Alt-BEAM Archive
Message #03480
To: nigel.joyce@qr.com.au
From: "Mark W. Tilden" mwtilden@math.uwaterloo.ca
Date: Fri, 21 May 1999 12:27:39 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: [alt-beam] Re: Evolution Comparison
>> According to Hans Moravec, robot evolution is going approximately 10
>> million times faster than biological evolution did. Therefore, he
>predicts
>> that within fifty years or so, we will have made an artificial human.
>Exactly so, and why? because humans work as a TEAM, the process would
>take 10 million times as long if only 1 person was doing it.
But unlike nature which has specific and very harsh survival
guidelines, the technological efforts of mankind are diffuse, not
usually cumulative, and rarely in favor of the machine. The evolution
of biologicals focuses on their own interest where the mainstream
evolution of devices focuses only on human interest, which, let's face
it, doesn't give a damn about the technology so long as it works.
Evolution can only yield a result if it's consistent and directed
towards the selfish autonomoid. So long as the machines exclusively
serve their Gods, I've predicted they won't go anywhere outside the
laboratory or moviescreen. In my opinion, fifty years sounds pretty
optimistic, unless we can get a better grip on this BEAM thing.
Yes, Moravec and myself have debated this at length. He doesn't get
it, but anyone who's every tried to run a new computer with an old
printer might understand.
Later.
markt.
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