"existential Threat To Civilization"

https://www.theguardian.com/environ...ergency-world-may-have-crossed-tipping-points


Good afternoon all,

Per ...

Article tells of scientist's worry concerning "a state of planetary emergency".

I've always had the nagging suspicion it was the "Atlantic circulation in slowdown since 1950s".

Does a scientist have special knowledge of "risk management" ? Hint: No.

I recall University of East Anglia is where the hockey stick graphs used falsified material and the professors got caught in the fraud.

Isn't it renewal energy being pumped from the North Sea oil fields ? It surely might be a pollutant but petroleum pools do get renewed even if in different locations.

......

For unknown reasons to me, whenever I'm reminded of hockey sticks, I think of Canada.

 

So far the only existential risk to human civilization & existence as the planet dominant species is the proliferation of AI. Which after 2040 we may see the awakening of General Purpose AI / Strong AI "Rise of The Machines"

 

LOL !

Good morning Varuna,

I'm LOL re the proliferation of AI. At least for me and a few other older Forum Members, it's a refreshing change from nuclear destruction.

Wait 'till AI is weaponized - unless it already is.

 

Its depend in your definition of "weaponize"

With current rate of progress, The Rise of The Machine is inevitable post 2040 (at least that is the consensus). And there are plenty people like me who will keep developing and implementing those AI into all kind of things

 

Good morning Varuna,

"Weaponize" means using the subject-matter, such as AI, for an instrument of destruction regardless of its use for defensive or offensive reasons.

The rise of the machine gave us the wide body civil aircraft with 4 engines, the Super Sonic Transport ("SST") aircraft and the helicopter ("A helicopter in every garage"). The super spaceport airports have not developed in tandem with the flying machines. Plus, the SST proved too costly in a market economy.

If AI will be developed further - and I'm sure this will occur - will genetically-modified mosquitoes be developed further ?

All of us might meet our Mount Krakatau.

At least with the human species gone, the planet will start to recover.

 

I've worked with huge computer control systems. The more complex they get, the harder they fall. Think plate-spinning as seen at the circus.

Weaponized robots? Some technical person has to keep them in service and repair them when they inevitably fail. AI "minds" will have to keep in mind that they'd better be very, very nice to their human technical enablers. Attempt to enslave us and we'll stop maintaining the maintenance machines.

Very recently, I thought I'd come up with a quick fix for a problem. Oopsie!

In this universe, chaos invades all things. It is the omnipresent virus. Shiva dances to its tune.

 

Actually I was referring to the most likely outcome that Homo Sapiens sapiens will be replace by cybernetic enhanced Homo Sapiens something as the new dominant species. Think of it as in the world of "Ghost in The Shell"

That is true with current level of technology, but that may no longer be the case by late 21st century.

 

Well shucks, maybe if all the robots are beautiful nekkid women, maybe a man might just wish to get conquered -- at least for a little while anyway.

 

Good afternoon Varuna,

I still prefer the picture you posted of lady with bikini top.

 

Ok, I'll step off into Science fiction for you here. There is no real reason to worry about AI at this time. We need about two more jumps in processing speed and size before that becomes a realistic issue. The advent of the quantum level computers though may be the first step in that direction though.

The most likely thing that will happen is that people in their fear of mortality will slowly abandon their biologic bodies for basically immortal cybernetic bodies. You could do a weekly download and if your current body failed or you were "killed" you then you could be uploaded into a new body with only the loss of a memory of a week. As the size of computers shrinks into the microscopic the cybernetic human would have capabilities far beyond that of a biological human. Eventually, the biological humans would be phased out just as all of the other many types of human type predecessors to Homo-sapiens was. The one thing about people, over time they always weed out the weak and the different.

These descendants will be able to travel to the stars even without a super-lightspeed drive. They just download into a ship, travel to the destination. and then upload it to a new body. What would a few hundred years mean to an immortal mind that was not bound to the temporary life of a bio-body?

First, it will be the old and rich that will reach out to this sort of life but over time it will spread as the Bio humans just can't compete. Imagine being able to download any skill or information package that you wanted in seconds where a Bio-human would take years or decades to learn and master the same. Imagine being able to download your conscious mind into a body designed to function in any different environment. The deeps of the seas would be open to us as would the open fields of space.

AI will not destroy mankind...mankind with BECOME the AI and move on from there...

 

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2019/11/21/549124.htm


Good morning TexDanm and all,

Speaking of AI, .......

Above link tells of AI and some future results.

My "higher skills" are leaving the scene. The article's PhD candidates have studied this and know.

Knowing how to discuss matters with the Witch of Endor will no longer be needed. Knowing how to start fires with wet wood using only chemicals will no longer be necessary.

Those in the "marketing specialty" of export sales will be replaced by AI.

Drones will thin out the farmer ranks. Now that I think about it, why can't a drone determine soil ph levels ?!

I am safe !!! - beyond prime age !!!

I have a hunch that patent exclusivity ends where enforcement stops. We can discuss this in detail at our overseas club house.

 

The AI will get really tough competition from any attractive looking baseline human female who know how to sweettalk and have lawyer in her retinue or worse she has legal education background and sufficient practice.

Exactly my point. Baseline human will get replace by Homo sapiens something similar to how Homo neanderthalensis were replace by Homo sapiens sapiens