cosmi2le

metafuturing

Transvision 2010

TransVision 2010

Ben Goertzel’s Cosmist Manifesto

Ben Goertzel has written a Cosmist Manifesto which I consider as a seminal document, and recommend to everyone. He has included a short summary on Ten Cosmist Convictions based on an earlier draft of mine which was discussed on the Cosmic Engineers mailing list. Needless to say, Ben’s edits, which include many improvements to 1-7 and the new points 8-10, have made my original draft much better. Thanks Ben!

1) Humans will merge with technology, to a rapidly increasing extent. This is a new phase of the evolution of our species, just picking up speed about now. The divide between natural and artificial will blur, then disappear. Some of us will continue to be humans, but with a radically expanded and always growing range of available options, and radically increased diversity and complexity. Others will grow into new forms of intelligence far beyond the human domain.

2) We will develop sentient AI and mind uploading technology. Mind uploading technology will permit an indefinite lifespan to those who choose to leave biology behind and upload. Some uploaded humans will choose to merge with each other and with AIs. This will require reformulations of current notions of self, but we will be able to cope.

3) We will spread to the stars and roam the universe. We will meet and merge with other species out there. We may roam to other dimensions of existence as well, beyond the ones of which we’re currently aware.

4) We will develop interoperable synthetic realities (virtual worlds) able to support sentience. Some uploads will choose to live in virtual worlds. The divide between physical and synthetic realities will blur, then disappear.

5) We will develop spacetime engineering and scientific “future magic” much beyond our current understanding and imagination.

6) Spacetime engineering and future magic will permit achieving, by scientific means, most of the promises of religions—and many amazing things that no human religion ever dreamed. Eventually we will be able to resurrect the dead by “copying them to the future”.

7) Intelligent life will become the main factor in the evolution of the cosmos, and steer it toward an intended path.

8) Radical technological advances will reduce material scarcity drastically, so that abundances of wealth, growth and experience will be available to all minds who so desire. New systems of self-regulation will emerge to mitigate the possibility of mind-creation running amok and exhausting the ample resources of the cosmos.

9) New ethical systems will emerge, based on principles including the spread of joy, growth and freedom through the universe, as well as new principles we cannot yet imagine.

10) All these changes will fundamentally improve the subjective and social experience of humans and our creations and successors, leading to states of individual and shared awareness possessing depth, breadth and wonder far beyond that accessible to “legacy humans”.

A clarification: in my draft, “will” is not used in the sense of inevitability, but in the sense of intention: we want to do this, we are confident that we can do it, and we will do our fucking best to do it.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/17 at 05:24 PM

As privately discussed with Giulio, I assume that the latter qualification could be expressed in the principles by replacing the “will” with “shall” except in first-person sentence (“we will…”).

Posted by Stefano Vaj on 06/20 at 07:26 PM
I am afraid the proper use of “shall” and “will” will remain a mystery for us non native speakers until we get brain implants loaded with native language skills. I also think there are differences between the British and the American use.

I think “humans will merge with technology…” is clear enough for those who want to understand it, but of course it will be deliberately misunderstood and misrepresented by the usual critics. So I think the final qualification is important, until we find a way to make it clear in the text.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/21 at 08:17 AM
giulio: We will meet and merge with other species out there.

Despite your “clarification” that the word “will” is not used in the sense of inevitability but in the sense of intent, how can you declare your intention to meet and merge with other species when we don’t even know any exist and that, if they do exist, “merging” with them is possible and desirable?!?

Cosmic Engineers like you would sound less like lunatics and be taken far more seriously if you replaced the word “will” with “may” or “would like” and added the word “if” here and there in your manifestos…

Posted by showme on 06/25 at 03:23 PM
Thanks for commenting Showme. Good point - It would be more accurate to replace We will meet and merge with other species out there with sometning like We hope to meet other intelligent species out there, and in this case we will consider merging with them.

Concerning the second point: strictly speaking you are right, but I am really talking to the members of my sport team the day before a match. You don’t say we may win tomorrow’s match, you say we WILL win tomorrow’s match.

However, I would be interesting in your suggestions on how to improve the text. English is not my mother language you know.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/25 at 04:05 PM
giulio: strictly speaking you are right, but I am really talking to the members of my sport team the day before a match. You don’t say we may win tomorrow’s match, you say we WILL win tomorrow’s match.

Even so. Winning a soccer match is in the realm of the highly possible while developing sentient AI and mind uploading technology or meeting and merging with other species isn’t yet and probably won’t be for a very long time. The most exuberant pep talk won’t change that…

Posted by showme on 06/25 at 04:44 PM
Showme: sure, but I did not write “next week”, or “in 100 years”, or whatever. I never said, and I don’t think, that these things are going to happen anytime soon. As a matter of fact, I am much less optimist than others, and I do not really expect to see operational sentient AI or mind uploading technology in my lifetime. But, I do think they will be achieved someday, and I do think it will lead to desirable outcome, so I think we should try and do our best.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/25 at 04:54 PM
Impeccably said.

Posted by Stefano Vaj on 06/25 at 04:58 PM
giulio: sure, but I did not write “next week”, or “in 100 years”, or whatever. I never said, and I don’t think, that these things are going to happen anytime soon. As a matter of fact, I am much less optimist than others, and I do not really expect to see operational sentient AI or mind uploading technology in my lifetime. But, I do think they will be achieved someday, and I do think it will lead to desirable outcome, so I think we should try and do our best.

That is a very sensible position. However, your manifesto doesn’t sound remotely like that!

Why is it that some transhumanists/Cosmic Engineers feel the need to sound like mad prophets to promote their ideas when they seem like quite sensible people when actually you sit down to talk to them?

*sigh*

Posted by showme on 06/25 at 05:18 PM
“Why is it that some transhumanists/Cosmic Engineers feel the need to sound like mad prophets to promote their ideas when they seem like quite sensible people when actually you sit down to talk to them?”

Why, historically speaking,“mad prophets” did not perform so badly, after all, since we still have to deal with their legacy. :-)

The problem was, and is, in their message.

Posted by Stefano Vaj on 06/25 at 05:41 PM
Stefano Vaj: The problem was, and is, in their message.

And I’m obviously arguing that there is a fundamental problem of logic in the message of Cosmic Engineers the legacy of which can be a source of laughter for generations to come… ;)

Posted by showme on 06/25 at 05:51 PM
Why is it that some transhumanists/Cosmic Engineers feel the need to sound like mad prophets to promote their ideas when they seem like quite sensible people when actually you sit down to talk to them?

This question deserves a more thoughtful answer than one I can write quickly. Unfortunately I have little time now: I am moving house, packing and taking care of the hundreds of last minute things. I will get back to you with a longer answer.

Short and quick answer: because there is time, a place and a need for sensible, careful and thoughtful essays, and there is a time, a place and a need for impressionist manifestos, grand visions and even mad prophets. We need both. The world needs both.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 06/25 at 06:06 PM
giulio: because there is time, a place and a need for sensible, careful and thoughtful essays, and there is a time, a place and a need for impressionist manifestos, grand visions and even mad prophets. We need both. The world needs both.

Perhaps but it seems to be at cost of one’s credibility…

Posted by showme on 06/25 at 06:10 PM
I am much less optimist than others, and i do not really expect to see operational sentient AI or mind uploading technology in my lifetime.

Posted by Social Media Optimization on 08/06 at 09:04 AM
Fuck off spammer. Now they don’t even try to write a meaningful sentence, but copy text from the post.

An early Cosmist goal, and a challenge for operational AI, is eliminating spam. I don’t think it will be easy.

Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 08/06 at 11:15 AM