Are Aspies Superior?: A multi-faceted discussion

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When listening to talk radio (not Michael Satan Savage) the hosts were discussing AI and the Singularity or the point where AI truly develops. One of the hosts was reserved on the subject, thinking a Matrix-style or Skynet system would develop where the machines decide humans are inferior and begin the typical genocide we've seen in a gazillion movies, books, and video games. You might think what does this have to do with AS, but I'm getting to that in a bit. Machines even with AI are inferior to humans, simply because their intelligence consists of an encyclopedic knowledge of existing facts and principles, they do not have to the capacity to invent or innovate. While knowing existing information is always important and acquiring new information is even more important, without the ability to interpret that information and use it in beneficial schemes, it becomes nothing more than data. This machine-like obsessive knowledge of information and the gathering of it is the primary talent of the current Aspie, only the data is restricted to a single subject. There are exceptions with Gates, Einstein, and Jefferson, but they were rare exceptions. There is nothing that convinces me that people with AS are superior for having the ability to simply store information. They cannot use that information to develop new facts and values or invent. The only people who have done this are few and far between. The rest of you have no relevant talents. Obsessively gathering and storing information is not practical and therefore, Aspies are in no way superior to NTs. Rather they are at the same level as NTs in that regard.

I know some NT's who feel that people on the spectrum are higher on the evolutionary chain. Interesting, huh? So, it's the opposite of the thread about how many people feel Autistic individuals are cognitively impaired, although I knew some people who thought that as well (I cleared that up with them pretty quick

I don't have time to write right now. I just think everyone is different.

I won't apologize for using that.
I gathered that from observation of people on the spectrum.
But I will say that not every case is the same, this was not an analysis of AS in general but a check to supremacists

It's funny how your entire argument is based off a narrow, subjective misconception.

My son is an AWESOME inventor. Oh my word. So when you said "can't invent" I don't understand. Is that saying my son is almost like Einstein - he could be but I doubt it. I am sure some people on here can invent.

Oh, I am NT (kind of) and I don't feel like I have many talents. My son is a lot more talented in different areas than me.

I wouldn't apologize for what you believe. You have the right to your beliefs.

It's not necessary to claim that autistic people have no relevant talents, in order to not be a supremacist.

Sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am.

FreedomG,

For someone supposedly diagnosed, your view is myopic and just DUMB! You make SO many STUPID assumptions!

AI has NOTHING to do with MASSIVE knowledge! Certainly, there has to be SOME knowledge, but TRUE intelligence is in WISDOM! The APPLICATION of the knowledge! The two are very separate. Kim peak may have the ability to have more knowledge than about anyone on the planet, but that doesn't mean he is the most intelligent. TODAY, the average computer can access more knowledge than any person or set of books EVER had. Again, that doesn't approach AI.

Outside of something like colosus http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0064177/ or skynet, no halfway intelligent computer could ever think that it stood a chance against humans. THEY were special because they were hardened, self supporting, and had limited accessibility, due to the military nature. Still, even THEN, they are really doomed to failure because they don't have the knowledge or dexterity to provide for their maintenance, etc... And what if a key component or resource were to fail? Would they be dumb enough to create a potential competitor? Colosus DID have a "competitor" that was setup as an ally of sorts, but that wasn't good enough, and certainly dangerous.

So would anyone that is smart enough to attempt a TRUE AI system be DUMB enough to attempt it? I DOUBT IT! One group CLAIMS to be trying. They actually CLAIMED it was up to the level of a 4 year old. I saw NO evidence of that EVEN in their boasts. And WHERE is it today? The CLOSEST anyone has gotten is an "expert system". That is like an IDIOT SAVANT! It is great for one MINOR purpose, and even THERE it isn't perfect.

AS people are NOT devoid of wisdom. Some are pretty smart. HECK, look at torrent! Do you know how many programmers wouldn't have a CLUE on how to get that to work? Yet a person with AS did it. Frankly, you put NTs on too high of a pedestal! And the information ISN'T generally associated with just one subject. As for Gates, Einstein, and Jefferson? You're RIGHT! EXCEPTIONS! Einstein was mostly into math. Jefferson was mostly into things like mechanisms, furniture, etc... And what is Gate's talent? SERIOUSLY, I would LOVE to know!

Hey, I can't claim to be anywhere near as good at math as Einstein was, but I am decent. Certainly better than the average NT.(Judging by my observances of hundreds of people from various cultures/countries) I am good at woodworking and various things like Jefferson. If I wanted to, I could give him a run for his money EVEN if I was limited to tools of his day. Of course, I DO prefer lathes(I first used one when I was like 6!), routers, drills, power saws(I actually setup(Mounted it, wired and mounted the motor, and put in the blade) a jigsaw around 7), etc... I'm certainly not discounting his abilities. Even TODAY, his work is prized. But I am no slouch either. OK, I WILL admit I am not as artistic. Still, for his day, he wasn't THAT unique. As for Gates? Don't make me laugh. I have worked on O/Ss, drivers, languages, various apps, and have done so in MANY languages(Including 6502 assembly, vax macro, C, PASCAL, COBOL, PERL, PHP, etc...).

Still, are AS people necessarily better? No. But don't go saying we are inferior or that we can't do things we CAN do. And, ABOVE ALL, don't say we are no better than a biological AI system.

Original poster is just trying to help us coz if we all start thinking we're superior, that will have a reverse effect. I have a terrible memory, I think coz of the anxiety but very creative.

About 5 years ago someone told me that I should get a girlfriend because of my talents, and that my type of mind might be considered the next step in the evolutionary process. When I was in high school, another student compared me to the main character in Rainman, and my math team coach told me we shouldn't try to "cure" the disruptive, creative types.

Where do the generalizations about AS really come from? Any person might give the appearance of being unable to formulate a meaningful story about a collection of facts if the person at the other end of the conversation doesn't understand the subject. The tendency to read and collect facts is at least something, whether accompanied by inventiveness or not. Many people have neither the collection of facts nor the ability to invent.

Superior, inferior ... these are inapplicable terms when measuring human aptitude. I also object on a moral level to this classifcation of human beings. This is Nazi thinking.