Hot Earth: Does Gaia Need Artificial Intelligence in Order to Survive?

[JackDaydream]

This thread links the issue of climate change and artificial intelligence. After being very sceptical over the rise of artificial intelligence I was astounded to read ideas in, 'Novacene: The Coming Age of Hyperintelligence', by James Lovelock (2016). He maintains that the development of artificial intelligence is crucial for the Earth, as a living being.

Lovelock has used the concept Gaia, from the name of the Greek goddess, to describe planet earth as a living being in a number of books. This was linked to thinking about climate change and rising temperatures throughout the world. In this particular book he states that super intelligent beings, cyborgs, are the main way forward. He states,
'The term "cyborg" was coined by Manfred Clynes and Natalie Kline in 1960. It refers to a cybernetic organism as self-sufficient as one of us but made of engineered materials. I like this word because it could apply to anything ranging in size from a micro-organism to a pachyderm, from microchip to an omnibus. It is now commonly taken to mean an entity that is part flesh, part machine. I use it here to emphasise that the new intelligent beings will have arisen, like us from Darwinian evolution. They will not, at first be separate from us; indeed, they will be our offspring because the systems we made turned out to be their precursors.
We need not be afraid because, initially at least, these inorganic beings will need us and the whole organic world to regulate the climate, keeping Earth cool to fend off the heat of the Sun and safeguard us from the worst effects of future catastrophes. We shall not descend into the kind of war between humans and machines that is so often described in science fiction because we need each other. Gaia will help keep the peace.'

He calls the coming of this as the age of Novacene. In the past I have always found his idea of Gaia as useful for thinking about the planet and its survival. However, I am puzzled by what he is saying in this book. Is it What do you think of the concept of the earth as Gaia and the age of Novacene? Is it a mythic or real possibility for the future?

[JackDaydream]

The other idea in 'Anthropene', is about the purpose of evolution itself. Lovelock draws upon,' 'The Anthropic Cosmological Principle', by John Barrow and Frank Tipler. This is about an underlying evolutionary development of consciousness. Drawing upon this, Lovelock argues,
'Perhaps information is an innate property of the universe and, therefore, conscious beings must come into existence. We would then really be the chosen people_ the tool whereby the cosmos would explain itself.'

The idea of the purpose of life being consciousness makes sense to me. What do you think about this idea?

[value]

One will first need to establish what 'intelligence' is.

What would be the fundamental meaning (purpose of life) of a cyborg? Mimicking an empirical concept of intelligence is mimicrycal or expansive meaning at most.

Whatever a thinking human mind can conceptualize in a communicative way can be mimicked or expanded upon.

What would be at question is whether an AI can embody what it takes for an AI to be possible in the first place.

An AI to expand the intellectual qualitative potential of a human being? Yes.

An AI to precede the intellectual qualitative potential of a human being? No.

From an empirical concept perspective AI would remain like a tool for the fundamental meaning (purpose of life) of a human.

AI could be a vital tool for humanity and Earth to survive however when it concerns morality - the serving of the purpose of life in the best and wisest way - that facet of intelligence cannot be mimicked using pre-existing empirical information because it concerns in-the-moment eternity.

When it concerns morality, it could concern meaningful feelings of individuals for example. An animal that cries in pain could incentivize moral support from other animals. While it may be possible to create a database of sounds of animal cries. The intrinsic meaning of a cry from an individual animal in a specific situation and environment is unique.

Opposite to cries there is expression of happiness and a whole world of meaning that cannot be captured in the scope of empirical information.

Astronauts report to experience an extreme transcendental experience of 'interconnected euphoria' when they view Earth from space. It is called 'Overview effect on Earth'.

First we should understand why we don't already know of this profound experience, despite decades of astronaut reports. It’s hard to explain how amazing and magical this experience is. First of all, there’s the astounding pure beauty of the planet itself, scrolling across your view at what appears to be a smooth, stately pace... I’m happy to report that no amount of prior study or training can fully prepare anybody for the transcendental experience this causes.

https://overviewinstitute.org/
http://overview-effect.earth/

'Overview effect on Earth' might be evidence of Gaia and it might provide a clue that letting an empirical AI on the loose to surpass empirical human intelligence is not what it takes to make Gaia 'happy'.

Of whales it is suspected that they might have more comprehensive emotional and conscious awareness experience than humans. Morality would involve the intellectual ability to understand meaning of in-the-moment feelings of such animals. Such animals care about more than survival. Those animals have developed themselves in the face of an eternal future. It may involve a dream of complex meaning. How could the human connect with that? It would involve a form of morality - an intellectual capacity (a vital part of intelligence).

(2021) What do we know about intelligence in whales and dolphins?
“Could whales be as smart, if not smarter, than humans?”
https://whalescientists.com/intelligenc ... -dolphins/

Whales boast the brain cells that ‘make us human’
The orca has more gray matter and more cortical neurons than any mammal, including humans. Whale and dolphin brains contain specialized brain cells called spindle neurons. These are associated with advanced abilities such as recognising, remembering, reasoning, communicating, perceiving, adapting to change, problem-solving and understanding. So it seems they are deep thinkers! Not only that, but the part of their brain which processes emotions (limbic system) appears to be more complex than our own.
https://whalescientists.com/intelligenc ... -dolphins/

The idea of the purpose of life being consciousness makes sense to me. What do you think about this idea?

No. When it concerns the purpose of life it concerns something a priori (something that precedes existence) and not something that already happened, e.g. an empirical concept such as 'consciousness'. An AI to 'be' conscious by empirical measures cannot logically be the purpose of life.

