Transvision 2004 - Toronto, Canada

Started by ocsrazor , Apr 01 2004 08:21 PM

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#1 ocsrazor

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Posted 01 April 2004 - 08:21 PM

The World Transhumanist Association in cooperation with the McLuhan Program in Culture and Technology and Transhumanist Arts & Culture

http://www.transhumanism.org/tv/2004/

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Hi Gang,

I just received and accepted an invitation to speak at Transvision 2004 in Toronto. I'm just curious about who else might be going and/or speaking and if they are presenting what the topic will be.

The tentative title of my talk is:

Reimagining Uploading - Why the current concept of uploading is not a likely scenario and what the short, mid, and long term technological developments and societal impacts of the merging of mind and machine are likely to be.

#2 MichaelAnissimov

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Posted 01 April 2004 - 10:20 PM

I'm going, I'm speaking. Our talks seem somewhat similar. Merge a computer and a human brain is any deep, meaningful way, and what you get is a being that is smarter than you in the same way that your parents were smarter than you when you were a toddler. You get a being that wakes up halfway through the BCI project, looks at your roadmap for the next 10 years or whatever, laughs his or her ass off, tosses the roadmap into the trash, and makes their own roadmap that is far superior to anything you could have come up with. That is the nature of intelligence enhancement, a point I intend to ram (carefully) into the audience. Here's the thingy I sent to James:

Michael Anissimov Transvision 2004 Submission
Track: Transhuman Science and Technology
Enhancing Intelligence; from Neurohackers to Self-Improving AIs

Objective: give a presentation on what cognitive science has discovered so far about intelligence, what progress has been made on the front of enhancing intelligence, and possible opportunities for future intelligence enhnancement.

Topics covered: cognitive prosthetics, nootropics, artificial hippocampus, neurohacking, brain-computer interfacing, artificial general intelligence

Abstract: As cognitive science progresses in uncovering the central algorithms of intelligence, the biological, nanotechnological, and information sciences are rapidly progressing and converging. These technologies will eventually permit the creation of smarter-than-human intelligence that will outperform humans in both quantiative and qualitative ways, including the domain of consolidating physical power.

Description: As cognitive science progresses in uncovering the central algorithms of intelligence, the biological, nanotechnological, and information sciences are rapidly progressing and converging. These technologies will eventually permit the creation of genuinely smarter-than-human intelligence, sometimes called "superintelligence", that will outperform human beings in both quantiative and qualitative ways, including the domain of consolidating physical power. One of the most powerful advantages to superintelligence might be the ability to integrate new hardware and accelerate the processing speed of its cognitive architecture, enabling a positive feedback loop of self-enhancement. Boosting the likelihood of a pleasant outcome for humanity could depend on creating philanthropic superintelligences rather than selfish ones. (With accompanying Powerpoint slides.)

#3 ocsrazor

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Posted 02 April 2004 - 12:23 AM

Hi Michael

I think we agree completely, our talks should be very complementary. Mine is more of nuts and bolts talk on how you actually do the human interface end. No matter who does it first (AGI, SI, or us) they will likely have to follow the same technological progression - as humans we just need to build up a great deal of base knowledge before proceeding to the latter stages, whereas a superintelligence will be able to organize information very quickly to get to latter stages.

It should make you happy that my "roadmap" is an exponential curve and has no specific dates attached to it. The short, mid, and longterm waypoints I've set out are all highly scalable.

I'm extremely interested in getting CS and Neuro people together so that their projects become self improving. For example, we continue to generate more information than we can handle on small cortical circuits. I can only imagine how much faster we could be going if we had machine intelligence systems that could model the state space of information processing in these networks on the fly and return appropriate stimuli. On the opposite hand I look at many of the current efforts in AI and shake my head that many of them are ignoring important clues from the biology that could be advancing their research much faster. We need to get these groups communicating more effectively.

A couple words of warning - the artificial hippocampus is largely vaporware at this point so caveat emptor, and just a nit picky one - most neuroscientists and "hard" scientists working in this field don't like to be referred to as cognitive scientists because cog sci as a field has yet to become mathematically rigorous. This is an academic terminology thing - most current researchers who identify as cognitive scientists largely do not deal with algorithms and are much closer to psychology and philosophy in their MO.

Best,
Peter

#4 MichaelAnissimov

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Posted 02 April 2004 - 01:19 AM

Peter,

Your talk sounds like it will be really interesting. In a conference that will be focusing on "transhuman arts and culture", more "nuts and bolts" will be welcomed.

I'm not sure what you mean about humans and transhumans needing to follow "the same technological progression" to achieve the goal of intimate human-computer interfacing. The two paths could be completely different and would inevitably be dictated by the inherent weaknesses or strengths of both groups, which could vary widely.

