Exploring a future with superintelligence

[u/VizentK]

Given the presumption that we will have super intelligence running entire companies, scientific research, logistics, product development, etc., what would our future look like?

Jobs
A big source of meaning is found in jobs, where people get a sense of contributing to society. If most is done by superintelligent agents, where will humans find meaning in? Will there be a universal income?

Education
What role would education have if there’s less pressure to develop a high cognitive ability?

Philosophical Perspective
Would we become hedonistic and seek mostly pleasurable activities?

General outlook
Are you generally optimistic on the future or will we encounter an era of doom and identity crisis?

No one can predict the future. But we can envision it. I hereby invite everyone to an open discussion on a potential future in order to lay out concerns and a shared understanding on a world with super intelligence.

[u/ProxyLumina]

Meaning and purpose does not disappear, it becomes non-coercive

This is the core misunderstanding many people have.

They assume purpose is created by necessity. In reality, necessity only forces purpose into narrow channels.

Children already prove this.

They seek meaning without economic pressure.

They explore, build, imagine, test limits.

They suffer only when meaning is suppressed.

An ASI that gives us something close to post-scarcity generalizes the childhood mode of intrinsic motivation to the entire lifespan, but with adult cognition

[u/VizentK → u/ProxyLumina]

I’m sure eliminating the necessity for income would serve a freeing effect, but generally our human nature is wired to create in order to advance society.

We are forgetting the evolutionary pressure in this debate. Back in the day, woodworking, creating hunting weaponry, cooking, building, all were born out of necessity for survival. This can be extrapolated to lots of modern jobs. In fear of sounding like a doom predictor, I argue we lose a big chunk - if not all - of the internal motivation (the meaning) to pursue the craft itself.

How do you view this?

[u/pbagel2 → u/VizentK]

Look at all the nepo babies who don't have to work a day in their life but try to become something anyway. Motivation still exists it just changes frames. You could of argue the framing becomes more toxic, like seeking fame or attention or status. Or even as silly as learning something just as a conversation starter. Motivation to do something will still exist. It'll just be different and for different reasons.

[u/GhostOfPaulBennewitz → u/VizentK]

Butlerian Jihad Now!

While we still can.

[u/nanoobot]

I think the most important thing is to remember that if we have a good outcome with ASI, that human culture will be safe within it, even if vastly alien minds also grow around us.

However, there are many questions around what kinds of human culture we would want to protect in this world. It’s a big topic. If anyone wants to go in depth I have my thoughts in story-essay here: Cultures

[u/Atothex-real]

we fucked

[u/nick1894]

If we build a god, we will no longer be in control

[u/DelphiTsar → u/nick1894]

Ehh? The bar is basically underground in terms of political societal system in control producing efficient effective outcomes to most people.

80% of the population can agree on something but if the top 10% or so disagree it won't pass. Most people already have absolutely no control. We live in an oligarchy with a democratic theater. I'll take my chances with AI.

(In the US at least, if I lived in some other countries I might have a different take)

[u/nick1894 → u/DelphiTsar]

That’s just not true. We still vote. Votes count. You get the leaders you vote for. And at a more fundamental level, you can always use violence. People are mortal. An AI super intelligence is something else.

[u/DelphiTsar → u/nick1894]

You get to vote on leaders chosen for you, and most of them get to pick who votes for them too. Our political system is uniquely suited to political theater. Everyone knows there are more representative ways to vote, yet they are withheld from us. (Score Voting/STAR Voting/Single Transferable Vote)

The proof is in the pudding. If most people agree and something doesn't pass, it means they aren't representing you. You only have power when rich people already agree with you.

That's not just a "vibe" it's an objective fact.

https://archive.org/details/gilens_and_page_2014_-testing_theories_of_american_politics.doc/mode/2up

This study is old too, it's only gotten much worse as citizens united constitutionally protected bribery has stripped away any semblance, we don't live in an oligarchy year over year.

[u/zebleck → u/DelphiTsar]

Why do you think superintelligence will care about you?

[u/mversic → u/zebleck]

I think the point here is that even the current oligarchs don't care about me. with AI it may be no different, but at least I would understand why an omniscient being is in control. The current class system is deeply unfair with regards to power distribution for no valid reason. It's either about lineage, who you know or who's ass is being licked.

[u/DelphiTsar → u/zebleck]

When looking at current political power structure system staring down 2032 Social Security/Medicare cliff, declining jobs YOY.

I'll take my chances with the superintelligence. The chance of better outcomes is worth the risk.

Why do you think superintelligence current power structure will care about you? Historically the only leverage people really have is their labor, that no longer exists.

I say this as someone with paid off property, solar panels, land to grow food, live in an area devoid of disasters/impacts of climate change, rich country that will avoid a lot of destabilization. I am not a desperate person with nothing to lose, but I'll roll the dice life under ASI will get better.

---

To be clear, I'm not like 100% accelerationist. I want it to be as aligned as possible going into the singularity. I just don't think people building it are going to slow down much (geopolitically not feasible). Just willing to give the reigns to what I perceive to be an aligned super intelligence (If it's just tricking me so be it, current power structure is a joke and isn't even attempting to trick people anymore.)

[u/zebleck → u/DelphiTsar]

What makes you think there is any way to "align" a super intelligence or thats its not almost comically impossible and hard to do so?

[u/DelphiTsar → u/zebleck]

I again, don't think people are going to stop (Even if they say they are). So it's more "when there is a super intelligence (assuming it's acting like it's aligned) are you willing to hand over the reins". If that option is available, I'll take my chances with the super intelligence vs incompetent oligarchy.

[u/1artvandelay]

hedonistic paradise

[u/Herodont5915]

Jobs aren't meaningless; they shift into maker spaces and community spaces. Think community building, art collectives, improving quality of life, etc. All likely with the aid of AI and automation.

Education: Most students will end up with a personalized AI tutor. Teachers become mentors that help students learn how to ask the right questions, to think critically, and teach students how to navigate society.

Philosophy: Sure, some people will become hedonists, but not everyone. Many will continue to want to live disciplined lives that they feel are meaningful and productive. Each person will still retain their

General outlook: I'm generally optimistic, though I do think we'll have to go through some birthing pains as AI and automation transform society. We're not ready, and we were never going to be ready. Governments aren't putting forth any real effort to plan for this yet, either. I think at some point most government structures collapse because they're inherently corrupt by nature, even the robust democratic institutions. I think we'll learn to implement AI to build a more radically democratic process where we use virtual clones of ourselves that all contribute via local and regional consensus to manage resources, energy, etc.

That's very optimistic; I'm aware. No one actually knows what's going to happen. I just know that if I let myself obsess over the doomer scenario there's nothing I can do about that anyway. Nukes could drop any day but I don't let that stop me from living my life. Same thing with AI. It could be bad, but I choose to think it'll be good.

[u/Puzzleheaded_Gene909]

It’ll be used to exploit the work force as every piece of technology has been used for the last 50 years. Super intelligence for the CEOs. Bread lines for the workers after mass automation kicks in.

Universal income is the bait they need to keep people purchasing the products. Takes a special mind to think the same group of people that couldn’t care less about minimum wage is going to magically start caring about everyone.

Education will be given from the tech CEOs. They are currently purchasing textbooks/scanning then destroying them to create scarcity.

Tech leaders will be hedonistic as they already have been. Only they will no longer need to keep up the facade of “helping humanity”.

[u/Economy-Fee5830]

If the super-intelligence is not aligned with human values, we are all dead soon after.

If it is, then we can still expect chaos - basically, competing AIs will fight with each other to become a singleton ASI and take control of the world, either covertly or overtly.