If someone said the “statement of support” you outline, what they are literally saying is meaningless. That statement can only be understood in the context of a political game they’re playing with the rest of society.
If someone said, “I think [IABIED]’s thesis is likely, or at least all-too-plausibly right: That building an artificial superintelligence using anything remotely like current techniques, based on anything remotely like the present understanding of AI, will cause human extinction.” — you think that’s meaningless?
I dunno what I’m not understanding. That statement seems extremely meaningful and important to me.
“I support If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.” is a really bad shorthand though, because it doesn’t mean anything. Its playing the Ethnic Tension game when it could very easily not be, eg by using the phrase “I agree with If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.”
“Support” is kind of weak. To make it like the CAIS statement, maybe “I largely agree with IABIED”. Or “I ~agree with IABIED”. Or “I agree* with IABIED [bring your own footnotes]” 🙂
Your shorthand is very fine for building a political coalition, and I’m pretty sure that is your goal, so I think you shouldn’t change it. Just don’t do it on LessWrong!
If someone said, “I think [IABIED]’s thesis is likely, or at least all-too-plausibly right: That building an artificial superintelligence using anything remotely like current techniques, based on anything remotely like the present understanding of AI, will cause human extinction.” — you think that’s meaningless?
I dunno what I’m not understanding. That statement seems extremely meaningful and important to me.
The statement I’m referring to is “I support If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.”. That is the meaningless statement.
Oh ok, but I’m just using it as a shorthand for the longer statement I wrote write under it, which I guess you agree is clear.
“I support If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.” is a really bad shorthand though, because it doesn’t mean anything. Its playing the Ethnic Tension game when it could very easily not be, eg by using the phrase “I agree with If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies.”
I’m open to other shorthands.
“Support” is kind of weak. To make it like the CAIS statement, maybe “I largely agree with IABIED”. Or “I ~agree with IABIED”. Or “I agree* with IABIED [bring your own footnotes]” 🙂
”Statement of ~agreement with IABIED”
Ah yeah that’d probably be better
Your shorthand is very fine for building a political coalition, and I’m pretty sure that is your goal, so I think you shouldn’t change it. Just don’t do it on LessWrong!