Bill Joy
1954 - present
"...we are on the cusp of the further perfection of extreme evil..."
Bill Joy is the co-founder of Sun Microsystems. He is a computer scientist noted for major software developments at Sun. After leaving Sun Microsystems he became a venture capitalist.
His relevance here is related to the famous essay he published in Wired Magazine in 2000 entitled, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us." In this article he warns that certain emerging technologies, including genetic engineering, artificial intelligence and nanotechnology are potentially worse for humanity than weapons of mass destruction. His proposed solution, "voluntary relinquishment" or voluntary agreement not to pursue these technologies has prompted some to label him a "neo-Luddite."
He is one of a long list of notables that I have cited who are warning us particularly against the dangers of artificial intelligence. The others cited are Stephen Hawking, Vernor Vinge, Shane Legg, Stuart Russell, Max Tegmark, Nick Bostrom, James Barrat, Michael Anissimov, Elon Musk, and Irving Good.
Click on links to other players in my journey below.
Ardi * Aubrey de Grey * Bill Joy * C. Owen Lovejoy * Carl Linneaus * Charles Darwin * CRISPR *
Daniel E. Koshland, Jr * Elizabeth Kolbert * Ernst Mayr * Eugene E. Harris * Gregor Mendel * Henry Markram *
Ian Tattersall * Jean-Baptiste Lamarck * John Markoff * Katherine Pollard * Kevin de Queiroz * Lucy *
McBrearty and Brooks * Miguel Nicolelis * Paul Allen * Paul Berg * R.A.Fisher * Scott Blois * Singularity *
Stephen Jay Gould * Svante Pååbo * Sydney Brenner * Terry Sejnowski * Theodosius Dobzhansky *