Fears over AI are based on a fallacy. The fallacy is that whatever the output of an AI system is, humans will use it regardless.  This is obviously not true, humans are not slaves to AI masters and can choose to use, ignore or question the outputs. Scientists are not solely responsible for how their discoveries are used, we all are. Scientists should be open and explain what they are doing and discovering but we should still boldly go, or is that go boldly, into the future.

The posting is concerned about deadly chemical weapons. Well, if you speak to a toxicologist I'm sure they will tell you that anything can kill you, it just depends on the dose. The world is already full of toxins. 

Hi JasperGeh

Thanks for you comments. I take your point that I do not make citations references etc. I'm not an academic, so I don't have to follows rules and can write with complete freedom. It's great therapy for me at least!

 I guess EA is not the social group for me, so I wish you all well and I will continue with my solo actions of writing to Ambassadors, newspapers, Politicians, Religious leaders, MP's  and any one else who might listen and has power to make the world a better place. I put my faith in the chaos theory, that a small insignificant butterfly has a small non zero probability of  creating a storm one day.

Keep up the good work, but apologies for wasting your valuable time.

Best Regards 

Trevor Prew

My apologies to Plex. Please excuse my newbie error.

Hello

At a lecture I attended, a leading banker said  "long term thinking should not be used as an excuse for short term failure". At the time, he was defending short term profit making as against long term investment, but when applied to discussions of longtermist  the point is similar. Our policies and actions can only be implemented in the present and must succeed in the short term as well as the long term. This means careful risk assessment/management  but as the future can never be predicted with absolute certainty,the  long term effects of policy become increasingly uncertain into the future. It should be remembered that policy can always be adapted at a future date as events/new information dictate. This may be a more efficient way of operating.

I wholeheartedly agree that Governments need more long term thinking rather than indulging voters demands that are driven on by a crisis loving media (please excuse my cynicism) . I assume the EA community is taking action and  lobbying MP's to legally adopt UNESCO's  declaration of Responsibilities of Current Generations towards Future Generations. But I would hate to think that longtermism became an excuse for inaction or delay, as we have many serious problems that need urgent action.

Regards

Trevor Prew

Sheffield UK

Hello 

Who I am isn't very important, but like you, I endeavor to make the world a better place. To this end I write to who ever I think could make a difference and write essays on my blog. It all started when I stared into the darkness whilst standing in a railway truck that transported Jews to Auschwitz. After this harrowing experience, I thought "is this the way it is going to be? War and holocausts forever, as long as there are humans alive? Current events suggest yes, but I believe humanity can learn and avoid such a future. See my essay "A history of the world in a single object".

Donating to charities is fine and will do a lot of good in the world, but I also feel it is like passing the buck, avoiding our direct responsibility to our fellow humans and other inhabitants of planet earth whether living or to live. I think that it is vitally important that we understand human nature, so that we can learn to change for a much more positive future. (I did get one of my essays published as the lead letter in the Economist Magazine March 5th - 11th 2022, if this is all sounding a bit wacky).

So I would be grateful if you could use some of your valuable time to read some of my work on my blog and consider my ideas. 

Trevor Prew

Sheffield UK

trevorprew.blogspot.com