(Cross-posted from my website. Audio version here, or search "Joe Carlsmith Audio" on your podcast app.

This is the first essay in a series that I’m calling “Otherness and control in the age of AGI.” See here for more about the series as a whole.)

When species meet

The most succinct argument for AI risk, in my opinion, is the “second species” argument. Basically, it goes like this.

Premise 1: AGIs would be like a second advanced species on earth, more powerful than humans.

Conclusion: That's scary.

To be clear: this is very far from airtight logic.[1] But I like the intuition pump. Often, if I only have two sentences to explain AI risk, I say this sort of species stuff. “Chimpanzees should be careful about inventing humans.” Etc.[2]

People often talk about aliens here, too. “What if you learned that aliens [...]

---

Outline:

(00:21) When species meet

(02:08) Gentleness

(05:44) What are you?

(11:37) People in bear costumes

(16:18) Getting eaten

The original text contained 12 footnotes which were omitted from this narration.

---

First published:
January 2nd, 2024

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/mzvu8QTRXdvDReCAL/gentleness-and-the-artificial-other

---

Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.

“Gentleness and the artificial Other” by Joe Carlsmith

LessWrong (30+ Karma)

“Gentleness and the artificial Other” by Joe Carlsmith