop making overtures to democracy out of the other side of their mouth. For most singularitarians, this is and always has been about securing or summoning ultimate power and ushering in a permanent galactic utopia.
Democratic in the ‘favouring or characterized by social equality; egalitarian.’ sense (one of the definitions from Google), rather than about Elections or whatever.
For example, I recently wrote a Short Story of my Day in 2035 in the scenario where things continue mostly like that and we get positive AGI that’s similarish enough to current trends. There, people influenced the initial values—mainly via The Spec, and can in theory vote to make some changes to The Spec that governs the general AI values, but in practice by that point AGI controls everything and it’s more or less set in stone. Still, it overall mostly tries to fulfil people’s desires (overly optimistic that we go this route, I know).
I’d call that more democratic than one that upholds CCP values specifically.
There are a number of ways that the US seems to have better values than the CCP, by my lights, but it seems incredibly strange to claim the US values being egalitarian, and social equality or harmony more.
Rule of law, fostering diversity, encouraging human excellence? Sure, there you would have an argument. But egalitarian?
I strongly suspect that a Trump-controlled AGI would not respect democracy.
I strongly suspect that an Altman-controlled AGI would not respect democracy.
I have my doubts about the other heads of AI companies.
I don’t think the Trump admin has the capacity to meaningful take over an AGI project. Whatever happens, I think the lab leadership will be calling the shots.
The heads of AI labs are functionally cowards that would been the one at the first knock on their door by state agents. Some have preemptively bent the knee to get into the good graces of the Trump admin like Altman and Zuckerberg to accelerate their progress. While Trump himself might be out of the loop, his adminstration is staffed by people who know what AGI means and are looking for any sources of power to pursue their agenda.
I just think they’ll be easy to fool. For example, historically many companies would get political favors (tariff exemptions) by making flashy fake headlines such as promising to spend trillions on factories.
Completely agree. Also find it interesting that commentators here are talking about the U.S. having a moral superiority when we are responsible for millions more deaths and destruction in recent years.
This sounds like “western AI is better because it is much more likely to have western values”
I don’t understand what you mean by “humanity’s values”. Also, one could maybe argue that “democratic” societies are those where actions are taken based on whether the majority of people can be manipulated to support them.
As in ultimately more people are likely to like their condition and agree (comparably more) with the AI’s decisions while having roughly equal rights.