Kevin's Watch

What is going to happen when the elite level across the worlds societies [or World Society if you prefer] decide that the huge percentage of humanity disenfranchised by increasing tech and AI capabilities, serve no useful purpose in respect of their [the elite's] interests and in fact serve only to faster deplete the world's already scarce resources and increase environmental degradation at a rate hugely higher than if they were not present at all.

[Brought about by thinking about a convergence of two of the main issues we face - that of increasing redundancy in the workplace as a result of technical innovation and of course that of environmental damage caused in proportion to population size.]

{Prince Phillip by all accounts once said that he'd like to be reincarnated as a pathogenic virus that could wipe out ninety-five percent of humanity.}

What scarce resources? We have plenty of resources now, the issue is distribution.

Well, that in itself would only add fuel to the create-consume-discard-create cycle wouldn't it with it's environmental consequences. Z. once said that the world could easily support a hundred billion people at need - but would the 'movers and shakers' ever allow such a world to develop?

I don't see why not.

mmm... this is quite a loaded question. Who are these elite?

And to Prince Phillips statement .. that "wish" sounds remarkably psychopathic.

Its a widely recognised dilema that the planet can't sustain burgeoning population growth. Finite resources are finite and are in decline.

Yes, I agree the question makes lots of assumptions that are questionable, and in questioning them we question the questions validity as .......errr.......a question in the first place (don't we?).



Well ok damnit, I just wanted to kick off a debate that would generate some activity in the Close. It's been too quiet in here!

Nope .. we have been going hammer and tongs in the Billy Graham and Intent thing mawstchit

All good Pete .. just expand the parameters .. hey you can go in any direction you want .. lol .. Im a little perplexed by that Prince Phillip said .. god

Revolution, that's what.

--A

Being perplexed/enraged/amused by what Prince Philip says is a national sport in the UK! There might be some people he hasn't offended in the course of his public life, but they're few and far between. This time it's merely 95 percent of the world population (starting from the poorest up no doubt).

So who are the elite that rule the world .. Im assuming your not referring to .... girls ...



Who rules the world ....

Good link WF! Hawking was unconventional in many ways in terms of his thinking, and you're dead right; AI is always going to be the heart of a question like this - and even bring's us back to a possible answer to Sky's point/question - who exactly are these 'elite'. The chilling answer to this [which indeed I had not considered] is that, who's to say they will even be human?