Some excerpts on the idea of the cosmic host that I liked most:
34. At the highest level might be some normative structure established by what we may term the cosmic host. This refers to the entity or set of entities whose preferences and concordats dominate at the largest scale, i.e. that of the cosmos (by which I mean to include the multiverse and whatever else is contained in the totality of existence). It might conceivably consist of, for example, galactic civilizations, simulators, superintelligences, or a divine being or beings.
39. One might think that we could have no clue as to what the cosmic norms are, but in fact we can make at least some guesses:
a. We should refrain from harming or disrespecting local instances of things that the cosmic host is likely to care about.
b. We should facilitate positive-sum cooperation, and do our bit to uphold the cosmic normative order and nudge it in positive directions.
c. We should contribute public goods to the cosmic resource pool, by securing resources and (later) placing them under the control of cosmic norms. Prevent xrisk and build AI?
d. We should be modest, willing to listen and learn. We should not too headstrongly insist on having too much our way. Instead, we should be compliant, peace-loving, industrious, and humble vis-a-vis the cosmic host.
41. Maybe this could itself be part of an alignment goal: to build our AI such that it wants to be a good cosmic citizen and comply with celestial morality.
a. We may also want it to cherish its parents and look after us in our old age. But a little might go a long way in that regard.
I highly recommend Nick Bostrom’s working paper Base Camp for Mt. Ethics.
Some excerpts on the idea of the cosmic host that I liked most: