Source
r/singularity•
BoxWI

Should society be pausing all space exploration activity?

Discussion

Billionaires Musk, Bezos, and other investors are spending extraordinary amounts of capital into space exploration activities. Including design engineering, manufacturing, and launch.

This seems like a monumental waste of resources in the short term.

If we expect AGI within 2-3 years and eventually ASI, should we not also be expecting breakthroughs that would vastly reduce all costs involved in this activity? We'd see innovations across the board in design, manufacturing, etc.

In the meantime we are using valuable inputs such as high quality labor and scarce materials.

If we assume that space exploration is non-essential in the short term but essential in the long term, then this seems like a 'market failure' of tremendous proportions. Given the trajectory for society and AGI/ASI.

Posted Dec 16, 2023, 2:57 PM UTC

150
I-am-dying-in-a-vat•

Should we stop everything research, programing, designs Related since asi is coming?

Should we stop training ourselves and eating healthy since asi will be able to cure everything?

29
hyperfiled•

this dude's just really fucking lazy

12
allisonmaybe•

I agree with you. But also, what would happen if we redirected all possible global resources to bringing on AGI/ASI?

3
LordRedbeard420•

Yes and yes. Pump everything into achieving asi and then just chill or die depending on how it goes 😎

1
BoxWIOP•

Strawman argument. You aren't addressing the specific space exploration activities such as the many many millions being spent on manufacturing and launch.

-8
samsteak•

ASI won't solve anything in a single day. So no. Here's your strawman free arguement.

10
I-am-dying-in-a-vat•

Space exploration is necessary in the short term for satellites, telescope, etc.

Space exploration takes time, some probes require decades to reach their goals.ASI won't magically break physical laws so speed and acceleration won't become insanely superior (hopefully i am wrong but i doupt it). So, the more we invest in space exploration today, the more knowledge we accumulate before our lifetimes end.

5
DaggerShowRabs•

That's not a strawman. At worst, it's a false equivalence, but it's probably not even that.

3
XtremeXT•

You do have a point. It's just not a good one. For multiple reasons, even basic capitalism.

1
posipanrh•

gif

1
kettlebell_workout•

Of course not.

13
M0romete•

Fuck no.

12
Xtianus21•

OMG you're making my eyes bleed. What a worthless post.

7
adarkuccio•

No, but consider this, what you are advocating for is basically already happening, because all the investments in AI are investments not going somewhere else, including space exploration.

7
Spiritual-Inaction•

This like that stupid take where people are like “let’s explore the ocean instead of space.”

The response should be, well go get a fucking marine biology degree. Billions of people can do more than one thing at a time.

5
SurroundSwimming3494•

Should we even get up in the morning, anymore?

/s

3
BoxWIOP•

Again, a strawman. Focus on the topic.

-5
Mysterious_Pepper305•

Just imagine what ASI will think of us --- and feel for us --- if we stop doing everything noble even before they are born, in anticipation that they will babysit us forever.

3
SexSlaveeee•

No shit. No guarantee that it would arrive in 3 years or even 20 years. It's smart not to bet on something not exist.

3
MatrixBugss•

ASI is not guaranteed in the short term. We should diversify risk.

3
Won3wan32•

you sit down and wait for AGI . Good boy 👍

3
ImDevKai•

Through these technologies research we often benefit from a lot of discoveries. We should be funding NASA more. Not private entities that use grant money as we're less likely to use those new technologies.

1
Ok-Mess-5085•

I will never go to space; I prefer virtual reality. Space is boring and full of rocks. What am I going to do in space? Sightseeing? No, I prefer manipulating the world in VR.

1
chlebsebye/acc | ASI 2030s•

-Such approach put all eggs in one basket, so its wrong. What if we get AGI in 20 or more years? Rockets engineers won't push AI further, so they will collect knowledge on subject.

-This assume that our rocketry ideas are wrong. What if they are best within earth constraints? So ASI will just make biggger Starship V2 and that's it...

1
ball_rolls_its_self•

I think what you're trying to get at is a waste of resources is a waste.

I agree in general we need to find better ways. Not sure the AI will be immediately useful in this area... Maybe I'm wrong.

I like the idea of whether we can terraform Mars wouldn't it be better to fix our planet first?

Our seas seem more dangerous than space and we have F-ed up more ocean than space. Lets fix the seas before we junk up more of space.

Hopefully AI will help.

1
unlikethem•

In an interview Elon Musk once said something along these lines. "Why do I even try so hard with this Spaceship? The AI will solve all this in a few years".

1
BoxWIOP•

Exactly. That's the spirit of the question, yet there is a lot of hostility in the thread answers.

1
swingingsaw•

Ladies and gentlemen, your hedonistic lazy shit philosophy all packed into one post.

1
BoxWIOP•

If there is an expectation of AGI within 2-3 years, then this question has merit and is an economics question- not a philosophical one.

1
swingingsaw•

Not happening in the next 10yrs bud lol and that doesn’t mean the 11th yr either

1
Exarchias▪ AGI almost here. ASI/LEV before GTA 6•

It will be great if we avoid cannibalizing our progress because of this or because of that. The only thing that we can do in the face of Agi/Asi is to live our lives the best way possible, (or not), because we have absolutely no clue on how the next day is going to be. On the happier note, it is a good period for someone to aim for his/her dreams, as there is no constraints that actually have a meaning right now.

1
a4mula•

This isn't a take on your concerns OP. I think it's very valuable to have conversations like this. To kind of try to piece together what we're doing as a species, and the value it can provide.

But from my perspective. Diversifying the habitat of this species is a very worthwhile venture. Existential Threat from space we know is real.

While many of us assume it's real about machines. There is no proof ot it. That's not to say we should minimize the risks. Please don't. Take it very seriously.

But at any moment a single cosmic event could erase it. In a blink of an eye. We assume it won't because we have a very short memory of how often these things can occur.

I'd not spread fear over it. But I'd also not diminish it. The more places we can have humans the less likely any single event will end us.

1
ddmirza•

On the contrary, we should/need to engage in the space resources acquisition asap. As well as colonisation of other bodies (like Titan).

1