Transhumanism

[The Original Rooster]

Got a smart phone? Gotta lap top? I find it almost insulting that they give me the "option" of turning off the tracking or "voice command". Is it conspiracy madness to think that it's less trouble for them to just tell me "OK"?

Yes, it seems that not spying on us should be the default and not the exception. Talk about screwed up ethics!

 

[ambush80]

Yes, he was illustrated a few times briefly as human shaped blinding light.
I don't trust AI that I don't control fully. That's why there's no Alexa in my house because I can't control what it hears. I don't like AI or greedy humans trying to manipulate me by putting certain ads in front of me based on what it hears.
As you said, the problem with AI is unintended consequences. You tell it to make paperclips and it will make paperclips with no exceptions even if it means using your bones to do it.

Have you seen The Social Dilemma? Many people have had experiences of talking about buying a new mattress or a new sweater and then all of a sudden advertisements for mattresses or sweaters appear on their phones/laptops.

Imagine if during the course of the day or week or month that you are prompted, subtly, to think about mattresses or sweaters, culminating in the thought being brought forth to your consciousness.

Then you are offered the ad.

 

[ambush80]

Yes, it seems that not spying on us should be the default and not the exception. Talk about screwed up ethics!

Why would they not? For our own good.

 

[oldfella1962]

Have you seen The Social Dilemma? Many people have had experiences of talking about buying a new mattress or a new sweater and then all of a sudden advertisements for mattresses or sweaters appear on their phones/laptops.

Imagine if during the course of the day or week or month that you are prompted, subtly, to think about mattresses or sweaters, culminating in the thought being brought forth to your consciousness.

Then you are offered the ad.

"then all of a sudden advertisements for mattresses or sweaters appear on their phones/laptops".

Whoa! A while back my daughter (who was visiting) and I were driving down the road here in Georgia, just talking to each other. I don't know what started the conversation, but somehow we got on the topic of geese. Yes, the bird the goose - not a typical topic of discussion. When we got home, she went out into my backyard to play with our dog or something and I got on my desktop computer. Within a minute or two I had ads on my computer for goose calls for hunting or some such. No, I do not hunt geese so there would be no reason for an ad to on my computer about goose calls.
Certainly it could be just a coincidence, but if it wasn't I have no explanation at this time. But it made me uneasy because there are some VERY smart people in this world and I'm no computer expert, but who knows what surveillance technology could be out there? I hope I find out what is going on with this.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Humans don't require batteries or an AC cord. Tech is not going to replace us.

 

[The Original Rooster]

Why would they not? For our own good.

Seems our right to privacy ought to be for our and the common good as well.

 

[Danuwoa]

Ain’t GON be no immortality on this side of life, you dig? That’s why I don’t let this stuff bother me. Fools and dreamers have thought they were going to do that forever and they all got shown.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Have you seen The Social Dilemma? Many people have had experiences of talking about buying a new mattress or a new sweater and then all of a sudden advertisements for mattresses or sweaters appear on their phones/laptops.

Imagine if during the course of the day or week or month that you are prompted, subtly, to think about mattresses or sweaters, culminating in the thought being brought forth to your consciousness.

Then you are offered the ad.

This is for certain happening at some level right now.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Another question to ponder for the futurist crowd here, have we really conquered suffering or simply displaced it? As we ponder whether living some version of a simpler life it luxury or not have you stopped to consider that the ultra modern tech based life is built on the backs of workers in far away countries that make it happen. Since even that cannot satisfy the greed of these transhumanists, they now seek to build a slave in the form of A.I., a powerful slave that could one day turn on its master. Yet they already know all this, so they seek immortality and power by becoming tech themselves. How many of our natural resources will be destroyed in that pursuit? Does this sound like a group that is trying to solve the problems of mankind?

