Imherehithere t1_jdygf6l wrote on March 28, 2023 at 2:36 AM

People in this sub already treat it as a certainty as a way of coping with their depressing life. It gives them hope that their current way of life will change for the better with new advancements in ai technology.

NanditoPapa t1_jdyxb5h wrote on March 28, 2023 at 5:12 AM

Kind of like the 2.2 billion Christians in the world hoping things will be better in Heaven. Except they're treated as "normal" while people excited about the positive view of Singularity often get shit for it in this sub. The main difference is the AI crowd have demonstrable proof that their version might actually happen. That was your point, right?

Gortanian2 OP t1_jdyxz07 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 5:20 AM

I don’t believe they’re treated as “normal,” but it’s almost impossible to refute something like faith.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with being excited about the real possibility of a better future.

NanditoPapa t1_jdyyeko wrote on March 28, 2023 at 5:25 AM

I think the 63% of Americans that call themselves Christians are absolutely treated as normal. When 77% of adult Americans say they believe in angels, that's normalizing. If someone espouses their faith, nobody bats an eye.

Anyway, at least we both agree that being excited for a possible fact-based optimistic future is a good thing.

YaAbsolyutnoNikto t1_jdzx3n4 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 12:42 PM

Wait, angels? Aren’t Americans protestant? Aren’t angels and saints a catholic thing?

Yes, I’m completely ignorant on this topic.

NanditoPapa t1_je00ehp wrote on March 28, 2023 at 1:09 PM

Angels are biblical, so they cross lots of denominations. They also appear in other religious texts, so Jewish and Muslim may also report a belief.

Here's an old article on the subject: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/poll-nearly-8-in-10-americans-believe-in-angels/

Imherehithere t1_jdz7s6q wrote on March 28, 2023 at 7:28 AM

Yeah, to add to your point, not just Christians but also Muslims and basically anyone who believes in afterlife... I think they are not normal for believing in completely unfounded and unscientific fairy tales, but they are likely just as vulnerable as people on this sub. They may have lost a loved one or at a desperate situation themselves, so they are not emotionally ready to rationally argue about afterlife. I believe ai will significantly improve our lives and cure Manu diseases but the singularity will not happen in 100 years at least.

NanditoPapa t1_jdzezb1 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 9:15 AM

I agree AI will largely be beneficial. I'm not sure on the timeline. It could be 5 years...it could be never (if we blow ourselves up first). Anyone who says they know when Singularity will happen... doesn't know when Singularity will happen.

Sure_Cicada_4459 t1_jdzmhl5 wrote on March 28, 2023 at 10:57 AM

You could apply this line of reasoning to any expected improvement one is expecting in the future, that's just... silly.