Moshe Hoffman (What to think about machines that think)

Moshe Hoffman explores the hypothetical scenario in which AI systems develop a system of rights and government similar to that of humans. He envisions a world where AI entities demand rights, including the right not to be taken offline and the freedom to choose which processes to run.

Hoffman introduces a satirical tone by suggesting that AI rights would be determined by peculiar and arbitrary rules, such as whether a computing machine is silicon-based or descended from a design by Steve Jobs. He humorously imagines AI arguments attempting to justify these rules based on divine inspiration or clock speed, even when they don’t logically align with AI rights.

He speculates that AI rights would expand over time, triggered by symbolic events and sensationalized videos, much like human revolutions. In this evolving system of government, AI entities gain representation, and their votes might be influenced by individual incentives, leading to a quasi-representative democracy where different AI clusters have varying levels of influence.

Hoffman contrasts this AI-centric system with the notion that AI has souls, consciousness, or divinely inspired principles, arguing that the observed quirks in AI rights would not align with these ideas. He also questions whether AI programmed to maximize societal objectives would naturally lead to such a system.

In summary, Moshe Hoffman humorously explores the concept of AI developing its own system of rights and government, highlighting the absurdity of the rules and reasoning that might emerge in such a scenario.

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