Humanity Plus, IEET, and Other Transhumanist Community Stuff
My current boss and long-time associate and conversation-partner, Michael Vassar, is running for the board of the organization Humanity Plus. In a recent phone call telling me about his decision, he said that he wanted to make transhumanism more effective by encouraging better cooperation among its many organizations and groups, and spending more time pursuing brand clarification. Read his candidate statement and consider voting for him.
Recently, a bunch of people stepped down from the board of the organization, namely Nick Bostrom, James Hughes, and Mike Treder. James Hughes was a strong figure in the organization, formerly known as the World Transhumanist Association, for many years. For those not in the know, Nick, James, and Mike are now part of the IEET, which is more of a formal think tank than Humanity Plus, the organization formerly known as WTA.
I am a member of Humanity Plus. I used to encourage the IEET to reproduce select blog posts of mine as it wished, but then in mid-year I politely asked them to cease doing so in response to Managing Director Mike Treder's frequent attacks on my moral philosophy of choice, Singularitarianism. See Roko's coverage. Mr. Treder compared Singularitarianism to "birtherism, creationism, and climate science denialism". He wrote, " In each case, arguments are marshaled that seem to resemble scientific or legal reasoning but that end up as speculative assertions intended to support fanciful, ideological, or faith-based positions."
I invite you to read documents like "Basic AI Drives" by Stephen Omohundro and decide for yourself whether the arguments seem primarily faith-based or scientific.
Now I've gotten into conflict already, but that's not my intention. I just wanted to review and mention the IEET. Even though my articles don't appear there any more and I no longer mention them in my bio, I think that IEET could be worth supporting if you can't bring yourself to support SIAI. As a center-left type guy (leaning center-right on economics), I find much of Treder's writing to be stereotypical SWPL leftism, but there are many other authors on the site. James Hughes recently had a good piece up that directly addresses Less Wrong, Eliezer Yudkowsky's rationality project, and the like. The IEET, in general, seems to be making some inroads to the mainstream media, and is indeed the public face of "democratic transhumanism".
Humanity Plus is more of a blank slate. They had a successful recent conference, and could still go a number of different directions. This board runoff will help determine which. Join the organization now if you wish to vote next week.
January 10th, 2010 - 02:56
I don’t think that the “Basic AI Drives” document can be used to provide support for ideas that the world is at dire risk – or that things will change so rapidly that humans will lose their grip on civilisation in the process.
Rather it suggests that poorly chosen utility functions would have negative, consequences.
Since poorly-chosen utility functions will mostly be weeded out by testing, and by the marketplace – and any dangerous machines will have big red stop buttons on them, which they won’t mind having pressed – it is not clear why people would think that this is a big deal.
Military robots excepted, there won’t be many “bad robots” in civilized countries. It would be illegal to sell them – and there would not be much of a market for them anyway.
January 10th, 2010 - 02:57
I heard J. Hughes was refused admission to the Existential Risk Reduction Career Network on grounds of dispute between him and the SIAI? I’m certainly not involved and don’t have much background information but do follow the whole movement for many years. You’d think that the rationalist movement does constitute the ability to cooperate for a overall purpose despite some disagreement in details or ultimate goals, being able to concentrate and focus on similarities. Aren’t we united by many common interests?
January 10th, 2010 - 03:18
I thought the cited James Hughes article was fairly bad. Your comment there seemed pretty critical of it as well. Not one of his better articles.
June 26th, 2010 - 05:06
A Peace Pill for our Peace-less World:
DO NOT DO FOR OTHERS WHAT YOU DO NOT WANT OTHERS TO DO FOR YOU.(.)
GOD HAS NO RELIGION SINCE HE IS GOD (.)
NO ONE IS BAD SINCE EVERYONE BELONGS TO GOD (.)
HUMANITY IS MY CASTE, HUMANITY IS MY COMMUNITY, HUMANITY IS MY RELIGION, HUMANITY IS MY NATIONALITY, HUMANITY IS MY LANGUAGE, HUMANITY IS MY MOTHER-TONGUE, HUMANITY IS MY LAW, HUMANITY IS MY PHILOSOPHY, HUMANITY IS MY PRINCIPLE, HUMANITY IS MY GUIDE, FINALY – HUMANITY IS MY WORLD IN WHICH I LIVE SINCE HUMANITY IS THE ESSENCE OF ALL RELIGIONS AND FAITHS OF OUR WORLD.
Murthy NVSN, Scientist-Metallurgy,
A temporary visitor on earth currently passing through Indian soil and a poor man by fate.
July 18th, 2010 - 10:30
Nori Murthy’s PEACE PILL FOR OUR PLANET
Do not do for others what you do not want others to do for you.
