I see a small controversy in your statements, please help me understand:
> Sometimes I get frustrated by the "AGI is an existential risk" quotes like Musk's because I feel that's a distraction from some really beneficial applications of machine learning that will help save lives.
While I absolutely and adamantly disagree and I can't ever agree that warnings must be dismissed as "distractions", I extract from your statement here that you want us to move forward to a true AI no matter what. But then...
> ...and that there is much more practical work to be done to advance humanity.
Right now AI looks like snake oil selling, you realize that, right? I stand fully behind the statement that we have tons of practical and increasingly urgent issues to solve here in the material Earth.
Unless of course you're implying that the strife for inventing a true AI (=AGI) is a practical work. IMO it isn't. It's better than the medieval alchemy, but not by much.
> While I absolutely and adamantly disagree and I can't ever agree that warnings must be dismissed as "distractions",
Warnings can be faked. Fear mongering can be lessened when people are informed on a subject.
> I extract from your statement here that you want us to move forward to a true AI no matter what.
Where in the devil did you get that? I said no such thing. I think investments towards building AGI are largely a waste of money. If people want to spend their money on that, that's fine. I won't.
> Right now AI looks like snake oil selling, you realize that, right?
AGI does, yes. And, for those who do not understand the difference between data science and AGI, then probably all "AI tech" seems like snake oil. But it isn't. It's already helping doctors detect cancer, among other major issues.
> Unless of course you're implying that the strife for inventing a true AI (=AGI) is a practical work
I'm not. I have no idea where you got that from my comments.
> Sometimes I get frustrated by the "AGI is an existential risk" quotes like Musk's because I feel that's a distraction from some really beneficial applications of machine learning that will help save lives.
While I absolutely and adamantly disagree and I can't ever agree that warnings must be dismissed as "distractions", I extract from your statement here that you want us to move forward to a true AI no matter what. But then...
> ...and that there is much more practical work to be done to advance humanity.
Right now AI looks like snake oil selling, you realize that, right? I stand fully behind the statement that we have tons of practical and increasingly urgent issues to solve here in the material Earth.
Unless of course you're implying that the strife for inventing a true AI (=AGI) is a practical work. IMO it isn't. It's better than the medieval alchemy, but not by much.