I think this series might be easier for some to engage with if they imagine Carlsmith to be challenging priors around what AI minds will be like. I don’t claim this is his intention.
For me, the series makes more sense read back to front—starting with some options of how to engage with the future, noting the tendency of LessWrongers to distrust god and nature, noting how that leads towards a slightly dictatorial tendency, suggesting alternative poises and finally noting that just as we can take a less controlling poise towards the future, so might AIs towards us.
More procatively I find it rasies questions in me like “am I distrustful towards AI because of the pain I felt in leaving christianity and an inability to trust that anyone might really tell me the truth or act in my best interests, despite many people doing so, much of the time”.
I would enjoy hearing lenses that others found useful to engage with this work through.
I think this series might be easier for some to engage with if they imagine Carlsmith to be challenging priors around what AI minds will be like. I don’t claim this is his intention.
For me, the series makes more sense read back to front—starting with some options of how to engage with the future, noting the tendency of LessWrongers to distrust god and nature, noting how that leads towards a slightly dictatorial tendency, suggesting alternative poises and finally noting that just as we can take a less controlling poise towards the future, so might AIs towards us.
I flesh out this summary here: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/qxakrNr3JEoRSZ8LE/1-page-outline-of-carlsmith-s-otherness-and-control-series
More procatively I find it rasies questions in me like “am I distrustful towards AI because of the pain I felt in leaving christianity and an inability to trust that anyone might really tell me the truth or act in my best interests, despite many people doing so, much of the time”.
I would enjoy hearing lenses that others found useful to engage with this work through.