[JackDaydream]

One will first need to establish what 'intelligence' is.

What would be the fundamental meaning (purpose of life) of a cyborg? Mimicking an empirical concept of intelligence is mimicrycal or expansive meaning at most.

Whatever a thinking human mind can conceptualize in a communicative way can be mimicked or expanded upon.

What would be at question is whether an AI can embody what it takes for an AI to be possible in the first place.

An AI to expand the intellectual qualitative potential of a human being? Yes.

An AI to precede the intellectual qualitative potential of a human being? No.

From an empirical concept perspective AI would remain like a tool for the fundamental meaning (purpose of life) of a human.

AI could be a vital tool for humanity and Earth to survive however when it concerns morality - the serving of the purpose of life in the best and wisest way - that facet of intelligence cannot be mimicked using pre-existing empirical information because it concerns in-the-moment eternity.

When it concerns morality, it could concern meaningful feelings of individuals for example. An animal that cries in pain could incentivize moral support from other animals. While it may be possible to create a database of sounds of animal cries. The intrinsic meaning of a cry from an individual animal in a specific situation and environment is unique.

Opposite to cries there is expression of happiness and a whole world of meaning that cannot be captured in the scope of empirical information.

Astronauts report to experience an extreme transcendental experience of 'interconnected euphoria' when they view Earth from space. It is called 'Overview effect on Earth'.

First we should understand why we don't already know of this profound experience, despite decades of astronaut reports. It’s hard to explain how amazing and magical this experience is. First of all, there’s the astounding pure beauty of the planet itself, scrolling across your view at what appears to be a smooth, stately pace... I’m happy to report that no amount of prior study or training can fully prepare anybody for the transcendental experience this causes.

https://overviewinstitute.org/
http://overview-effect.earth/

'Overview effect on Earth' might be evidence of Gaia and it might provide a clue that letting an empirical AI on the loose to surpass empirical human intelligence is not what it takes to make Gaia 'happy'.

Of whales it is suspected that they might have more comprehensive emotional and conscious awareness experience than humans. Morality would involve the intellectual ability to understand meaning of in-the-moment feelings of such animals. Such animals care about more than survival. Those animals have developed themselves in the face of an eternal future. It may involve a dream of complex meaning. How could the human connect with that? It would involve a form of morality - an intellectual capacity (a vital part of intelligence).

(2021) What do we know about intelligence in whales and dolphins?
“Could whales be as smart, if not smarter, than humans?”
https://whalescientists.com/intelligenc ... -dolphins/

Whales boast the brain cells that ‘make us human’
The orca has more gray matter and more cortical neurons than any mammal, including humans. Whale and dolphin brains contain specialized brain cells called spindle neurons. These are associated with advanced abilities such as recognising, remembering, reasoning, communicating, perceiving, adapting to change, problem-solving and understanding. So it seems they are deep thinkers! Not only that, but the part of their brain which processes emotions (limbic system) appears to be more complex than our own.
https://whalescientists.com/intelligenc ... -dolphins/

The idea of the purpose of life being consciousness makes sense to me. What do you think about this idea?

No. When it concerns the purpose of life it concerns something a priori (something that precedes existence) and not something that already happened, e.g. an empirical concept such as 'consciousness'. An AI to 'be' conscious by empirical measures cannot logically be the purpose of life.

Your approach is one which I would agree with. What is intelligence exactly, and how distinct is from consciousness? It is more about grading of abilities in general than consciousness, which would include emotions which are bound up with sentience. I was taken aback because it is written by James Lovelock, who I have regarded as an important writer, but, of course, that doesn't mean that I need agree with everything that he says. But, it has made me stop and wonder because so many people think that A1 is positive.

I do have questions about how it could be used politically. One aspect of this concerned me shortly after I wrote the thread outpost. I saw a news item on my phone about one way in which the DWP in England may use artificial intelligence and algorithms. That is for risk assessments to be made by machines about people who may commit crimes of fraud and not give them 'Universal Credit' benefits. It seems rather unethical, like punishment of crimes not committed, but ones which could happen potentially. Such use of artificial intelligence is a bit suspect politically and, especially in relation to who is in charge of the machines and their biases.

[value]

Your approach is one which I would agree with. What is intelligence exactly, and how distinct is from consciousness? It is more about grading of abilities in general than consciousness, which would include emotions which are bound up with sentience. I was taken aback because it is written by James Lovelock, who I have regarded as an important writer, but, of course, that doesn't mean that I need agree with everything that he says. But, it has made me stop and wonder because so many people think that A1 is positive.

I do have questions about how it could be used politically. One aspect of this concerned me shortly after I wrote the thread outpost. I saw a news item on my phone about one way in which the DWP in England may use artificial intelligence and algorithms. That is for risk assessments to be made by machines about people who may commit crimes of fraud and not give them 'Universal Credit' benefits. It seems rather unethical, like punishment of crimes not committed, but ones which could happen potentially. Such use of artificial intelligence is a bit suspect politically and, especially in relation to who is in charge of the machines and their biases.

I would say that the potential for fulfilment of meaning is the true origin of the fully faceted concept intelligence which would include facets such as morality (moral intellectual capacity). That potential may be described as the essence of sensing with sensible reality being an empirical product of that potential.

I am not into politics myself but I recently viewed a presentation by a business student on the subject that you are addressing. It may be of interest.

Black girl vs armed robber. AI bias.