The Less Wrong sequences and upvotes by unknown and anonymous strangers are not enough to prove the expertise and intelligence that I consider necessary to lend enough support to such extraordinary ideas as the possibility of risks from artificial general intelligences undergoing explosive recursive self-improvement. At least not enough to disregard other risks that have been deemed important by a world-wide network of professionals with a track record of previous achievements.
Machine intelligence will be an enormous deal. As to experts who think global warming is the important issue of the day—they are not doing that through genuine concern about the future. That is all about funding, and marketing, not the welfare of the planet. It is easier to put together grant applications in that area. Easier to build a popular movement. Easier to win votes. Environmentalist concerns signal greenenss, which is linked by many to goodness. Showing that you even care for trees, whales and the whole planet, shows you have a big heart.
The fact that global warming is actually irrelevant fluff is a side issue.
Machine intelligence will be an enormous deal. As to experts who think global warming is the important issue of the day—they are not doing that through genuine concern about the future. That is all about funding, and marketing, not the welfare of the planet. It is easier to put together grant applications in that area. Easier to build a popular movement. Easier to win votes. Environmentalist concerns signal greenenss, which is linked by many to goodness. Showing that you even care for trees, whales and the whole planet, shows you have a big heart.
The fact that global warming is actually irrelevant fluff is a side issue.
I give global warming as my number one example in my Bad Causes video.