Eric Schwitzgebel

An Argument for Vastly Many Observers Smaller than a Proton [abbreviated argument here; link to full-length blog post at end of thread] Assumption 1: The universe is infinite. Assumption 2: If the universe is infinite, complexity recurs at large scales. 1/3

Assumption 3: If the universe is infinite and complexity recurs at large scales, so do life and intelligence. Assumption 4: Given Assumptions 1-3, it would be an un-Copernican coincidence if we happened to occupy the smallest scale hosting intelligent observers. 2/3

Friends and readers: I have cancer. The type of cancer is not yet fully confirmed, but all signs point toward kidney cancer that has spread to my hips, back, and pleura. On the bright side, all my blood tests so far are normal, suggesting that the cancer is moving slowly, which is typical 1/4

worried in light of last week's post about self-sacrifice with terminal diagnoses, I assure you that although my reflections at the time were more immediately personally relevant than they might have seemed, while I was awaiting results, those thoughts remain entirely 5/6

Friends and readers: I have cancer. The type of cancer is not yet fully confirmed, but all signs point toward kidney cancer that has spread to my hips, back, and pleura. On the bright side, all my blood tests so far are normal, suggesting that the cancer is moving slowly, which is typical 1/4

continue to do what is important to me, and one of those important things is discussing philosophy through my blog and social media. I have been posting at least weekly on The Splintered Mind for more than twenty years, and I hope to continue to do so, though it is likely that I will start to 3/5

Friends and readers: I have cancer. The type of cancer is not yet fully confirmed, but all signs point toward kidney cancer that has spread to my hips, back, and pleura. On the bright side, all my blood tests so far are normal, suggesting that the cancer is moving slowly, which is typical 1/4

Giving One's Life [link to post in thread] Would it be wrong to think of a fatal diagnosis as an opportunity?

The Appeal of (Semi-?) Biological Naturalism [link in thread] Biological naturalism about consciousness will, I predict, soon be hot. As AI systems start to look more and more like conscious or sentient entities, at least superficially, doubters will be increasingly drawn to 1/3

arguments against their consciousness. Especially appealing will be arguments that characterize consciousness specifically as a biological phenomenon, one that can't occur in ordinary, non-biological computer systems. In this post, I describe the structure of such arguments and their 2/3

Should We Build AI Guardian Angels? [link to post in thread] Answer: no (in response to @henryshevlin.bsky.social), in part because each generation should nurture the next, not the other way around.

New paper in draft! I've been working on this one since 2018, never satisfied, redrafting over and over. I'm sure it still needs considerable work, but I'm finally ready to circulate it. Walking the Walk Ethicists who advocate moral principles without trying to live by them will generally 1/4

understand without living by it: A meat-eating professor who recommends vegetarianism will generally have only a thin grasp of the way of life they recommend. These limitations give us reason to discount the understanding of ethicists who don’t attempt to live by their principles, 4/5

New paper in draft! I've been working on this one since 2018, never satisfied, redrafting over and over. I'm sure it still needs considerable work, but I'm finally ready to circulate it. Walking the Walk Ethicists who advocate moral principles without trying to live by them will generally 1/4

have a deficient understanding of what they recommend, for two reasons. First, abstract mottos like “act on the maxim you can will to be a universal law”, “maximize good consequences”, or “be generous” lack specific practical content without an array of concrete examples to flesh them out. 2/4

I'll be at WorldCon (the world's largest science fiction convention) in Anaheim next Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday I'll be doing a panel with @ericlinuskaplan.bsky.social on robot and alien consciousness. Here's his announcement, including of his new animated series: 1/4

Ethical AI? Aug 29: The Laws of Robotics and Other Ways AI Might Learn from Aug 30: Beam Me Up, Scotty! How Close Are We to Teleportation? Larry Niven (!) will be one of the other panelists on teleportation. Academic poster session Sunday evening, mine on AI and consciousness. 3/4

I'll be at WorldCon (the world's largest science fiction convention) in Anaheim next Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday I'll be doing a panel with @ericlinuskaplan.bsky.social on robot and alien consciousness. Here's his announcement, including of his new animated series: 1/4

Ethical AI? Aug 29: The Laws of Robotics and Other Ways AI Might Learn from Aug 30: Beam Me Up, Scotty! How Close Are We to Teleportation? Larry Niven (!) will be one of the other panelists on teleportation. Academic poster session Sunday evening, mine on AI and consciousness. 3/4

I'll be at WorldCon (the world's largest science fiction convention) in Anaheim next Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday I'll be doing a panel with @ericlinuskaplan.bsky.social on robot and alien consciousness. Here's his announcement, including of his new animated series: 1/4

I've released my 12th annual ranking of the prestige of science fiction and fantasy magazines, based on awards and best-of selections. This year, @reactorsff.bsky.social edges out @clarkesworldmagazine.com for the top spot by half a point, with @uncannymagazine.bsky.social very close behind 1/5

14. Fireside (20.5) (ceased 2022) 15. The Dark (18) 16. @fantasymagazine.bsky.social (16.5) (off and on during the period) 17. @morningtransport.bsky.social (14.5) (started 2022) 18. Interzone (13.5) 19. @diabolicalplots.com (12.5) 20. @thedeadlands.com (12) (started 2021) 4/5

I've released my 12th annual ranking of the prestige of science fiction and fantasy magazines, based on awards and best-of selections. This year, @reactorsff.bsky.social edges out @clarkesworldmagazine.com for the top spot by half a point, with @uncannymagazine.bsky.social very close behind 1/5

-- basically a statistical tie. Top 20: 1. @reactorsff.bsky.social / Tor.com (193 points) 2. @clarkesworldmagazine.com (192.5) 3. @uncannymagazine.bsky.social (188) 4. @lightspeedmagazine.com (128) 5. @asimovssf.bsky.social (101) 6. Fantasy & Science Fiction (95.5) 2/5

AI and Consciousness, hot off the press at Cambridge University Press and free online until Aug 26! Summary: Our most advanced AI systems might soon – within the next five to 1/4 www.cambridge.org/core/element...

play of empty mimicry. Genuine conscious experience might require something no AI system could possess for the foreseeable future – intricate biological processes, for example, that silicon chips could never replicate. The thesis of this Element is that we don't know. Science lags, while 4/5

AI and Consciousness, hot off the press at Cambridge University Press and free online until Aug 26! Summary: Our most advanced AI systems might soon – within the next five to 1/4 www.cambridge.org/core/element...

thirty years – be as richly and meaningfully conscious as ordinary humans, or even more so, capable of genuine feeling, real self-knowledge, and a wide range of sensory, emotional, and cognitive experiences. In some arguably important respects, AI architectures are beginning to resemble the 2/4

Obfuscatory Philosophy as Intellectual Authoritarianism and Cowardice [link in thread] For philosophers who can convince readers to take them seriously, obfuscation yields three illegitimate benefits: (1) it intimidates the reader, donning a mantle of intellectual authority, 1/3

(2) disempowers critics by allowing criticisms to be called misinterpretation, (3) exerts fascination on the reader who enjoys the challenge of puzzling out the meaning. It’s braver and more egalitarian to make plain claims that can be proven wrong supported by plain 2/3