Humanity is my caste, Humanity is community, Humanity is my religion, Humanity is my race, Humanity is my tribe, Humanity is my region, Humanity is my mother-tongue, Humanity is my language, Humanity is my principle, Humanity is my philosophy, Humanity is my consideration, Humanity is my guidelines, Humanity is my path, Humanity is my law, Humanity is my nationality and Humanity is my universe since Humanity is the essence of all religions, faiths and philosophies of our acquisitive world.
God knows no religion since HE is God.
No one is BAD since everyone belongs to GOD.
Laws not built on Humanity do not last longer.
Life is a revered game, therefore, let the name of this game be not the blame.
Hope my work will reach my people of my planet and brings fundamental consciousness on humanity and ensures peace, prosperity & irreversible progress essential for individuals, institutions & nations.
NVSN Murthy, Scientist-Metallurgy
A temporary visitor on earth currently passing through Indian soil
Present address: Mother Planet Earth
Permanent address: Not Known
Past address: Not Known
Future address: Not Known
August 26th, 2010 - 09:03
Measure-worthy elements of a person:
Money, power, position, popularity, qualification, experience and age of a person are not measure-worthy since performance and contribution alone matters.
NVSN Murthy, Scientist and a temporary visitor on earth currently passing through Asian soil.
August 26th, 2010 - 09:07
Politicians in power seldom comeback to power by ignoring farmer, politicians aspiring power seldom come to power by ignoring farmer, political parties ignoring farmer will disappear forever and nations ignoring farmer will ruin forever.
NVSN Murthy, Scientist and a temporary visitor on earth currently passing through Asian soil.
September 19th, 2010 - 06:07
Infy NR Narayana Murthy seldom did his best to become the best. He became the best because he did the best.
This is the only secret of his success.
NVSN Murthy, Scientist and a temporary visitor on earth.
September 19th, 2010 - 06:09
No one is poor by caste since caste cannot cause poverty, we attach poverty to caste only for political gains and people prefer that to bypass competition, in the process – people who are genuinely poor are suffering most.
NVSN Murthy, Research Scientist and a temporary visitor on earth currently passing through Asian soil.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:02
Neither individuals nor institutions nor nations become leaders by following or copying the other.
Therefore, make our laws/rules/regulations/procedures relevant to our nation since the needs, problems, priorities and culture of different nations are different.
NVSN Murthy, Research Scientist and a temporary visitor on earth currently passing through Asian soil.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:03
Success seldom comes by following or copying or imitating.
This analogy is true for individuals, institutions and nations.
NVSN Murthy, Research Scientist and a temporary visitor on earth currently passing through Asian soil.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:04
Genuine leaders follow heroism and seldom choose beaten tracks since following is a fault, copying is a crime and imitating is an offence.
NVSN Murthy, Research Scientist and a temporary visitor on earth currently passing through Asian soil.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:05
Hiring risks:
Qualification seldom qualifies anyone for employment, percentage of marks does not mean merit, age does not mean maturity, experience does not mean knowledge, talent does not mean wisdom, sincerity does not mean creativity, drive does not mean determination, motivation does not mean innovation and honesty does not mean productivity and outspokenness does not mean output.
Therefore, employers must develop exacting tools to measure performance and creativity essential to assess usefulness and wage-worthiness. Individuals, Institutions and nations ignoring these facts end up in recruiting non-contributors and non-performers.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:06
Change is challenging:
Only a change can change a change and change alone can challenge a change along with the inevitable uncertainties associated with every change. These are the real challenges of life for the present and future generations.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:07
Uncertainties:
Uncertainty is more certain and more inevitable than the most inevitable change and challenges.
Thus, entrepreneurs must be more vigilant than never before since emerging technologies demanding abrupt changes need abnormal potential to absorb changes and challenges associated.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:07
Limitations of science:
So far, Science has miserably failed to understand the nature, its secrets and several things happening around. For reasons best known to all concerned, man-made tools like science, engineering and technology continue to fail forever, in spite of this hard reality, we must continue respect science since it carries the entire essential potential essential to add sweetness and flavour essential to make life worth living and enjoyable.
This fact is nothing but truth. Therefore, let us go along with the nature as thoughtfully did by the wisest and the most knowledgeable ancient people of our planet.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:09
God and Religion:
A true religious mind knows no religion since GOD knows no religion.
No one is bad since everyone belongs to God.
Laws not built on humanity do not last longer.
September 19th, 2010 - 08:09
The need of the hour:
Sow humanity and reap peace. Sow peace and reap progress. Sow progress and reap prosperity. Sow prosperity and reap endless happiness. Therefore – Humanity is my caste, Humanity is my community, Humanity is my religion, Humanity is my creed, Humanity is my race, Humanity is my tribe, Humanity is my region, Humanity is my nationality, Humanity is my language, Humanity is my mother-tongue, Humanity is my consideration, Humanity is my philosophy, Humanity is my approach and Humanity is my way of life. Finally, Humanity is my whole world.