I think I disagree with your view here. Let me explain why.
Consider these two objective functions:
Maximize the efficiency of raising tilapia (or any species of animals)
Minimize the chance that the tilapia raised live net negative lives
I think we shouldn’t expect that optimizing for 1 would always, robustly, ensure that 2 is also optimized at the same time. I think highly intelligent systems are quite likely to identify ways to optimize for 1 that do not optimize for 2 at all. In fact, we probably don’t need AI for that. I believe the sole reason that classical, non-intensive, family sized type of raising animals became factory farming exactly because the industry was interested in optimizing for 1, with no regard for 2. I understand that your argument is that, you believe, resource scarcity will make people take “good care” of the animals. But it seems clear to me that the reason they will take good care, is to optimize for 1 and only 1. Unless we can bioengineer a new species of animal of which optimizing for 1 always optimize for 2 at the same time, I am not convinced that we can confidently expect farmed animals in space live net positive lives.
Re: banning factory farming. I think an important consideration is whether this will be done before large scale space exploration and colonization. If factory farming already spread far and wide everywhere in the universe, the earth or nearby planets banning factory farming might not have major effects.
Hi Dony! Thank you for your comment!
I think I disagree with your view here. Let me explain why.
Consider these two objective functions:
Maximize the efficiency of raising tilapia (or any species of animals)
Minimize the chance that the tilapia raised live net negative lives
I think we shouldn’t expect that optimizing for 1 would always, robustly, ensure that 2 is also optimized at the same time. I think highly intelligent systems are quite likely to identify ways to optimize for 1 that do not optimize for 2 at all. In fact, we probably don’t need AI for that. I believe the sole reason that classical, non-intensive, family sized type of raising animals became factory farming exactly because the industry was interested in optimizing for 1, with no regard for 2. I understand that your argument is that, you believe, resource scarcity will make people take “good care” of the animals. But it seems clear to me that the reason they will take good care, is to optimize for 1 and only 1. Unless we can bioengineer a new species of animal of which optimizing for 1 always optimize for 2 at the same time, I am not convinced that we can confidently expect farmed animals in space live net positive lives.
Re: banning factory farming. I think an important consideration is whether this will be done before large scale space exploration and colonization. If factory farming already spread far and wide everywhere in the universe, the earth or nearby planets banning factory farming might not have major effects.