We should generally have a strong prior favoring technology in general
Should we? I think it’s much more obvious that the increase in human welfare so far has mostly been caused by technology, than that most technologies have net helped humans (much less organisms generally).
I’m quite grateful for agriculture now, but unsure I would have been during the Bronze Age; grateful for nuclear weapons, but unsure how many nearby worlds I’d feel similarly; net bummed about machine guns, etc.
Should we? I think it’s much more obvious that the increase in human welfare so far has mostly been caused by technology, than that most technologies have net helped humans (much less organisms generally).
I’m quite grateful for agriculture now, but unsure I would have been during the Bronze Age; grateful for nuclear weapons, but unsure how many nearby worlds I’d feel similarly; net bummed about machine guns, etc.