The ARTILECT WAR Cosmists vs. Terrans

1. The ARTILECT WAR Cosmists vs. Terrans A Bitter Controversy Concerning Whether Humanity Should Build Godlike Massively Intelligent Machines by Prof. Dr. Hugo de Garis Professor of Computer Science and Mathematical Physics, Xiamen University, CHINA. Published by ETC Books, USA, Feb 2005, and Tsinghua University Press, CHINA, June 2007

5. TALK The Species Dominance Debate : Should Humanity Build Godlike Massively Intelligent Machines This Century?” Abstract : 21st Century technologies, such as nano-technology (molecular scale engineering), quantum computing, molecular electronics, 3-D self assembly, one bit per atom memory storage, femto-second switching, etc, will allow humanity to build godlike, massively intelligent machines called “Artilects” (artificial intellects) this century, with intellectual capacities trillions of trillions of times above the human level. This prospect raises huge ethical issues that humanity needs to discuss.

6. Prof de Garis sees humanity splitting into two major, murderously opposed, philosophical camps in the coming decades, i.e. the so-called “Cosmists” who will treat Artilect building almost as a religion (“The most magnificent thing humanity could do”) and the so-called Terrans (terra = the earth) who will think that building artilects is too risky, since they would be so superior to us they may see us indifferently as pests and decide to exterminate us. Prof de Garis predicts a major war occurring between the Cosmists and the Terrans late this century, killing billions of people (“gigadeath”). Given the importance of the debate, he invites members of the philosophical/political communities to begin discussing the enormous intellectual and ethical issues involved.

7. Biography : Prof de Garis is full professor of computer science at Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian Province, CHINA. He was formerly an associate professor of computer science and an adjunct professor of mathematical physics at Utah State University, in Utah, USA. He has lived in 7 countries and is married to a Chinese woman, who is the daughter of a general who was with Mao on the long march. Prof de Garis is the author of the book “The Artilect War” which was published by ETC Books, in the US in February 2005, and by Tsinghua University Press (TUP) in June 2007. Contact : profhugodegaris@yahoo.com http://www.iss.whu.edu.cn/degaris

8. Contents of Talk • 21st Century (Artilect Enabling) Technologies • The Artilect : Capacities 1024 Times above Human Levels • The Species Dominance Debate Starts • Cosmists, Terrrans, Cyborgs • Arguments of the Cosmists • Arguments of the Terrans • Arguments of the Cyborgs • How the Artilect War Heats Up • Gigadeath • Vote • Appeal to Philosophers/Politicians

9. 1) 21st Century (Artilect Enabling) Technologies • a) Moore’s Law • b) 1 bit/atom by 2020 • c) Femto-second Switching • d) Reversible Computing • e) Nanotech(nology) • f) Artificial Embryology • g) Evolutionary Engineering • h) (Topological) Quantum Computing • i) Nanotech Impact on Brain Science • j) Artificial Brains

10. The Artilect : Capacities 1024 Times above Human Levels • Artilect = Artificial Intellect • The human brain has a switching capacity of about 1016 • bit flips per second. • An Artilect could have 1040 bit flips per second. • So, an Artilect has a trillion trillion times the human brain • capacity.

11. 3) The Species Dominance Debate Starts • As the IQ gap between humans and artilects closes, human • beings will split into 2 (possibly 3) main groups – • The Cosmists (favorable to building Artilects) • The Terrans (opposed to building Artilects) • The Cyborgs (who want to become Artilects themselves) • Should humanity build these godlike massively intelligent • machines? • This is the most important question of the 21st century, dominating • our global politics, comparable with : “Who should own capital?” • of the 19th and 20th centuries.

12. 4) Cosmists, Terrrans, Cyborgs • Cosmists (based on the word Cosmos = universe) • Cosmism = ideology in favor of building artilects • Terrans (based on the word Terra = the earth) • Terranism = ideology opposed to building artilects • c) Cyborgs (i.e. cybernetic organisms = part machine, part human) • Cyborgism = ideology of humans become artilects themselves

13. 5) Arguments of the Cosmists • Big Picture Argument • b) Scientific Religion • c) Building Artilect Gods • d) Human Striving, Cant be Stopped • e) Economic Momentum • f) Military Momentum

14. 6) Arguments of the Terrans • Preserve the Human Species • b) Fear of Difference • c) Rejection of the Cyborgs • d) Unpredictable Complexity • e) Cosmist Inconsideration • f) Time Window, to React against the Cosmists/Cyborgs

15. 7) Arguments of the Cyborgs • Become Artilect Gods Ourselves • Avoid the Cosmist/Terran Clash

16. 8) How the Artilect War Heats Up • Nanotech revolutionizes Neuroscience • Neuro-engineering weds with Neuro-science • Artificial Brain technology creates massive industries • Intelligence Theory is developed • Artilects get smarter every year • Debate begins to rage, political parties formed • Debate turns violent, assassination, sabotage • Terrans strike, before its too late for them • Cosmists anticipate this strike, and are ready • Late 21st century weapons, leads to Gigadeath war

17. 9. Gigadeath Number of People Killed in Major Wars Artilect War, Billions WW2, 50-100 Million WW1, 20 Million Napoleonic Wars, 1 Million 1800 1900 2000 2100

18. QUOTE : “I’m glad I’m alive now. At least I will die peacefully in my bed. However, I truly fear for my grandchildren. They will be caught up in the Artilect War, and will probably be destroyed by it”. Prof. Hugo de Garis, 2000 (Discovery Channel)

19. 10) Vote I invite the audience to vote on this question : “Do you feel personally that humanity should build Artilects, these godlike machines, despite the risk that they might decide, in a highly advanced form, to wipe out humanity? Do we build gods, or do we build our potential exterminators?

20. 11) Appeal to Philosophers/Politicians There is immense scope for philosophical/political debate on the “Artilect Issue”, particularly for “Applied Ethics” philosophers, “Political” philosophers, and CCP members. I invite you to start thinking and writing about these hugely important questions that will dominate our global politics this century. China will become the dominant nation this century. Therefore it should become the world leader in the “Species Dominance” debate that will dominate the century that China will dominate. I came to China, mainly to help China create that leadership.

22. BBC To see a clash of opinions on whether the rise of the Artilect will be a good or bad thing for humanity, see the BBC TV “Horizon” program in which Prof de Garis and Dr. Ray Kurzweil discuss the topic. Dr. Ray Kurzweil is optimistic Prof. Hugo de Garis is pessimistic You can Google “Human V2.0” BBC