Singularity Summit Australia 2011 Wrap-up

Show notes

"Advances in Science and Technology"
Re-iterated recent trends in technology and robotics
Quadrocopter - $300 RRP toy device with advanced microcomputer technology, could not be possible 10 years ago.

Hugo de Garis [8:37]

"The politics of AI"
Writing a new book with Ben Goertzel
Constructing super human intelligence (Hugo calls them 'artilects')
Global species war as artilects approach and surpass human intelligence
Unabomber's Manifesto - Ted Kaczynski could have statues erected in the future as being the first Terran
The uncanny valley of machine intelligence could spark the mainstream fear
Laws of robotics, ethics in AI, AI nanny
Anthropomorphizing AI
Terrans have zero chance unless they strike first
Is Hugo a Terran or a Cosmist?

Stelarc [18:08]

"Human+"
Biotechnology, transhumanism, surrogacy, art
More distributed parts that make-up the conscious self
"It's no longer meaningful to ask if it's biological or not, it's become a more effective operational system and that's what's important"
First athlete with prosthetic legs qualifies for "real" Olympics

Steve Omohundro 1st talk [21:42]

"Minds Making Minds: Artifical Intelligence and the Future of Humanity"
If everything acts as an intelligent, rational agent they are sociopathic. Needs irrationality = lack of computational resources
There's an equilibrium between rationality and available computing resources
The ecology of AI
Dangers of programming a utility function - e.g. AI with desire to play chess
Chess grey goo!

Ray Jarvis [24:53]

"The envy of Roboticists – AI Operating in the Material World"
Practical talk on what we have now in robotics
Using spinning lasers to 3D map an environment for robots
Google Earth3D map the entire world with drones - "burn the retinas, use the new Android Eye!"
Role of robots for AI as a feedback mechanism for training

Ben Goertzel 1st talk [28:48]

"Artificial General Intelligence – Roadmaps"
Artificial General Intelligence and the roadmap on how to achieve it
OpenCog
Operating in the Minecraft world to teach an AI agent
Nanny AI as a possibility of halting progress in AI development until it matures
Gradual transition and merge with machines
The notion of AI being engineered or emerging?

Steve Omohundro 2nd talk [39:59]

David Dowe [43:45]

"(Bayesian/Algorithmic) Information theory, one- and two-part compression, and measures of intelligence"
Universal general measure of intelligence
Abstraction and abduction
Measure of intelligence is what is the most complex situation an entity can understand
Kolmogorov complexity
Economist article: Intelligence testing - Who are you calling bird-brained?
Definition of intelligence that is transcendent of humanity
Steve Wozniak's coffee test

David Chalmers [47:53]

"The Singularity – A Philosophical Analysis"
A philosophical analysis of the Singularity and AI - formulating the assumptions
AI, AI+, AI++
It doesn't require consciousness, just intelligent behaviour
Mind uploading and philosophy of mind
Merge with your upload
Simulating virtual avatar self life paths and then picking the best one

Ben Goertzel 2nd talk [53:25]

"Genomics, AI and Experimental Evolution"
Methuselah flies - experimental evolution for breeding flies increase lifespan by 4x
Comparing SNPs using narrow AI to find differences
Genescient Stem Cell 100
Gene therapy for longevity
The Methuselarity
Experiment-driven discovery instead of traditional scientific hypothesis
Genetic Census

Lawrence Krauss [1:00:31]

"The future of life in the Universe"
A Universe From Nothing video
How long Moore's Law will last for in a finite Universe
Universal expansion, flat Universe
Skeptical about other civilizations in the Universe reaching the Singularity
Sleeping and computing to last as long as possible before the heat-death of the Universe
The future aint what it used to be

Please post your thoughts in the comments, or over at HIVEAI.