Comment Comment by Christian_Baker No. PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE http://fooledbyrandomness.com/pp2.pdfThe issue is not whether it is amoral or not to do something. The issue is in the inherent asymmetry in making an error.If i knowingly sell a hammer to a particularly wicked individual, perhaps a dozen or so innocent people will perish due to my actions.However, if i sell facial recognition to the wrong individual, I may have wiped out an entire generation, gene pool, race, etc.The probabilities of either event are irrelevant. What matters is the consequences of the fat tails.Wicked use of a hammer != wicked use of mass surveillance. parent Christian_Baker 7 years ago
The issue is not whether it is amoral or not to do something. The issue is in the inherent asymmetry in making an error.
If i knowingly sell a hammer to a particularly wicked individual, perhaps a dozen or so innocent people will perish due to my actions.
However, if i sell facial recognition to the wrong individual, I may have wiped out an entire generation, gene pool, race, etc.
The probabilities of either event are irrelevant. What matters is the consequences of the fat tails.
Wicked use of a hammer != wicked use of mass surveillance.