 

[Danuwoa]

Another question to ponder for the futurist crowd here, have we really conquered suffering or simply displaced it? As we ponder whether living some version of a simpler life it luxury or not have you stopped to consider that the ultra modern tech based life is built on the backs of workers in far away countries that make it happen. Since even that cannot satisfy the greed of these transhumanists, they now seek to build a slave in the form of A.I., a powerful slave that could one day turn on its master. Yet they already know all this, so they seek immortality and power by becoming tech themselves. How many of our natural resources will be destroyed in that pursuit? Does this sound like a group that is trying to solve the problems of mankind?

Every time I think about them trying to become immortal by becoming tech I get an unforced laugh from myself. I’m smiling as I type this. It’s so foolish and on some level it almost seems childish.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Every time I think about them trying to become immortal by becoming tech I get an unforced laugh from myself. I’m smiling as I type this. It’s so foolish and on some level it almost seems childish.

You know at the root of this, alot of these folks were the i got bullied as a kid or similar. They arent happy with the physical self so they seek to improve that. It is kinda funny and childish. They are also an evil that needs to be pushed back against lest they succeed and destroy the natural world. Can you see my own bias on this topic?

 

[The Original Rooster]

You know at the root of this, alot of these folks were the i got bullied as a kid or similar. They arent happy with the physical self so they seek to improve that. It is kinda funny and childish. They are also an evil that needs to be pushed back against lest they succeed and destroy the natural world. Can you see my own bias on this topic?

I agree and evil or not, it's still unhealthy for us.
Regardless of whether someone believes we're the creations of God or just an evolved ape, human beings were made to move physically, mentally, and spiritually. Being cared for by an overabundance of technology means less movement in all 3 areas and that's unhealthy.

 

[ambush80]

Seems our right to privacy ought to be for our and the common good as well.

I was being sarcastic, but I could imagine how some people in power might think it's a good idea.

 

[ambush80]

Humans don't require batteries or an AC cord. Tech is not going to replace us.

We just turn matter into energy. Why couldn't a machine? In a roundabout way we're getting our energy from sunlight stored in the things we eat. A machine could get it right from the source.

 

[ambush80]

Another question to ponder for the futurist crowd here, have we really conquered suffering or simply displaced it? As we ponder whether living some version of a simpler life it luxury or not have you stopped to consider that the ultra modern tech based life is built on the backs of workers in far away countries that make it happen. Since even that cannot satisfy the greed of these transhumanists, they now seek to build a slave in the form of A.I., a powerful slave that could one day turn on its master. Yet they already know all this, so they seek immortality and power by becoming tech themselves. How many of our natural resources will be destroyed in that pursuit? Does this sound like a group that is trying to solve the problems of mankind?

There's allot of people involved in this. It's probably driven by some programmers who like to create. I imagine it will be funded first by militaries.

 

[ambush80]

Every time I think about them trying to become immortal by becoming tech I get an unforced laugh from myself. I’m smiling as I type this. It’s so foolish and on some level it almost seems childish.

That was the same response most people had to many of the tech advances we've had. "Wilbur wants to fly!".

 

[Danuwoa]

That was the same response most people had to many of the tech advances we've had. "Wilbur wants to fly!".

Man at some point it’s not only a matter of perspective and really is just stupid.

 

[ambush80]

I agree and evil or not, it's still unhealthy for us.
Regardless of whether someone believes we're the creations of God or just an evolved ape, human beings were made to move physically, mentally, and spiritually. Being cared for by an overabundance of technology means less movement in all 3 areas and that's unhealthy.

I'm thinking that one day there will be a separate category in the Olympics for para-athletes and that they will be crushing the scores of regular athletes.

 

[ambush80]

Man at some point it’s not only a matter of perspective and really is just stupid.

I'm sure they heard plenty of that, too.

 

[ambush80]

You know at the root of this, alot of these folks were the i got bullied as a kid or similar. They arent happy with the physical self so they seek to improve that. It is kinda funny and childish. They are also an evil that needs to be pushed back against lest they succeed and destroy the natural world. Can you see my own bias on this topic?

Maybe there's a programmer or engineer who's daughter can't walk and he wishes he could give her new legs or a new heart or eyes......