News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:Rise of the Machines: The Future Has Lots of Robots, Few ... by mark_l_watson on Wednesday April 08, 2015 @10:44AM (#9341072)
I posted this article. I have been an AI practioner since about 1982 and whenever a non-tech friend asks about AI I usually talk about the challenges to society in dealing with a world where only a small number of people need to work to produce enough for everyone.

I think that social challenges will be even greater than the technical challenges.

Re:Rise of the Machines: The Future Has Lots of Robots, Few ... by mc32 on Wednesday April 08, 2015 @11:20AM (#9341308)
The robotists will be the new capitalists. The robotists will not only amass wealth but also disproportionate power.

It'll be up to the people to decide how this unnerving issue is resolved.

Will the power of robotics be devolved into the community and be community commons type property or will it remain in private hands thus ensuring a widening gulf between robotists and the rest.

It was back in the seventies with Nixon in power when the specter of a widening wealth gap led to serious consideration of reverse income taxes (the old basic income), we'll have to revisit those ideas.

I also wonder what a more leisure driven lifestyle will lead to. With more time to think, meditate and reflect, will people feel more depressed, will people impact the environment more when it's cheaper, easier a d you have the time to travel anywhere? Will such amenities be rationed so as to minimize impact on ecology?

On the other hand, more time for " mobilization" and such time consuming social engineering schemes.

Re:Rise of the Machines: The Future Has Lots of Robots, Few ... by LordKano on Wednesday April 08, 2015 @11:47AM (#9341529)
Maybe The Terminator and Robocop had a deeper effect on my young psyche than I recognize but what I find truly terrifying is the day when first world nations can completely automate military and law enforcement.

A human being can have internal dialog, "Yes, I know that no one is supposed to be here but I'm not blowing up a building full of toddlers." or "Yes, I know that it's a crime but I'm not going to use deadly force to apprehend someone who was stealing apples to survive." and obviously, machines won't care.

Re:Rise of the Machines: The Future Has Lots of Robots, Few ... by marcosdumay on Wednesday April 08, 2015 @01:03PM (#9342202)
Machine warfare is something so anti-intuitive that my head spins.

How said that watever should be a crime, and why? (Those are much deeper questions than it looks like.) Also, machines can avoid deadly force much better than humans, and apply it better too.

I think after enough casualities we'll settle on some superb law enforcement. More "human" than anything we can imagine today. But the path through there is complicated.

Re:Rise of the Machines: The Future Has Lots of Robots, Few ... by neals on Wednesday April 08, 2015 @11:20AM (#9341309)
And what do you think of the social benefits? Is there anything positive to say about AI? If we fully subject ourselves to the machine, will we be happy?
Re:Rise of the Machines: The Future Has Lots of Robots, Few ... by eli_gottlieb on Wednesday April 08, 2015 @11:38AM (#9341444)
I think it rather depends which machine, but I can certainly think of some useful things to do with highly sophisticated software that would make me, for one, a bunch happier. For instance, if we finally achieved the End of (Wage) Work, I could, ahahaha, finally get some work done. That is, me and everyone else in the research sector could finally focus on actually accomplishing things rather than scrambling for funding.

And on a more personal note, I could probably spend a while going to practically every nerdy-hobby convention in sight. I could probably get through about three before desperately wanting something serious to do. Of course, then I could spend a lot of time on exercise, or lying around on the beach.

Re:Rise of the Machines: The Future Has Lots of Robots, Few ... by taimurkhaliq on Wednesday April 08, 2015 @11:26AM (#9341344)
I totally agree with you. What do you think is the prospect of software engineers?