I think ML covers all aspects of the march towards ‘self aware’ non human entities of earthly origin whether they be based on traditional Boolean electronic components, analog implementations, quantum, chemical, biological, or some form of a hybrid conglomerate. They are all forms of machines. The distinction is that they are non-human.
Even humans require learning to become functional members of society but are constrained by their physical properties in the areas of mental processing speed, memory, physical strength etc. That is why we build machines.
A non-human machine will need some form of learning capability if it is to ever evolve beyond a toaster or whatever machine it is created as. That learning capability will probably not happen spontaneously nor through evolutionary processes. It will require some form of seeding to make it happen. The seed generator will be human, and had better get the boot code right.
I prefer to think of intelligence as either organic or non-organic. Fundamentally, the processes should be nearly identical, with the only differentiating factor being media.
One uses internally generated electrical pulses operating in a chemical bath, the other could be any form of energy, and perhaps any source of media, with which to process non-linear 'thinking'.
The true promise of non-organic intelligence may be release from physical constraints. Perhaps light waves, traveling through space, powered by solar and using gravitational fields as 'boundaries' could allow true space travel.
The ultimate question will eventually become: is organic intelligence merely a stepping stone to fully evolved non-organic intelligence? If so, who are we to judge? Perhaps we are entirely clueless as to our (temporary) role(s) in universal evolution.
Fun speculation, but in the here& now, the game is really taking place on future, virtual battlefields. That's why huge, expensive traditional footprints that project power may be soon obsolete.
Imagine a virtual Chinese invasion force occupying all of our systems & controls? Not programs, but real "live" AI agents. Sh!t is getting real real fast; and no one, other than SV and some other think tanks seem to have a clue.
Or, they do have a clue, and guys like EM are simply providing hints of what's already going down.
On a rudimentary level, its already out there. Look at how Google has been able to track and store your browsing history then offer up websites "you may like" based on your shopping history......
I mentioned on another thread how my fake Facebook account is encouraging me to connect with people I know but have never "friended" . Somehow they have acquired from the internet my emails to my friend "John Doe" who has a Facebook account. Then they send a notification to my fake account asking if I want to add him to my "friend" list.......
Considering how large and expansive Facebook is, it wouldn't surprise me that hidden deep in their network there is an arm of the NSA that they're not even aware of........