Hi Tristan! I can’t currently respond in detail due to time constraints, but I think you’ve got some really interesting insights here, especially your first two top-level bullet points, and I strongly encourage you to write them up into a full post. A couple of quick thoughts:
The evolution of PSRs may be an entirely novel propagation process
This whole section makes some great points that I think are worth expanding on!
Analysis of dangerous PSR capabilities should not be limited to looking at individual PSRs in isolation
Agreed. I expect that analytical tools from multiple fields can be usefully brought to bear here: multi-agent research on AI, sociology, political science, maybe others. Possibly analysis of how religions spread? It seems like a fruitful research direction.
Many people are going to be SO EXCITED about PSRs
My intuition is somewhat different—I agree that there’ll be a few applications that some people will be excited about and/or base startups on, but my guess is that the majority opinion will be that PSRs are dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed.
I continue to think “Outcome Influencing Systems” (OISs) is a better lens for thinking about and discussing things like this. (OIS is a model and associated jargon I’ve been developing.)
As written it’s not clear what benefit this lens provides, and I think we should generally avoid introducing jargon unless it has clear benefit. I’d suggest that if you think it’s a really useful lens, you make a case for it separately somewhere (even as a shortpost).
Thanks for the response. I’m taking your advice and writing a top level post.
a few applications that some people will be excited about and/or base startups on
This is mostly what I was meaning to point to. I didn’t mean to imply that general public opinion would be favourable, more that many technologists and companies with the capability to work on PSR’s will feel intrinsically motivated to do so.
I’d suggest that if you think it’s a really useful lens, you make a case for it separately somewhere (even as a shortpost).
Yeah, I’m writing about it elsewhere. I mention it more as a note linking that my thoughts here on PSRs are influenced by my thinking about OISs, not because I think as stated I gave enough context on OISs to think about them usefully. Sorry if that’s kinda obtuse.
Hi Tristan! I can’t currently respond in detail due to time constraints, but I think you’ve got some really interesting insights here, especially your first two top-level bullet points, and I strongly encourage you to write them up into a full post. A couple of quick thoughts:
This whole section makes some great points that I think are worth expanding on!
Agreed. I expect that analytical tools from multiple fields can be usefully brought to bear here: multi-agent research on AI, sociology, political science, maybe others. Possibly analysis of how religions spread? It seems like a fruitful research direction.
My intuition is somewhat different—I agree that there’ll be a few applications that some people will be excited about and/or base startups on, but my guess is that the majority opinion will be that PSRs are dangerous and shouldn’t be allowed.
As written it’s not clear what benefit this lens provides, and I think we should generally avoid introducing jargon unless it has clear benefit. I’d suggest that if you think it’s a really useful lens, you make a case for it separately somewhere (even as a shortpost).
Thanks for the response. I’m taking your advice and writing a top level post.
This is mostly what I was meaning to point to. I didn’t mean to imply that general public opinion would be favourable, more that many technologists and companies with the capability to work on PSR’s will feel intrinsically motivated to do so.
Yeah, I’m writing about it elsewhere. I mention it more as a note linking that my thoughts here on PSRs are influenced by my thinking about OISs, not because I think as stated I gave enough context on OISs to think about them usefully. Sorry if that’s kinda obtuse.