Most of these idealistic pieces about AI seem to come from senior, established or wealthy people who aren't very exposed to the labor market. In that view, the question of AI and its transformation is almost philosophical like this piece.
It's more a question of survival if you're labor though. It's very transformative tech but it's coming at a time when the scales are heavily tilted in favor of capital over labor, the government is the most corrupt its ever been and AI is going to make that much more extreme. It doesn't matter how amazing the technology is if all the benefits are going to accrue to the same few people who already have everything and destroy everyone else's bargaining power.
Well sure, but labour isn't going to get much done by pretending that it isn't happening or making moral arguments. I'm put in mind of all the various powers that collapsed in the face of European colonialism - feel, argue and say whatever at some point only the massive power gap matters.
These AI don't get tired, they are still improving at unbelievable rates that can't really be matched by a human and they're already good enough to do most intellectual tasks to some sort of standard (often quite high). Attempting to assert the primacy of meat-based thinking is not going to get very far at the rate things are going.
European colonialism was not based on a massive power gap. In most places it was based on making the right alliances with groups in the places colonised, making favourable treaties etc.
1. They might want allies against their enemies
2. They might be subjects of an existing empire and prefer a new empire
3. They might be an oppressed ethnic or religious group
4. They might be a class that wants to take power from the ruling class
5. Empires typically allow freedom of trade and freedom of movement within them. People will want this.
6. They might be employed by the new power.
Lots of examples. Indian bankers financing the East India Company and even encouraging them to overthrow some rulers. The cast majority of both East India Company troop and, later British troops in India were Indians. People subjugated by the Aztecs allied with the conquistadores, lower caste Indians might well have got a better deal from the British, lots of people migrated within the British Empire for better opportunities, lots of people traded within the Empire too.
People from one colony might be used in another - IIRC the Portuguese used African mercenaries in South Asia.
zaptheimpaler · · focus · HN ↗
It's more a question of survival if you're labor though. It's very transformative tech but it's coming at a time when the scales are heavily tilted in favor of capital over labor, the government is the most corrupt its ever been and AI is going to make that much more extreme. It doesn't matter how amazing the technology is if all the benefits are going to accrue to the same few people who already have everything and destroy everyone else's bargaining power.
roenxi · · focus · HN ↗
These AI don't get tired, they are still improving at unbelievable rates that can't really be matched by a human and they're already good enough to do most intellectual tasks to some sort of standard (often quite high). Attempting to assert the primacy of meat-based thinking is not going to get very far at the rate things are going.
graemep · · focus · HN ↗
bonoboTP · · focus · HN ↗
pjmlp · · focus · HN ↗
graemep · · focus · HN ↗
1. They might want allies against their enemies 2. They might be subjects of an existing empire and prefer a new empire 3. They might be an oppressed ethnic or religious group 4. They might be a class that wants to take power from the ruling class 5. Empires typically allow freedom of trade and freedom of movement within them. People will want this. 6. They might be employed by the new power.
Lots of examples. Indian bankers financing the East India Company and even encouraging them to overthrow some rulers. The cast majority of both East India Company troop and, later British troops in India were Indians. People subjugated by the Aztecs allied with the conquistadores, lower caste Indians might well have got a better deal from the British, lots of people migrated within the British Empire for better opportunities, lots of people traded within the Empire too.
People from one colony might be used in another - IIRC the Portuguese used African mercenaries in South Asia.