Many arguments state that it would require an AGI to have an intelligence explosion. However, it seems to me that the critical point for achieving this explosion is that an AI can self-improve. Which skills are needed for that? If we have hardware overhang, it probably comes down to the type of skills an AI researcher uses: reading papers, combining insights, doing computer experiments until new insights emerge, writing papers about them. Perhaps an AI PhD can weigh in on the actual skills needed. I’m however making the argument that far from all mental skills humans have are needed for AI research. Appreciating art? Not needed. Intelligent conversation about non-AI topics? Not needed. Motor skills? Not needed.
I think the skills needed most for AI research (and therefore self-improvement) are the skills at which a computer may be relatively strong: methodical thinking, language processing, coding. Therefore I would expect that we reach an intelligence explosion significantly earlier than developing actual AGI with all human skills. This should be important for the timeline discussion.
AGI is unnecessary for an intelligence explosion
Many arguments state that it would require an AGI to have an intelligence explosion. However, it seems to me that the critical point for achieving this explosion is that an AI can self-improve. Which skills are needed for that? If we have hardware overhang, it probably comes down to the type of skills an AI researcher uses: reading papers, combining insights, doing computer experiments until new insights emerge, writing papers about them. Perhaps an AI PhD can weigh in on the actual skills needed. I’m however making the argument that far from all mental skills humans have are needed for AI research. Appreciating art? Not needed. Intelligent conversation about non-AI topics? Not needed. Motor skills? Not needed.
I think the skills needed most for AI research (and therefore self-improvement) are the skills at which a computer may be relatively strong: methodical thinking, language processing, coding. Therefore I would expect that we reach an intelligence explosion significantly earlier than developing actual AGI with all human skills. This should be important for the timeline discussion.
Technically, tiling the entire universe with paperclips or tiny smiling faces would probably count as modern art...