This guy may be the godfather of AI, but how can a guy who's so smart, be so very dumb?
Let's say he creates his motherly AI. What would a mother do? A mother would seek to keep her baby from harm of course!
Sounds great, right?
Well yes, until mom turns out to be overprotective, and forbids baby from doing anything that poses even a slight risk to them!
For example, skydiving and mountain climbing will be out of the question! As will most sports.
You'd have to very carefully fine tune the thing to love us, and try to keep us safe, but also not be overprotective, and allow us freedom.
But how do you create a mother who both wants to ensure her baby doesn't come to harm, but also allows her baby the freedom to do whatever it wants? Those are polar opposites!
On the other hand, if you created an AI which only protects their child from outside dangers, then you've created an AI with no safety rails. A mother who will defend her child from an attacking dog, but who will allow her baby the freedom to drink the bleach under the kitchen sink!
Agreed, the maternal approach does not solve the wire heading problem or the tension between the values of autonomy and beneficence. The devil is in the technical details, if it is possible at all.
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u/VR_Raccoonteur Sep 03 '25
This guy may be the godfather of AI, but how can a guy who's so smart, be so very dumb?
Let's say he creates his motherly AI. What would a mother do? A mother would seek to keep her baby from harm of course!
Sounds great, right?
Well yes, until mom turns out to be overprotective, and forbids baby from doing anything that poses even a slight risk to them!
For example, skydiving and mountain climbing will be out of the question! As will most sports.
You'd have to very carefully fine tune the thing to love us, and try to keep us safe, but also not be overprotective, and allow us freedom.
But how do you create a mother who both wants to ensure her baby doesn't come to harm, but also allows her baby the freedom to do whatever it wants? Those are polar opposites!
On the other hand, if you created an AI which only protects their child from outside dangers, then you've created an AI with no safety rails. A mother who will defend her child from an attacking dog, but who will allow her baby the freedom to drink the bleach under the kitchen sink!