Ah, I see what you mean about a scalable roadmap. I guess unscalable roadmaps would only be for projects with very well-known parameters and concrete schedules, like building a refinery or something? Regarding my comment, I am just fond of emphasizing the potential suddenness with which transhuman intelligence could potentially take control of a situation once it appears on a scene, especially to people who might one day create transhuman intelligence themselves!

I agree that AI researchers are sometimes missing clues from biology in their research, but I also think it is possible to go *too* far in the biology direction - "making biology's limits our own" - in the field of AGI especially. I forsee more intimate cooperation between the fields of BCI and AI/math/physics in the future as the NBIC convergence becomes more apparent and widely publicized. Have you considered creating a website describing your work, the potential benefits it could yield, and the immediate need for input from researchers from other fields?

Thank you for the information regarding the "artificial hippocampus" (mostly hype, I know), and the point on academic terminology. I will probably revise the description to read "brain science" rather than "cognitive science". But you must admit, the field of cognitive science is expanding and beginning to converge more and more with the hard neurosciences nowadays.

Cheers,
Michael

#5 John Doe

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Posted 02 April 2004 - 04:06 AM

I have submitted my paper The Transhuman Condition:

http://www.ece.utexa.../transhuman.htm

My paper is much more in the spirit (to my shame) of art and culture as opposed to "nuts and bolts". James Hughes has replied to me but has yet to ask me to speak.

#6 MichaelAnissimov

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Posted 02 April 2004 - 04:15 PM

No no, I think that your paper is some pretty serious philosophy and is probably more nuts and boltsy than much of the arts and culture we will be seeing. If you want to speak, submit a proposal; I'm pretty sure that there are still slots.

#7 John Doe

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Posted 05 April 2004 - 05:58 AM

If you want to speak, submit a proposal; I'm pretty sure that there are still slots.

I already submitted a while ago but I have yet to hear if I have a slot.

#8 PaulH

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Posted 05 April 2004 - 09:57 AM

I have not heard back from James either. It's interesting as my topic is totally in line with this years theme. The title of my presentation is "Hypermediation and Post-Human Aesthetics", its a mult-media performance, with music, slides and a 45 minute lecture all in one. I've done many such performances over the years, but this would be my first one at a Transhumanist event.

My performance is pure intellectual candy and entertainment - lots of fun and stimulation all around. Hopefully James will give it a slot. If not, I don't see much reason to attend this years event. My time is limited, so I only attend those events I can have a more participatory role.

#9 Bruce Klein

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Posted 05 April 2004 - 10:25 AM

its a mult-media performance, with music, slides and a 45 minute lecture

Sounds interesting. Power Point based perhaps?

I suspect James is a bit snowed under with WTA work.

#10 PaulH

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Posted 05 April 2004 - 11:47 PM

Yeah, its power-point based, but the real content of the presentation is my voice over. I told James, that it will be just as interesting without any multi-media. I can easily give it as a pure lecture, with a follow up Q&A period.

#11 PaulH

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Posted 09 April 2004 - 01:47 AM

I'm in! I just heard back from James Hughes, my presentation has been accepted for TransVision 2004. Look forward to meeting some of you there.

#12 Bruce Klein

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Posted 20 June 2004 - 02:17 PM

Plans are good to have an ImmInst Film crew at TV04 to capture images and interviews with participants: http://www.imminst.org/film.php

If you'd like to be in the film, look for Michael Anissimov, Natty Coleman or Devon Fowler. They will have a film disclaimer form to sign.

#13 Bruce Klein

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Posted 23 June 2004 - 05:30 PM

Greetings,

I just wanted to let everyone know that Max More will be joining us at TransVision 04 in Toronto. Max will be delivering a closing plenary address at 9:00AM on Sunday Aug. 8.

Max joins a number of other prominent speakers, including cyborg Steve Mann, Australian performance artist Stelarc, biogerontologist Aubrey de Grey, Reason Magazine's Ronald Bailey, ExI's Natasha Vita-More, economist Robin Hanson, and transhumanist thinkers Nick Bostrom, James Hughes, Ramez Naam and Anders Sandberg. There are many, many others. You can see the entire list of speakers here:
http://www.transhuma...resenters.shtml

We will be posting the schedule shortly.

Register today!
http://www.transhuma...istration.shtml

Best,
George Dvorsky

#14 Bruce Klein

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Posted 05 July 2004 - 12:40 AM

Per Michael Anissimov's suggestion, I'll be staying on campus for Thr Aug 5 - Sat Aug 7 @ $38/night:

http://www.imminst.o...t=ST&f=1&t=3917

#15 Casanova

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Posted 17 July 2004 - 10:47 PM

X-28 and climbing

There is a typo in there, Doe.

"Rather, we wish to happy for the sake of happiness alone"

Hey, Doe, I thinkz yoe menz:

"Rather, we wish to be happy for the sake of happiness alone."

