Comprehensive AI services (CAIS) is an approach to understanding superintelligence proposed by Eric Drexler. In Drexler’s words, “CAIS provides a model of flexible, general intelligence in which agents are a class of service-providing products, rather than a natural or necessary engine of progress in themselves.”[1] On this approach, advanced AI systems are conceived as “services”, or systems with an expanding set of capabilities, one of which is the optional capability of agency.
Further reading
Alexander, Scott (2019) Review of Eric Drexler, Reframing Superintelligence: Comprehensive AI Services as General Intelligence, Slate Star Codex, August 27.
Baumann, Tobias (2020) Summary of Eric Drexler’s work on reframing AI safety, Reducing Risks of Future Suffering, May 21.
A clear bullet-point summary of Drexler 2019.
Drexler, K. Eric (2019) Reframing superintelligence: Comprehensive AI services as general intelligence, technical report #2019-1, Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford.
Hanson, Robin (2019) How lumpy AI services?, Overcoming Bias, February 14.
McCluskey, Peter (2019) Drexler on AI risk, Bayesian Investor Blog, January 30.
Ngo, Richard (2019) Comments on CAIS, LessWrong, January 12.
Shah, Rohin (2019) Reframing superintelligence: Comprehensive AI services as general intelligence, LessWrong, January 8.
A very clear summary of the CAIS approach.
Related entries
AI alignment | Eric Drexler | superintelligence | tool AI
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Drexler, K. Eric (2019) Reframing superintelligence: Comprehensive AI services as general intelligence, technical report #2019-1, Future of Humanity Institute, University of Oxford.