Isn't it strange that we live in such a pivotal time in human history?
Posted: Sat Feb 01, 2025 8:05 pm
Hi everyone.
In recent discussions about the upcoming AI revolution and singularity, people often emphasize the incredibly unique kind of moment in human history this is. They find it very strange that exactly they (and all other living people today) exist at such a pivotal point in history. I even heard Nick Bostrom say this.
I can relate to this notion, but I think it is based on a fundamental philosophical misconception:
I am the sum of my memories and personality features (and nothing else) and these are formed to a very high degree in the context of my environment (life experiences an such). So I can only exist in this day and age, the computer age, and not in any other age of human civilization. When I say "I wonder how it would be if I lived a thousand years ago" this makes no sense, because this person could not be me - it would necessarily have at least very different memories. Thus, it is not strange at all that I live in this time and age. In fact, it is inevitable that I live in times around the Technological Singularity, because the environment created by the computer age has significantly shaped my personality and memories.
One can of course also use this rationale to refute the Doomsday Argument.
One counter argument to my reasoning would be that is unclear if we indeed live at a very special time - that there might not be an intelligence explosion, biological immortality etc.. After all, it hasn't happened yet.
Are there other counter arguments? I am sure many of you guys have heard my line of reasoning before. Any other thoughts?
In recent discussions about the upcoming AI revolution and singularity, people often emphasize the incredibly unique kind of moment in human history this is. They find it very strange that exactly they (and all other living people today) exist at such a pivotal point in history. I even heard Nick Bostrom say this.
I can relate to this notion, but I think it is based on a fundamental philosophical misconception:
I am the sum of my memories and personality features (and nothing else) and these are formed to a very high degree in the context of my environment (life experiences an such). So I can only exist in this day and age, the computer age, and not in any other age of human civilization. When I say "I wonder how it would be if I lived a thousand years ago" this makes no sense, because this person could not be me - it would necessarily have at least very different memories. Thus, it is not strange at all that I live in this time and age. In fact, it is inevitable that I live in times around the Technological Singularity, because the environment created by the computer age has significantly shaped my personality and memories.
One can of course also use this rationale to refute the Doomsday Argument.
One counter argument to my reasoning would be that is unclear if we indeed live at a very special time - that there might not be an intelligence explosion, biological immortality etc.. After all, it hasn't happened yet.
Are there other counter arguments? I am sure many of you guys have heard my line of reasoning before. Any other thoughts?