If you want to claim you’re working on a project that may save the world, fine. But there’s got to be more to show for it, sooner or later, than speculative essays. At the very least, people worried about unfriendly AI will have to gather data and come up with some kind of statistical study that gives evidence of a threat! Look at climate science. For all the foibles and challenges of the climate change movement, those people actually gather data, create prediction models, predict the results of mitigating policies—it works more or less like science.
I categorically do not want statistical studies of the type you mention done. I do want solid academic research done but not experiments. Some statistics on, for example, human predictions vs actual time till successful completion on tasks of various difficulties would be useful. But these do not appear to be the type of studies you are asking for, and nor do they target the most significant parts of the conclusion.
I agree with your conclusion but not this part:
I categorically do not want statistical studies of the type you mention done. I do want solid academic research done but not experiments. Some statistics on, for example, human predictions vs actual time till successful completion on tasks of various difficulties would be useful. But these do not appear to be the type of studies you are asking for, and nor do they target the most significant parts of the conclusion.
[You are not entitled to that particular proof]http://lesswrong.com/lw/1ph/youre_entitled_to_arguments_but_not_that/).