It is typical Yahoo sensationalism but the idea of machines taking over the world is not new.
There have always been inteligent people with IQs well aoove the norm but as such they have no particularly domiinated the world. I guess it is the lack of morality or human concern within machines that has always been seen as problematic. Asimov had to create the three rules of Robotics as a failsafe (And at least once overturned it). The Terminator series was based on losing control of AI.
IS AI a curse or a blessing?
Is it more intelligent or just faster at processing? Is there a limit to intelligent input?
IOW is it intelligence that defines dominance or is it maybe social communication and cooperation.
Any technology can be a threat to humans. A gun ca. protect us, or be used to harm us. I think the same is true for AI.
There is also a second type of threat due to AI and it’s the way it’s affecting our environment.
Some are wanting to build more dams to support
AI much like dams have been built to support mills. Which is bad. Dams are overwhelming negatively impacting wildlife. But they also want to use AI to make dams safer. Some are even wanting to build nuclear power plants just to support AI.
Which may be good or may be bad. It’s outside of my knowledge base.
AI can be a blessing or a curse, depending on humans who program and operate it.
AI can perform simple tasks faster and more accurately than humans, which means many will lose their jobs. I assume that most of these people can be trained to do other tasks.
The faster and more accurate performance will probably produce new designs and inventions that can help the life of humanity.
AI can outperform humans on battle fields because it can make decisions faster than humans and probably hits more accurately on targets with predictable movements. It may also make decision errors that humans would not do as easily if it follows fixed rules - a signal leads to a rapid response that follows logical rules but does not necessarily take into account technical errors in the surveillance systems or illogical human behaviour.
It is inevitable that equipment guided by AI will be used more in the future wars than now. The rules of operation and human control of the most important decisions are crucial if we want to prevent the type of scenarios that ‘Terminator’ movies rely on - an AI that guides defence systems takes control and tries to eliminate humans that are seen as a threat to the logical goals of the AI. That scenario has a low probability but might be possible if we let an AI to control whole defence and attack systems.
Strict failsafe rules should keep the AI as servant of humans in the near future. It is possible that AI can reach true intelligence or pseudo-intelligence in the future. Such AI could be clever enough to change even its basic programming or at least, find such ‘holes’ in the failsafe rules that it could do almost anything it wants. At that point, we can just hope that the AI has good intentions and goals.
Even if an AI would start to act in a destructive way, humans would have means to take it down. The weak spot of AI is the need for huge amounts of energy (electricity) for operation. If you can cut electricity (or other source of energy) from the AI, it should shut down.
Superman III The super computer finds the nearest power source and taps into it.
The electricity Network in areas where AI will be used is not securable.
It would appear that already some governments are trying to put restrictions in place, but,
WW2 happened despite the so called restriction imposed after WW1
The Dark Webb, and proiferation of Cyber attacks would seem to indicate that “control” is almost impossible.
And if shot down or destroyed they just build another one The only human fatality is on the receiving end. The operators are out of reach.
It is only that History is replete with new technology that is weaponised. I guess as long as there is any sort of freedom or free will someone will attempt a coup.
If the worst scenario happens, it is best to shut down (or destroy) the whole network. That would leave humans without electricity and many would die. Yet, an AI running amok could be an even worse option.
As you can see, I am a bit pessimistic and cynical about the future where we make ourselves dependent on AI. At the same time, I am optimistic and hopeful about the possibilities God have.
God is the ultimate ruler that can prevent any bad scenario if He wants. I doubt if He wants to prevent all bad options. It is possible that He lets humans reap what humans sow, at least for some time. That pattern would fit to the model that Revelation and other biblical scriptures seem to tell.
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