This is a good question, I would appreciate more discussion of it on LW. I am wondering about similar issues: my research involves computer vision, the most obvious applications of which are for surveillance and security. One does not need to be a science fiction author or devotee to imagine powerful computer vision tools or military robots being used for evil.
Whether something can be used for evil or not is the wrong question. It’s better to ask “How much does computer vision decrease the cost of evil?” Many of the bad things that could be done with CV can be done with a camera, a fast network connection, and an airman in Nevada, just as many of the good medical applications can be done by a patient postdoc or technician.
Better still is to ask, “What are the benefits and harms of doing this rather than something else, including cascading consequences on to the indefinite future?” Which, of course, is murderously hard to answer in cases this far removed from direct consequences.
Which is what I meant when I said computer vision research was not distinguished. Although upon consideration I would weaken the claim to “not strongly distinguished”, which might still be enough to justify doing something else.
This is a good question, I would appreciate more discussion of it on LW. I am wondering about similar issues: my research involves computer vision, the most obvious applications of which are for surveillance and security. One does not need to be a science fiction author or devotee to imagine powerful computer vision tools or military robots being used for evil.
Whether something can be used for evil or not is the wrong question. It’s better to ask “How much does computer vision decrease the cost of evil?” Many of the bad things that could be done with CV can be done with a camera, a fast network connection, and an airman in Nevada, just as many of the good medical applications can be done by a patient postdoc or technician.
Better still is to ask, “What are the benefits and harms of doing this rather than something else, including cascading consequences on to the indefinite future?” Which, of course, is murderously hard to answer in cases this far removed from direct consequences.
Which is what I meant when I said computer vision research was not distinguished. Although upon consideration I would weaken the claim to “not strongly distinguished”, which might still be enough to justify doing something else.
People can use anything for evil if they want—I don’t see how computer vision is distinguished on that metric.
You just succumbed to the fallacy of gray. Computer vision is more easily used for evil than e.g. water purification technology.
Fair enough.