My random thoughts

Anything that doesn't quite fit in elsewhere...
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funkervogt
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Re: My random thoughts

Post by funkervogt »

Certain kinds of future robots will be able to function even if dismembered since the torso, head and limbs would all have backup processors, batteries, and WiFi. A severed head could still watch what was happening and relay commands to the other body parts. A chopped up robot could reassemble itself on the spot.
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funkervogt
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Re: My random thoughts

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If I'm ever going to end up as just a brain in a jar connected to the Matrix, I want my brain-jar to be encased within some kind of simple robot body, so I can physically flee from threats. Imagine the horror of being an immobile brain in some vast Amazon Server Warehouse of other brains in jars, and watching helplessly as a fire slowly spreads through the building, or a crazed person walks down the aisles smashing jars with an axe.

At least put my brain jar inside something like a medium-sized robot dog.
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funkervogt
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Re: My random thoughts

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Wouldn't it be funny if the first AGI were unveiled, people fixated on it, a whole religion formed around it, a billion people vested everything in its whims and thoughts, and then, a year later, a different group of people in a different country unveiled an even better AGI they had built on their own?
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funkervogt
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Re: My random thoughts

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There's no reason to assume we won't someday build androids, robots that look, move and act identically to humans.

That level of technology also implies the ability to make robots that look, move and act identically to animals, so we'll have those as well.

But it would be a mistake to assume we'll only build robot versions of animals that actually exist. Nothing would block us from making robotic versions of extinct animals like dinosaurs, or even robotic fantasy animals, like dragons.

And if we built the dragons out of synthetic materials with better strength-to-weight ratios than flesh and bone, they could fly. The only real question is how big we could make the dragons before their weight combined with the limitations of the materials they were made of made flight impossible.

And it would be a very simple matter to program them with the ability to speak, and to build something like flamethrowers into their mouths.

So, by a series of logical steps, I've arrived at the seemingly insane conclusion that there will be flying, fire-breathing, talking robot dragons on Earth in the future.
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funkervogt
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Re: My random thoughts

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Robots will be so strong and fast that they'll be able to knock you out with open-handed slaps. Pretty humiliating.
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funkervogt
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Re: My random thoughts

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One consequence of linking human minds so we can share thoughts and experiences is that most people wouldn't want to do anything themselves; they would find it more pleasurable to relive the most extreme moments of other peoples' lives, or to interact with the world in real time through the eyes of someone capable of greater emotional extremes. For example, visiting the Grand Canyon by yourself would pale in comparison to downloading the memories of a wonder-filled child as he saw it the first time, or those of a rock climber who, only by mustering all his skills, scaled its side.
TrueAnimationFan
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Re: My random thoughts

Post by TrueAnimationFan »

funkervogt wrote: Fri Jan 14, 2022 11:03 pm There's no reason to assume we won't someday build androids, robots that look, move and act identically to humans.

That level of technology also implies the ability to make robots that look, move and act identically to animals, so we'll have those as well.

But it would be a mistake to assume we'll only build robot versions of animals that actually exist. Nothing would block us from making robotic versions of extinct animals like dinosaurs, or even robotic fantasy animals, like dragons.

And if we built the dragons out of synthetic materials with better strength-to-weight ratios than flesh and bone, they could fly. The only real question is how big we could make the dragons before their weight combined with the limitations of the materials they were made of made flight impossible.

And it would be a very simple matter to program them with the ability to speak, and to build something like flamethrowers into their mouths.

So, by a series of logical steps, I've arrived at the seemingly insane conclusion that there will be flying, fire-breathing, talking robot dragons on Earth in the future.
I'm sure cartoon and anime fans will be overjoyed to interact with life-sized replicas of their favorite characters that use speech synthesis to sound identical to the "real" things.
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funkervogt
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Re: My random thoughts

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Back when the KurzweilAI.net forum existed and I was a member, another user created a thread where he asked us to predict when technology would be good enough for him to create a custom AI that had the same personality as "Pinkie Pie" from the My Little Pony cartoon. He admitted being romantically attracted to the fictitious character.

