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Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

nytimes.com

291–300 of 1001 posts

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The classification of cryptography as munitions was an interesting choice. The first amendment may protect domestic encryption capabilities as stated by the wikipedia article. From a legal standpoint, does encryption being classified as munitions also put it into second amendment territory? As information becomes weaponized, it's an interesting thought. The first amendment is arguably more vulnerable these days, so I…

does encryption being classified as munitions also put it into second amendment territory? It doesn't much matter. Even if somebody made the case that "crypto is a form of 'Arms', subject to 2A protection," the 2A doesn't grant an unregulated right to own whatever "arms" one chooses. All the rights granted by the Constitution are subject to reasonable regulation. So, Congress could simply legislate a restriction on c…

It could be argued that the 2nd amendment was put in place to ensure a means of the citizenry to overthrow the government (as an absolute check on an unjust government). Unfortunately it's now just a vestige of an older time and the 2nd amendment only serves to protect the rights of gun hobbyists.

The guns that a person are allowed to bear are nowhere near sufficient to take on the US military, and the modern arms such as encryption and freedom from surveillance are not even guaranteed by the 2nd amendment.

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#292
post #28

As an engineer I have serious moral qualms about furthering the goals of any military. Contributing means being complicit. The fact that the military funds research doesn't change that.

As an engineer I have serious moral qualms about not furthering the goals of our military. After all, I would not be here, and my job would not exist, and the freedom I have to do this work would not exist, if soldiers like my grandfather hadn't stepped up to Hitler and Stalin and Mao and say "No, you're wrong, and we're willing to use violence to protect our way of life". Just my 2c but I definitely respect the ulti…

your grandfather was probably considered by leadership to be just as disposable as every other low-income male in the population at that time... he's lucky that he didn't die in the trenches. you are, too. war is power and money.

glowing historical illusions of "responsibility" and "valor" don't protect us from nuclear holocaust.

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It does not, because the 2nd amendment protects arms, not munitions (for example, bombs).

What's the difference? The 2A certainly applies to cannons. Are those arms or munitions? Grenades are legal to own, just need the tax stamp.

Arms are munitions. Not all munitions are arms.

More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Munitions_List

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#294

Earlier quoted context omitted.

does encryption being classified as munitions also put it into second amendment territory? It doesn't much matter. Even if somebody made the case that "crypto is a form of 'Arms', subject to 2A protection," the 2A doesn't grant an unregulated right to own whatever "arms" one chooses. All the rights granted by the Constitution are subject to reasonable regulation. So, Congress could simply legislate a restriction on c…

Where does it say you can regulate my rights?

WRT the 2A, it's right there in the text: "well regulated".

WRT other rights... Explicitly? Not always in the Constitution. But, if you think you can cry "Fire!" in a theater, you would be mistaken.

SCOTUS has upheld reasonable restrictions on rights over and over. It's a settled matter.

(edited - cleaned up my thoughts a bit)

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#295
post #206

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It depends how you look at it. What was the purpose. Presumably after fighting in the Revolutionary War the goal was not to give people hunting privileges, they had something else in mind. From that point of view, maybe RPGs should be allowed, but so should attack helicopters, surveillance capabilities, private spy satellites, etc. > IANAL but I’m pretty sure the second amendment only applies to guns; you can’t walk…

That flamethrower is awesome. What use does a flamethrower have though besides burning buildings, that a normal gun wouldn't?

Clearing brush. It's considered an agricultural tool IIRC.

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#296
post #260

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd vote for Belgium. More seriously: the US has nuclear weapons, rendering them safe from any direct confrontation with enemies challenging them technologically. They have a conventional military 10x the size needed for the sort of intervention that actually succeeded in the past (the Balkans, the first Gulf war). The rather unsuccessful wars (Afghanistan, Iraq) were lost not for technological reasons or any other d…

I'd vote for Belgium. Belgian atrocities in the Congo suggests that would be a very, very poor choice

By the "atrocities in the past" metric, any country would be a bad choice. The Trail of Tears comes to mind.

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#297

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd argue that fundamental human rights means rights that exist inherently regardless of whether the UN or any given country recognizes them. My feeling is that people have a right to self defense, which would require them to have access to some effective weapon. In theory that could be a club or blade rather than a firearm; however, currently firearms are the only (somewhat) socially acceptable weapon to carry in th…

self defense is a human right only in a lawless society. The existence of the state makes it necessary for it to have the monopoly of the application of force, and all matters should be resolved in a civil court of law. Only in the USA is it normal to think that people should have the right to kill in self defense. Even more, many think they should be able to defend themselves from the state.. while that is the defin…

> Only in the USA is it normal to think that people should have the right to kill in self defense.

Really? Your profile was created 15 minutes ago, and this seems like an absurd statement.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justifiable_homicide

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#298
post #16

This has been by far one of the most shameful things Google has done. And their excuse that "they're only analyzing images" is a joke. Analyzing the images and "identifying objects" (their words) is probably 95-99% of the job in a drone strike. So if they're trying to make people think that their role is minimal in drone strikes, they're failing hard at that. I also think Eric Schimidt, who until last December was bo…

So, war is still going to be a thing regardless of what position Google takes. Would you rather have less concerned engineers delivering a subpar product? Suppose because the technology is not as good, it misidentifies innocent civilians as targets. Is it "shameful" for Google to develop this software, or to cover their eyes and pretend this isn't happening to avoid bad PR?

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#299
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I hear you, and I want to make a "times change" argument. This is my perspective, because I read too much scifi: I can conceive of a couple possibilities in 300 years. 1. Humanity is gone or stone-aged. Either because it failed to colonize before being wiped out by disease, because it nuked itself, or because it implemented AI in a way that got itself killed. 2. Humanity has turned peaceful, formed a global community…

there's a dead post from @Ataturk who nails my arguments against your point, but doesn't do so very nicely. history should be a guid here. presuming penis-size conversation is anything more than an intentional dig by a chauvinist powermonger, probably isn't helpful here.

I don't see the dead post, though I've looked. I'm happy to hear the points.

Re: Google Workers Urge C.E.O. To Pull Out of Pentagon A.I. Project

#300
post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

there is no inherent reason that these technologies need to be developed by the military, they could just as well be developed for civilian use when given the funding. also it is not surprising that these things are invented by the dod when you're spending ~600-700 bilion a year on warfare and intelligence operations. That last sentence of yours rubs me kinda the wrong way; that is a dangerious premise that could set…

China is currently heavily funding genetically engineering geniuses and AI. The US can either wake up or sit around and wait to be subjugated via an autonomous drone swarm developed by 250IQ Chinese scientists

I... hope this is sarcasm?
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