1. Legal and Moral Complexities of Artificial General Intelligence
Peter Voss
Adaptive A.I. Inc.
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

2. Topics What is AGI, and how does it differ from conventional AI?
Key Uncertainties
AGI: Savior or Mortal Danger?
Moral Implications
Legal Implications
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

3. AGI: The forgotten science
Real AI – Human-level learning and understanding
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
Conventional AI
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

4. AGI: The forgotten science
Real AI – Human-level learning and understanding
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
Conventional AI
Focus on acquiring knowledge and skills
Focus on having knowledge and skills
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

5. AGI: The forgotten science
Real AI – Human-level learning and understanding
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
Conventional AI
Focus on acquiring knowledge and skills
Focus on having knowledge and skills
Acquisition via
learning
programming
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

6. AGI: The forgotten science
Real AI – Human-level learning and understanding
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
Conventional AI
Focus on acquiring knowledge and skills
Focus on having knowledge and skills
Acquisition via
learning
programming
General ability, using abstraction and context
Domain specific, rule-based and concrete
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

7. AGI: The forgotten science
Real AI – Human-level learning and understanding
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)
Conventional AI
Focus on acquiring knowledge and skills
Focus on having knowledge and skills
Acquisition via
learning
programming
General ability, using abstraction and context
Domain specific, rule-based and concrete
Ongoing cumulative, adaptive, grounded, self-directed learning
Relatively fixed abilities. Externally initiated improvements
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

8. Implications of AGI Human-level learning and understanding Self-aware
Self-improvement (Ready-to-Learn)
Seed AI
Human Augmentation / Integration
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

9. Key Questions How soon? How powerful? ‘Hard’ limits to intelligence?
Will there be a ‘hard take-off’?
Can we put the genie back into the bottle?
Will it have a mind or agenda of its own?
Can’t we first integrate AGIs into humans?
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

10. AGI: Our Savior? Do we need AGI to save us from ourselves?
Dangers of biotech
Dangers of nanotech
Dangers of social breakdown
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

11. AGI: Our Savior? Do we need AGI to save us from ourselves?
Dangers of biotech
Dangers of nanotech
Dangers of social breakdown
AGI can potentially help by –
- providing tools to prevent disaster
- protecting us directly (universal policeman)
- helping to alleviate poverty and suffering
- making us more moral
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

12. AGI: A Mortal Danger? What is the real risk:
An AGI with a mind of its own, or one without?
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

13. AGI: A Mortal Danger? What is the real risk:
An AGI with a mind of its own, or one without?
Little evidence that AGI will be detrimental to humans – unless specifically designed to be!
Original applications or training may have large impact (a2i2 vs. military).
The power of AGI in (the wrong) human hands is a bigger concern.
Mitigating factor: AGI’s positive moral influence
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

14. Moral Implications AGI – Human Interaction
How should we treat AGIs?
Will they desire life and liberty? …And to pursue happiness?
How will we treat AGIs?
Will they be moral amplifiers? Make us more what we are? Bring out our fears? Our best?
How will AGIs act towards us?
Rationally - they better understand consequences of their actions. They lack primitive evolutionary survival instincts.
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

15. Moral Implications Human Development and Integration
How will AGIs change human morality?
They will change the world: Major impact on law, politics, and social justice (The Truth Machine). More rationality. Less material poverty and desperation. Coping with change.
Will they help move us up Maslow’s hierarchy?
Implications of radical Intelligence Augmentation
We will be much more like AGI than humans – AGI thought and morality will dominate.
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

16. Moral Implications Rational Ethics
Rational Personal Ethics:
Principles for Optimal Living
AGIs will have rational virtues
AGI as wise oracle / mentor
AGIs will help us become more virtuous
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

17. Legal Implications What are the primary legal issues?
- To protect humans, or AGIs? (or governments!)
- Will AGIs want life, power, protection?
Can the legal system respond fast enough to prevent or limit potential risks of AGI?
Future of the legal system: AGI judges? Truth based?
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

18. Summary AGI is fundamentally different from conventional AI
Human-level AGI may well arrive in 3 to 6 years
AGI will improve very rapidly beyond this stage
AGIs are unlikely to have their own agenda
AGIs are our best hope to protect and improve the human condition, and to improve our morality.
Powerful AGIs will arrive long before significant IA
Legal issues are more likely to center around limiting the production or use of AGIs, rather than protecting AGIs
Legal mechanisms will be ineffective
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

19. What to do … ?
Contact me:
2/22/2019
Peter Voss

20. References AGI – Artificial General Intelligence
The Truth Machine by James Halperin
Existential Risks: Analyzing Human Extinction Scenarios
True Morality: Rational Principles for Optimal Living
Why Machines will become Hyper-Intelligent before Humans do
2/22/2019
Peter Voss