[ivan.moony]

Last night I've thought of something interesting.

What if an autonomous AI would copy intelligence it sees around itself? It would learn from responses from its input stream. It would, through variable unification, learn actions and consequences, constantly watching how its environment behaves and then it would behave exactly like its environment in given situations. If I would be the only one that interfaces AI, it would be exact copy of myself after a while. The more beings it would interface, the more broad picture about its environment it would get and less harmful it would potentially be.

Now I can't forget about one unluckily scenario: an terrorist that raises such an AI. In such case, AI would act like a criminal until it sees enough responses from other people.

And once again, I'm in a doubt of pursuing an AI as a public and open source project. Any real AI, no matter of what algorithm it would use, would represent a potential threat to society if abused. And on the other side, once publicly available, the same technology would be available to police and army for defense causes. That would setup a cold war environment of peace.

Argument against making an AI algorithm publicly available is constant fear against terrorist's AI implementation that would arise in that case. Not to mention famous Albert Einstein which witnessed a disaster of throwing A-bomb on the civil target, all in the name of peace in the world.

If we take a look at current situation, technology for an atomic bomb exist, yet I don't see them falling all around world, thrown by terrorist organisations. That would be an argument for making an AI algorithm publicly available because in the case of successful application, it would give us yet unseen benefits of work-free life in thriving civilization (after overcoming some kid diseases), not to mention medical discoveries that would wipe out different diseases from this world, I believe. And at the end, as I believe that bad people behavior like terrorism arises from poor people watching rich people, with an AI we could punch out from those people an argument to behave unfriendly. Of course, there are other arguments (important just to a few people I've met) like is liberation of plants and animals from being our slaves as a food pray (anyway, this shift in people's consciousness I don't expect for at least a few centuries from now).

So, should I end up my quest in a fear of its abuse and give up all potential benefits?

I don't know what I expect from this post, probably I'm just trying to line up my thoughts.

Maybe I should answer this question for myself: do I believe in a friendly God as a higher force who will give a magic touch in the future and save us from potential disaster? And I've seen things in my life that normal, mental healthy people would never understand.

[Don Patrick]

Sounds like the AI would only copy people's behaviour, not their intelligence. People do a lot of dumb things and there are more dumb people than intelligent people to take example from.
If you ask the american government, even Playstation 3 processors and mobile phones should not be made available to countries like Iraq. If you ask me, AI with the capacity to solve problems ("I want to break into this bank"), design weapons or design "medical" chemical compounds should not be made available to the general public, terrorists or not. In my opinion it would be as irresponsible as letting a child play with a gun. And we all know what happened when gunpowder became publicly available. Atomic bombs take a lot of expertise and more money than a terrorist organisation will have. Only entire countries have the resources to build them, and the only thing holding them back is diplomatic treaties and sanctions.

Rather than be irresponsible or give up, why not do what most scientists do; Work on a project, publicly to some extent, then once it gets powerful enough you'll get a call from DARPA, american military, and then you can further develop it in secret with their funding until they've decided it's safe enough to make public. Just as they did with the internet and Siri.

[Art]

Just thinking that an autonomous AI would obviously need programming.
Within the programmed parameters, one would simply lay down some rules, guide lines that the AI may and may not do, in the course of its travels.
It would need to already "know" various definitions of things like humans, combustibles / explosives, structures, vehicles. Then it could proceed to any place it basically wanted to go (aside from the salty water of the ocean), to seek out new life forms...to boldly go...ohh...nevermind...that was another saga!

[ivan.moony]

As much as I'd hate any side military application of AI, I'd hate also to make it a secret because that way I'd stop all good deeds that other people would potentially do with it.

[ivan.moony]

And someone would almost certainly rob a bank (maybe with casualties) with a robot if it existed. Maybe I should find a golden middle, make a programming language close to AI and leave the rest to next generations, once when the world is ready.

Crap, we are still animals 

[Art]

Like I mentioned, without rules and guidelines, we're nothing but a can of worms. (or as you mentioned, animals).
That's why every country has some type of law enforcement / police if you will. Sometimes they are there only to see that the honest people remain honest.

As much as I dislike the very notion of a "Police state", I do think certain agencies are needed to keep us from resorting back to our animal instincts.

[ivan.moony]

I agree that an peace authority is necessary in these times.

Mine opinion is that major criminal motives came from poverty. If we would all enjoy an automated labor force, those motives would vanish and there would be less criminal around. But, transition  period while we still use money would with public AI lead to certain amount of excesses. And I think that AI should be a public project because of all good stuff that an "army" of scientists would make possible.

So math would be: a long period of AI-less less lethal excesses, or a shorter period of AI lethal excesses after which comes a thrive. Not to mention imprisoned animals of today that I would like to set free with AI-discovered artificial food. And you people are not helping with all that meat in butchery stores.

Look at that, a math with bare lives. I think that I'm going to snap again. Reserve a straitjacket for me, just in case.

[ivan.moony]

What a sickness, I'm going to throw up.

[Freddy]

There's no point in worrying about things that may not happen Ivan 

[Art]

You go ahead and eat your tofu.

Personally, I think there's a Place for all God's creatures...

right next to the mashed potatoes!! 

[Data]

I feel your pain Ivan  I believe the reason I feel it is because I am an animal and animals have feelings and show empathy for each other.

Animals have feelings too!! A MOTHER'S LOVE

I'll get my coat     

[ivan.moony]

I have nothing against anyone, you know? (except maybe against Mother Earth...)

I'm just deeply dissapointed by situation on this planet which I am part also. I'm just trying to be the change I want to see in the world. You are right, I shouldn't complain at all.

And I guess I shouldn't worry about things that the most probably wouldn't happen.

[ivan.moony]

Data, thank you for understanding, it makes me feel better knowing that there are people who really care.

[Data]

Ivan, you are welcome 

Debating is a good thing but it looked like you needed someone on your side.

You are not alone 

[Art]

No Ivan, you go on caring about things. If Tesla or Edison or Bell or Ford hadn't worried about the little things, where would we be now?

Sometimes it's the smallest details that really matter.

I now shoot targets instead of animals and for a large part, I attribute that to getting older and changing my thinking in some ways.
Life is precious no matter who's it is. Although we don't always act it, we should be our brother's keepers. This planet is all we've got
for the time being.

I joke sometimes to lessen the hardships we endure on a daily basis and if I can bring a smile to someone by way of my offbeat humor or wacky remarks then it's all good. For that moment, they have temporarily forgotten their sorrows and problems and remembered how to laugh.

Keep remembering and keep caring.