Quantum Leap Never Killed Hitler

Published April 28, 2020 · Updated July 6, 2022

Shat Team,

Do you remember that show from the early 90’s where Scott Bakula played a version of John Wick that went time hopping around killing evil dictators when they were children? No? That’s because it is hopefully the plot of the upcoming Bill and Ted movie, and I am thinking about the show ‘Quantum Leap’ where Scott Bakula played the character hopping around in time making subtle changes in relatively minor characters in order to provide a better alternative future. This method of subtly influencing the timeline in ‘Quantum Leap’ is a good way for us to look at how Solomon and Rehoboam identify and handle the outliers.

The Super AI, like Solomon and Rehoboam, look at their scenarios on the aggregate and try to predict where and why scenarios branch. These branch off points are critical because it is in those moments that the scenario varies from the desired outcome. Outliers are likely critical at those moments, and the AI’s inability to influence these outliers at the branch points is what likely identifies them as outliers. The thing to remember is that these outliers are not empty books the same way Delores is unknown to Solomon. Instead, the outlier is completely understood by the AI, but the AI can’t allow the outlier to make the scenario branch off, so the outlier must be removed from the timeline.

Killing a future outlier negates all the utility that the AI get out of the individual. The machine wants to maximize utility when achieving the desired scenario. That is the most efficient way.

The only thing the AI can’t tolerate is asking about what the AI or Serac are doing. Pulling on that thread finds you getting disappeared, and if ignored will result in the end of civilization.

What do you think? Would Solomon or Rehoboam kill a baby Hitler, or try to get as much use out of that baby Hitler before getting rid of him before WWII?

Nick B

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