Here’s a fairly safe prediction: most of the potential harm from AI is potential harm to nonhuman animals.
I would think for someone who attended an AI, Animals, and Digital Minds conference it should look like an extremely precarious prediction, as AIs will likely immensely outnumber nonhuman animals, and could have much more of most features we could use in measuring ‘harm’?
Thanks for the comment. I was clearly too quick with that opening statement. Perhaps in part I let my epistemic guard down there out of general frustration at the neglectedness of the topic, and a desire to attract some attention with a bold opener. So much harm could accrue to nonhuman animals relative to humans, and I really want more discussion on this. PLF is—I’ve argued, anyway—a highly visible threat to the welfare of zillions, but rarely mentioned. I hope you’ll forgive an immodest but emotional claim.
I’ve edited the opener and the footnote to be more defensible, in response to this comment.
I actually don’t believe, in the median scenario, that AIs are likely to both outnumber sentient animals and have a high likelihood of suffering, but I don’t really want that to be the focus of this piece. And either way, I don’t believe that with high certainty: in that respect, the statement was not reflective of my views.
I would think for someone who attended an AI, Animals, and Digital Minds conference it should look like an extremely precarious prediction, as AIs will likely immensely outnumber nonhuman animals, and could have much more of most features we could use in measuring ‘harm’?
Thanks for the comment. I was clearly too quick with that opening statement. Perhaps in part I let my epistemic guard down there out of general frustration at the neglectedness of the topic, and a desire to attract some attention with a bold opener. So much harm could accrue to nonhuman animals relative to humans, and I really want more discussion on this. PLF is—I’ve argued, anyway—a highly visible threat to the welfare of zillions, but rarely mentioned. I hope you’ll forgive an immodest but emotional claim.
I’ve edited the opener and the footnote to be more defensible, in response to this comment.
I actually don’t believe, in the median scenario, that AIs are likely to both outnumber sentient animals and have a high likelihood of suffering, but I don’t really want that to be the focus of this piece. And either way, I don’t believe that with high certainty: in that respect, the statement was not reflective of my views.