Another user, who was an open transsexual, used the thread to degrade the OP as a "pervert," which led to the rest of us defending the latter and pointing out the irony of a transsexual judging the romantic preferences of someone else. I'd like to say this ended well, but the trans member just dug their heels in, and I think the Mod closed the thread.

BTW, I think I predicted the technology would be good enough to create a "Pinkie Pie" chatbot around 2030. Judging by how much narrow AIs like the GPTs have improved, 2030 remains a reasonable deadline. If not, then it will certainly come to pass sometime later that decade.

Moreover, judging by the state of animatronics today (see video clip of the Tokyo "Beauty and the Beast" theme park exhibit), it should be possible to build a fully convincing "Pinkie Pie robot" later this century, loaded with a Pinkie Pie personality.



So there you have it, in all its wonder and horror. At some point in the future, you will see people in public, accompanied by their robotic fantasy companions, such as a full-sized Pinkie Pie. The humans might even use them as sex partners.
TrueAnimationFan
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Re: My random thoughts

Post by TrueAnimationFan »

So my final thoughts on this subject are that the process of bringing fictional characters to life would be something along the lines of this:

2030: People can use maybe two or three online websites to have a conversation with "Pinkie Pie", "Alex the lion", "Captain America" or whoever via the use of an AI program that answers the questions or statements you type down and generates an answer in the character's voice.

2050: Decent chance that by this year, you will see life sized cartoon or anime characters at public places like theme parks or conventions (that look accurate to the original thing) that can hold long conversations while staying in character.

2100: Robotic fictional characters can be bought by anyone for seldom over $100. There are perfect recreations of dragons, dinosaurs, talking animals, talking vehicles, superheroes, and more. A life sized model of "Dusty Crophopper" from "Planes" has a 7 meter wingspan a flight speed of 400 km/h, has no trouble at all chatting with humans or other characters, yet weighs less than a typical adult man.

2400: With the age of human work long over, some posthumans may have households that consist entirely of fictional character replicas that are just as (or more) intelligent and strong as themselves. When not plugged into virtual worlds, they roam freely across the grasslands, woodlands and deserts with their dream families, lifting boulders with "Mr. Incredible", playing fetch with "Dug" from "Up", and enjoying a glass of wine in the sunset with their favorite anime girl.
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funkervogt
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Re: My random thoughts

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TrueAnimationFan wrote: Fri Jan 21, 2022 5:51 pm So my final thoughts on this subject are that the process of bringing fictional characters to life would be something along the lines of this:

2030: People can use maybe two or three online websites to have a conversation with "Pinkie Pie", "Alex the lion", "Captain America" or whoever via the use of an AI program that answers the questions or statements you type down and generates an answer in the character's voice.

2050: Decent chance that by this year, you will see life sized cartoon or anime characters at public places like theme parks or conventions (that look accurate to the original thing) that can hold long conversations while staying in character.

2100: Robotic fictional characters can be bought by anyone for seldom over $100. There are perfect recreations of dragons, dinosaurs, talking animals, talking vehicles, superheroes, and more. A life sized model of "Dusty Crophopper" from "Planes" has a 7 meter wingspan a flight speed of 400 km/h, has no trouble at all chatting with humans or other characters, yet weighs less than a typical adult man.

2400: With the age of human work long over, some posthumans may have households that consist entirely of fictional character replicas that are just as (or more) intelligent and strong as themselves. When not plugged into virtual worlds, they roam freely across the grasslands, woodlands and deserts with their dream families, lifting boulders with "Mr. Incredible", playing fetch with "Dug" from "Up", and enjoying a glass of wine in the sunset with their favorite anime girl.
Somewhere in your 21st century timeline, the ability to interact with the fantasy characters in VR should be added.
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