Yeah, having high math or reading comprehension capability does not always make people more effective or productive. They can still, for instance, become suidical, sociopathic or rebel against well-meaning authorities. They still often do not go into their doctor when sick, they develop addictions, they may become too introverted or arrogant when it is counterproductive or fail to escape bad relationships.
We should not strictly be looking to enhance intelligence. If we’re going down the enhancement route at all, we should wish to create good decision-makers without, for example, tendencies to mis-read people, sociopathy and self-harm.
For instance, rebelling against well-meaning authorities has been known to cause someone not to adhere to a correct medication regime or to start smoking.
Problems regularly rear their head when it comes to listening to the doctor.
I guess I’ll add that the well-meaning authority is also knowledgeable.
Really, what I am getting at is that just like anyone else, smart people may rebel or conform as a knee-jerk reaction. Neither is using reason to come to an appropriate conclusion, but I have seen them do it all the time.
One might think an agent who was sufficiently smart would at some point apply reason to the question of whether they should follow their knee-jerk responses with respect to e.g. these decisions.
Ok, does this matter for Bostrom’s arguments?
Yeah, having high math or reading comprehension capability does not always make people more effective or productive. They can still, for instance, become suidical, sociopathic or rebel against well-meaning authorities. They still often do not go into their doctor when sick, they develop addictions, they may become too introverted or arrogant when it is counterproductive or fail to escape bad relationships.
We should not strictly be looking to enhance intelligence. If we’re going down the enhancement route at all, we should wish to create good decision-makers without, for example, tendencies to mis-read people, sociopathy and self-harm.
What’s wrong with that?
...and, presumably, without tendencies to rebel against well-meaning authorities?
I don’t think I like the idea of genetic slavery.
For instance, rebelling against well-meaning authorities has been known to cause someone not to adhere to a correct medication regime or to start smoking.
Problems regularly rear their head when it comes to listening to the doctor.
I guess I’ll add that the well-meaning authority is also knowledgeable.
Let me point out the obvious: the knowledgeable well-meaning authority is not necessarily acting in your best interests.
Not to mention that authority that’s both knowledgeable and well-meaning is pretty rare.
Really, what I am getting at is that just like anyone else, smart people may rebel or conform as a knee-jerk reaction. Neither is using reason to come to an appropriate conclusion, but I have seen them do it all the time.
One might think an agent who was sufficiently smart would at some point apply reason to the question of whether they should follow their knee-jerk responses with respect to e.g. these decisions.