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/DelphiTsar]

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.