Today, I am worried about Dominic Cummings idolising scientists. (Thread)
@OpenAI Cummings wrote up his SciFoo experience here. He makes the mistake made by countless clever people when among Scientists. He draws a line between scientific consensus and political debate, but he draws it wrong.
dominiccummings.com/2014/08/19/sta…
dominiccummings.com/2014/08/19/sta…
@OpenAI He knows that they know things he doesn't know, and is unwilling to challenge them. So he swallows the exhaust of technological determinism. Among the claims he repeats:
"Extinct species are soon going to be brought back to life"
"Extinct species are soon going to be brought back to life"
@OpenAI "CRISPR... will be used to cure diseases and ‘enhance’ human performance."
"There is a reasonable chance we will have found many of the genes for IQ within a decade"
"Automation will push issues like a negative income tax onto the political agenda as millions lose their jobs."
"There is a reasonable chance we will have found many of the genes for IQ within a decade"
"Automation will push issues like a negative income tax onto the political agenda as millions lose their jobs."
@OpenAI "Biohacking is advancing faster than Moore’s Law."
There is a particular Clever Person mode whereby not challenging such claims is a signal that you are on the side of science. Having this sort of thinking at the heart of policy is a problem.
There is a particular Clever Person mode whereby not challenging such claims is a signal that you are on the side of science. Having this sort of thinking at the heart of policy is a problem.
@OpenAI In this piece from last year, Cummings suggests having people like @wtgowers and @michael_nielsen. Both good people, and excellent scientists. But not policymakers.
@OpenAI @wtgowers @michael_nielsen Cummings is ignoring everything written about scientific advice since BSE (e.g. csap.cam.ac.uk/media/uploads/…) and instead adopting a Hollywood view of scientist-as-hero. A terrible basis for policy.
