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The Real Dangers of AI No One is Talking About

The Real Dangers of AI No One is Talking About Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-looking-afar-5473955/ Introduction: AI is incredibly good at scanning through large amounts of data. In fact, that is how it is trained. My argument in this paper is that AI is fully advantaged to violate all privacy of people to teach itself more and enrich its creators. Things once thought impossible will become reality, as the powerful of this world will now be able to track everything you say and everything you do. They will transcribe your phone calls, collect your texts and emails. They will eavesdrop on personal conversations. And people will celebrate this as we get stronger AI models. They will be able to surveil like never before thought possible. I do not think this is considered science fiction anymore and will become a credible risk that we must all face. We are already facing privacy violations from these models, from them being trained on books witho...
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Why Everyone Should Pray

Why Everyone Should Pray Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-white-sweater-and-blue-denim-jeans-sitting-on-bed-5199759/  In this blog I argue why everyone should pray, even if you are an atheist. Pulling from scientific papers, I will run through the major benefits of prayer. As well, I will propose with philosophical rationing why we may be experiencing these benefits. So if you are looking for ways to live a longer, better life, you have found the right blog. Discussion:  There is a large body of research showing the benefits of prayer. Harvard produced a study (by VanderWeele et al) showing that regular service attendance and private prayer were associated with greater life satisfaction and emotional well-being. This also showed those same people had a 25-35% lower mortality over 10-15 years. On top of that, rates of depression and substance abuse were lower. Another study published in the International Journal of Science and Rese...

The Creator Behind the Code: Simulation Theory, Virtual Ethics and AI

Introduction: In the distant future, a new video game will be created. In an effort to create the most immersive world possible no expense has been spared. The physics of the game are perfect, graphics like you wouldn't believe, and characters within this world have been created to be as real as possible. Their simulated little bodies come from generations of simulations. Where their species evolved, much like our own, and they have a rich cultural backstory because of this. They have religion, they have simulated brains, thoughts and feelings. When you purchase this game you can interact with it as a sort of extra dimensional being, similar to how God or angels are thought to interact with our world. What do you owe them in how you behave?  *photo is AI generated, seemed fitting* Discussion: Video games are showing a trend towards players wanting real impacts over the virtual world they are playing in. Like how your choices in Fallout 4 change the wasteland. Better yet...

Exploring Ethical Questions Surrounding Advanced AI

  Photo by Google DeepMind: https://www.pexels.com/photo/an-artist-s-illustration-of-artificial-intelligence-ai-this-image-represents-how-machine-learning-is-inspired-by-neuroscience-and-the-human-brain-it-was-created-by-novoto-studio-as-par-17483869/ Introduction: With the world developing AI at a rapid pace, it raises real questions around consciousness and ethics. In this blog post I explore how I envision AI as developing. As well as exploring moral frameworks on how we interact with AIs as they advance in development. How would we treat a complex AI video game character in GTA? Is this differently from how we would interact with an AI loaded into a physical body? Discussion: What if AI was trained more like a human child? It would be given a physical body that would go through staged upgrades to match human development milestones. You would have an AI infant, toddler, child, teen, and finally an adult. This adult was carefully designed and programmed to be as humanlike as poss...

What do Men live by? A Search for a Universal Truth

I recently finished the short story “What Men Live By” by Tolstoy and was left inspired greatly. If you have not yet read this short story, I suggest you read it yourself before continuing with this blog post. It's quite short and available for free online. It's something I'd suggest any religious thinker worth their salt to read. Photo by Sebastian Voortman: https://www.pexels.com/photo/two-white-concrete-statues-covered-by-dust-566641/ Introduction: Is there such a thing as a universal truth? And would their existence imply they came from a divine creator? This story tackles love as a universal truth that people live by. They describe those who act with love to have divinity within them. It's easy to say that they mean love is very valuable, but the use of the word divine is intentional. I believe, if stripped from religion, the divine is the pinnacle of good or the universal truth. Though I do not believe these truths to be tethered to the universe such as gravity, b...

Kill the Label

Introduction: Labels are assigned to us in many ways. It could be something we assign ourselves, or they could come from other people. With these being so prevalent in our lives, I need to ask: are they worthwhile to have? I have often found that a label doesn't suit me exactly and has caused confusion of identity in my life. I suggest a practical framework to allow you to break free from restrictive labels and find a sense of your true self using descriptions. Photo by Jeffrey Czum: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-gathered-watching-a-panda-mascot-2346289/ Discussion: "I am a gardener." A simple label that many feel they can associate with. But what does that mean? Does it mean you garden frequently, that you enjoy it immensely, or that you have done it for a long time? I propose breaking down this label a bit differently: "I like buying plants and putting them in the ground. I enjoy watering and tending to the garden. I tend to hate the insects that pester me as...

(Extended) If Today Lasted Forever – A Meditation on Eternal Recurrence

Introduction:            If you knew this life would repeat itself for eternity, how would you choose to live it? That is, this life as you live it is repeated forever. This is Nietzsche’s thought experiment called an “Eternal Recurrence”. How one interprets this as positive or negative can give insights into your life. What would you change if you knew this life would repeat as you live it forever? Photo by Steve Johnson: https://www.pexels.com/photo/abstract-colorful-infinity-symbol-on-soft-background-29022331/ Discussion: “What if a demon were to steal into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: ‘This life as you now live it and have lived it, you will have to live once more and innumerable times more…’ Would you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spoke thus? Or have you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would have answered him: ‘You are a god, and never have I heard anything more divine.’” This is an exce...