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From: bwk@mbunix.mitre.org (Barry W. Kort)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: Discovering What Nature Wants
Summary: On building a kinder, gentler, more thoughtful AI system.
Keywords: Consciousness and Intentionality.  Knowledge and Wisdom.
Message-ID: <75088@linus.UUCP>
Date: 23 Oct 89 13:26:22 GMT
References: <357@massey.ac.nz> <2376@munnari.oz.au> <2394@uceng.UC.EDU> <2450@munnari.oz.au> <1090@oravax.UUCP> <74553@linus.UUCP> <1989Oct22.175912.22181@cs.rochester.edu>
Sender: news@linus.UUCP
Reply-To: bwk@mbunix (Barry Kort)
Organization: The TaoLight Zone, Ste. Elsewhen
Lines: 35

In article <1989Oct22.175912.22181@cs.rochester.edu>
yamauchi@nectarine.cs.rochester.edu (Brian Yamauchi) writes:

 > We clearly will give intelligent systems "values" in the sense of
 > methods of determining which high-level goals they wish to attempt to
 > acheive.  On the other hand, "wisdom" is an even fuzzier term than
 > intelligence and one that seems impossible to define in a non-circular
 > way -- a way that does not refer back to values.

I define "Wisdom" as the structured integration of knowledge and values.
If knowledge is a two-edged sword, wisdom enables us to choose which
edge to use.

 > And since, we haven't been able to agree on a system of Ethics despite
 > the millenia of philsophers' efforts.....

Perhaps not, but there is evidence that most people haven't given
much thought to the construction of value systems.  On the other
hand, the deep thinkers who have investigated questions of values,
people like Hillel, and Lao-Tse, and Moses, and Siddhartha, and
Maimonides, and Gandhi, all seem to come to the same conclusion.

The Symmetry Principle and the Principle of Maximum Mutual Benefit
are recurring themes in Ethics and Values.

 > It seems to me that the values of an AI will reflect the values of the
 > AI's creator, and the degree to which that represents "wisdom" depends
 > on the degree to which you share his values.

I predict that an AI system which favors itself over others, or favors
a selected party over others will not long survive.  I predict that
an AI system which strives for balanced positive benefits for all
will likely achieve immortality.

--Barry Kort