Comments on: Surrogates vs. avatars http://www.kurzweilai.net/surrogates Accelerating Intelligence Sun, 26 May 2013 05:54:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Cameron http://www.kurzweilai.net/surrogates/comment-page-1#comment-149 Cameron Tue, 06 Jul 2010 21:54:21 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=82619#comment-149 It's still ridiculous moving robots around to do everything, when you could perform most work and activities more easily through virtual interactions with far less resources, costs, and more flexibility. Also using augmented reality the physical appearance of avatar robots would not really matter, there could be standard sets at work, in malls, etc, if need be. As for muscle atrophy problems, there are organisms that lie inactive for long periods of time without suffering such problems. Their study will yield the necessary information to provide drugs or genetic modifications to allow for prolonged periods of inactivity without adverse consequences. It’s still ridiculous moving robots around to do everything, when you could perform most work and activities more easily through virtual interactions with far less resources, costs, and more flexibility. Also using augmented reality the physical appearance of avatar robots would not really matter, there could be standard sets at work, in malls, etc, if need be.

As for muscle atrophy problems, there are organisms that lie inactive for long periods of time without suffering such problems. Their study will yield the necessary information to provide drugs or genetic modifications to allow for prolonged periods of inactivity without adverse consequences.

]]> By: jabelar http://www.kurzweilai.net/surrogates/comment-page-1#comment-80 jabelar Mon, 08 Mar 2010 20:29:14 +0000 http://www.kurzweilai.net/?p=82619#comment-80 I agree with most of your assessment except the statement "[it] strikes me as a very expensive waste of the technology." I think you're forgetting to look at technology from the average public's point of view. For most people, being able to look beautiful and move powerfully would be well worth it. I suspect people would spend more than they currently do on cars or even houses. Don't underestimate the power of vanity -- most of Facebook and Twitter and such is powered by people's self-centeredness. There are already people who spend most of their spare time and money on virtual worlds. I'm pretty sure that people would readily pay for the surrogates as shown in the movie. I agree with most of your assessment except the statement “[it] strikes me as a very expensive waste of the technology.” I think you’re forgetting to look at technology from the average public’s point of view. For most people, being able to look beautiful and move powerfully would be well worth it. I suspect people would spend more than they currently do on cars or even houses. Don’t underestimate the power of vanity — most of Facebook and Twitter and such is powered by people’s self-centeredness. There are already people who spend most of their spare time and money on virtual worlds. I’m pretty sure that people would readily pay for the surrogates as shown in the movie.

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