[sardonicbryan]

Once again science fiction has explored why something like this might not be a great idea (minor spoilers ahead).

Vernor Vinge's "A Deepness in the Sky" explores some of the pitfalls of exploiting the mentally disabled in service of a ubiquitous surveillance state.

[gizmo686]

I think we need to reconsider the blanket conflation of "autistic" and "mentally disabled". Especially considering that one of the premises of this article is that autistic people are disproportionately capable of work in cyber security (which is a knowledge field).

Further, the proposal seems to amount to A) giving those autistic individuals with a propensity for cyber security a job and B) giving the support in dealing with the downsides of autism. It is hard to see where the "exploitation" is happening without arguing that all employee relationships are exploitative. I suppose you could argue that the fact that autistic people are underemployed means that we could pay them below market wages. However, even below market wages could still be very good wages (relative to other fields, we get paid very well); so this arguement would fall into the Copenhages Morality trap. [0] The proposal is also consistent with just paying them market wages, which avoid the problem entirely.

[0] https://blog.jaibot.com/the-copenhagen-interpretation-of-eth...

[dogma1138]

The ASD spectrum has became sadly a pollack painting at this point where for nearly a decade people been throwing everything at it but the kitchen sink.

Lately things are changing and likely for the better where autism and I would say the actual kind is getting back to the spot light with other disorders either being completely thrown out back to the shrinks couch or being classified under neurodevelonetal disorder other.

In some countries it became so bad that you don't need to even see a doctor to be diagnosed with autism with sadly all the perks it gives you including almost magical shield against dismissal, and yes people are taking advantage of it.

I've seen 25-35 highly intelligent and not specifically socially awkward people being diagnosed on the spectrum these days by private diagnosis centers in the U.K. without as much as seeing one doctor.

Niether these people nor likely Turing are exploitable nor in a position to ignore what they see or be incorruptible, they aren't some mentally disabled drones with free processing power or mentats.

And those who are and need constant assistance while might have some amazing skills aren't trainable to be analysts.

There is something wrong today when parents say "our child got diagnosed with autism" and instead of hearing sorry they hear wow they'll be great at math, I would like to see the authors of this article actually spend and hour at a assisted home for the autistic it might prevent them from writing this crap.

[sardonicbryan]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that autistic people are mentally disabled or a jobs program as exploitative, though I can see now how it came off that way.

I was referring to the plot of the novel somewhat obliquely since there is a potential spoiler involved (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Deepness_in_the_Sky#Plot_sum...). That said, there is a definite parallel there, as with most good science fiction, it explores some of the potentially unintended/extreme consequences of society.