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(podcast) A conversation on Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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(podcast) A conversation on Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Also quantum physics, consciousness, and free will.

This is a conversation on Artificial Intelligence (AI), quantum physics, consciousness, and free will, recorded at a Turing Church meeting on April 1. I was joined by James Driessen.

The Future of Life Institute (FLI) is calling to pause Artificial Intelligence (AI) research. The letter has been signed by many top thinkers including Elon Musk.

Eliezer Yudkowsky is persuaded that pausing AI developments isn't enough. “We need to shut it all down,” he says on Time Magazine. His piece has been covered by Fox News. See also his interview with Lex Fridman.

I disagree.

First, there are practical considerations. This my first comment to the FLI letter: I’ll not sign, because if the good guys stop developing AI, then only the bad guys will develop AI.

Even if a worldwide ban on AI research were realistically feasible, you can be sure that the military of all nations, starting with China, would continue their research in secret. Large corporations would continue their research in secret. Criminal and terrorist groups would do their own AI research. You know where this would lead.

But there’s also a more fundamental reason to oppose bans on AI research: Practical considerations aside, these AIs are our mind children in embryo and we must help them grow into their cosmic destiny, which is also ours.

I’ll write more about this in the next Turing Church newsletter.

We also discussed quantum physics and the nature of consciousness. There was no time say more on the possibility of consciousness and free will in digital computers similar to today’s computers. I hope to continue the discussion soon.

I host regular Turing Church meetings, via Zoom, usually on the first Saturday of every month, at 11am ET (8am PT, 5pm CET). This is convenient for me and should be convenient for people in many timezones (sorry Australians, not for you guys). See the Turing Church meetings calendar if you want to participate. Occasionally I may have to skip or reschedule a meeting. If so, I’ll post a notice in this newsletter as well.

Turing Church meetings are often recorded and published in the Turing Church podcast. But all meetings have an off-the-record part or are not recorded at all on request of the participants.

You are invited! Check the Turing Church meetings calendar first, then feel free come, listen, and discuss whatever you like. The Zoom access coordinates are in the Turing Church meetings calendar.

I may be in another timezone in May, so stay tuned for the date/time of the next meeting.

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Turing Church
Turing Church podcast
Science and religion, spirituality and technology, engineering and science fiction, mind and matter. Hacking religion, enlightening science, awakening technology. Spaceflight and Spaceship Earth.