I smellz a Strunk

Edited by Casanova, 19 July 2004 - 01:26 AM.

#16

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Posted 18 July 2004 - 10:26 AM

Genius in the arts is, and will always be, a mystery. It cannot be tricked into being by gimmicky stunts like merging a brain and a computer, or by adding additional brain cells, or even by the best education.
It is a gift.
About all we will get from brain enhancements are supped up "auto mechanics".

I wouldn't be so presumptuous on what we can and can't do.

#17 MichaelAnissimov

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Posted 18 July 2004 - 11:17 PM

It is a gift.

A gift that corresponds to a specific neurological difference between those who have it and those who don't. Once we determine the specific cognitive causes underlying the difference, we'll be able to duplicate as well as amplify them.

#18 kevin

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Posted 19 July 2004 - 01:44 AM

but I'm sure you didn't mean amplify the differences..

#19 Bruce Klein

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Posted 20 July 2004 - 04:41 PM

Kip Werking will stay with Jose Corderio and I in the room at New College. I'll bring pillows, blankets, etc with me in the rental car for as many as possible.

Traveling to Toronto from Birmingham, AL, I'll go through Clinton Township, MI - Cryonics Institute - and have set up a meeting with Robert Ettinger Aug 3 - interview for ImmInst.

I will be in Toronto by Aug 4 to help Simon Smith and George Dvorsky with TV04 setup.

#20 Bruce Klein

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Posted 25 July 2004 - 09:51 PM

Olivia Ward of the Toronto Star has published an article about transhumanism and the TV04 conference (note the incorrect start date for the conference, it should be Aug 5, not 8th)

http://www.thestar.c...ist972859094293

But now, experts say, another scientific quantum leap has transported us from the human to the transhuman era — a time when humankind itself is being manipulated and enhanced, leading to an unknown future where man, machine and technology will merge with startling results.

"What's happening in the 21st century is a natural progression of the invention of fire," says James Hughes, secretary of the World Transhumanist Association. "Human tool use has always extended the capability of doing what we weren't biologically intended to do. But now the possibilities are infinite, and they're making some people feel scared."

Next month, Hughes, a bioethicist at Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., will take part in an international conference at the University of Toronto, titled ``TransVision 2004: Art and Life in the Posthuman Era.'' Sponsored by the transhumanist association and the Texas-based Extropy Institute, the four-day event opens Aug. 8.

For many people the very concept of transhumanism is vague, unsettling or downright off-putting, suggestive of sci-fi films such as I, Robot, in which a new generation of homicidal androids swarms Chicago in an anti-human hatefest.

That, advocates say, is the very opposite of what transhumanism means: rather than a potentially destructive force, it is "a nascent approach to bioethics, futurism, art and culture whose adherents affirm the use of technology to overcome the limitations of the human body."

Entire article:
http://www.thestar.c...ist972859094293

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#21 reason

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Posted 25 July 2004 - 10:12 PM

Bruce will be carrying up Fight Aging! buttons, and Kevin will be taking a bunch of Methuselah Mouse Prize buttons/magnets - so speak to them if you want to get some / hand out some at TV2004.

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#22 Bruce Klein

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Posted 25 July 2004 - 10:27 PM

Kevin Perrott will be going to TV04? ... or do you mean Kip Werking?

#23 kevin

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 10:06 PM

Hiya..

I've confirmed plans to go to TV2004...

) me and a friend will be arriving in TO Aug 4.. we'll be staying at the New College Residence as are more than a few I understand..

Kevin

#24 reason

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Posted 26 July 2004 - 10:57 PM

Two sets of buttons - Fight Aging! buttons with Kip and Methuselah Mouse buttons with Kevin. Bruce gets to ship them all up there, since he's faster than the post office it seems

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#25 Bruce Klein

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Posted 27 July 2004 - 01:31 AM

Excellent.. seya there Kev. at New College Residence.

#26 lightowl

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Posted 27 July 2004 - 01:51 AM

Hey guys.

Good luck on the activism.

I wish you a great conference.

#27 ocsrazor

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Posted 03 August 2004 - 07:17 PM

I have to apologize to you all who are going as I will not be making it to Toronto this weekend. I had to withdraw from speaking for both monetary and time constraints. (sometimes this whole grad school thing really sucks) Take good notes - I will have to suck up information vicariously through those that are there.

Best,
Peter

#28 Bruce Klein

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Posted 06 August 2004 - 12:14 AM

No problem, Peter. I have and will be talking about your good works.

Just finished up the Faith & Transhumanism Conf. Thr

#29 Lazarus Long

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Posted 06 August 2004 - 07:41 PM

I hope you are having fun Bruce, you deserve it. These events are always illuminating about our community because it takes virtual relationships into reality.