We have talked a whole lot over the course of this semester about artificial intelligence; what it means, what it doesn't mean, where it is, where it's going, and it's that last one that has caused us the most uncertainty. Remember, we don't want a toaster that decided for us whether it will make our toast or not.
Now, writing in British publication The Independent, Hawking uses the current Johnny Depp film Transcendence as a jumping off point for his view that AI could be the biggest mistake humanity has ever made.
He worries that as we rush to create technology that can adapt to its environment, analyze gargantuan amounts of data in fractions of a second, and become self-aware, they will begin to form their own identities, their own societies, and their own needs for survival, of which humans may not play a part.
We have seen this theory played out countless times in many movies and works of fiction including I, Robot, I have No Mouth and I Must Scream, System Shock, The Terminator, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and many, many others.
Hawking doesn't deny that there is some good in all of the developments we're seeing, but he worries that things like Microsoft's Cortana and Apple's Siri are just the beginning of an AI arms race that we will all lose.
There is an interesting sidebar in this article at DailyMail about the Hawking post, in which one of the founders of DeepMind, the company formed by a neuroscientist to develop machines that can think and was recently acquired by Google, stated that he feels "human extinction will happen and technology will likely play a part." Google actually had to set up an ethics committee to monitor what Deep Mind is doing, although I suspect they will not be limited in any way.
I for one welcome our new toaster overlords. I hope they heard me. I love toast!
In the past I use to only dream about this technology, is it going to be a reality?
ReplyDeleteThough is worries me a little, it sends chills up and down my spine.
As a child I use to be a Marvel fan and would wonder if mutants like Electro and such would actually become a reality. Well, after watching the trailer of Transcendence I wonder if AI can actually be able to merge with humans. I think that anything is possible now and days. Also, I think it can be very beneficial, if controlled. Can or will it be controllable? This sends chills up and down my spine.
Sorry Keith. I don't think it will be a reality to the extent that everyone is thinking. I may be optimistic but I think there are those who will try to use it to replace humans. I think machines will be apart of us. I think the things with robotics that can help humans walk and speak are remarkable. I also think the same benefits that help us, folks will use them in war and destruction. I think the bigger issue is the human mind and greed is far more dangerous than any machine can ever be.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the greed is far more dangerous than any machine, however, when someone gets so greedy that they actually become capable of develop something so farfetched, that's when AI itself could become dangerous. People that are power and money hungry don't always design things for the greater good but for reasons that could make them more powerful and more rich, at times malicious intent. That's when things take a turn for the worse.
DeleteI agree with Ainsley. In the movies, robots seem to have human emotions when in reality, they can only be programmed to smile or frown. Emotions come from the soul. Sure AI's are being created, however, I too optimistically believe it will be help the human race in areas such as the military and like Ainsley stated, to help in a medical capacity.
ReplyDeleteI actually just saw the movie, "Transcendence" and it was actually a good movie. The thing which worries me is that there are those who use the technology for the good of humanity and there are those who will use it to control humanity. We are moving really fast on these innovations. I think that robotics and nano technology are here to help us, but it's the humans using this technology which could be the problem.
ReplyDeleteI share the feeling from the article. One of my biggest fears is actually something like the movie iRobot to actually happen, and I believe as we continue to make improvements to our AIs it could actually happen. Human extinction will happen because of humans and not robots, but only because we created the robots is that they are the direct result of us and if uncontrolled, become our doomed. So let's all just hope for a big meteorite doom extintion then?
ReplyDeleteI agree with what everyone is stating. Technology is both exciting and scary. I think as long as we use it in a positive way, and to help mankind, it will be great. But I also believe their are many greedy and ill hearted people out there, that would take it for negative purposes.
ReplyDeleteMya Taylor
I have to agree that although this AI technology assists humans in several ways, I do see a lot of risks involved. Whenever I watched those type of movies it definitely made me think about living in a world where AI technology dominated us. However, I never thought it could be possible. Educating ourselves in what's going on will help us understand what the future has in stored for us.
ReplyDeleteTechnology is totally taking over a lot of people in our generation especially. Many kids that are young have toys that incorporates an iPad or some kind of smart technology. Many kids as well have cell phones and are constantly using that to communicate with people. It's sad that not many kids go out and play anymore, but instead stays inside to play video games or constantly on their phone. Technology is already taking over us.
ReplyDeleteIn todays’ society we are depending on technology far too much. Many do not even have a since of direction anymore because they rely on their navigation. I think AI technology is an amazing thing but I agree it can be a huge mistake. We would be creating something that is better than us that will take over and lead to our demise. I feel the AI technology we have right now is perfect and we should not go any farther. Machines should not be able to think for themselves if we want to stay in control.
ReplyDelete-Stephanie Theobald
The thought that AI could take over the human race is a very scary thought. Mankind cannot repair and duplicate like machines can so I feel that if it that were to happen, we would serioulsy be screwed. What technology is capable of is neat and brings us so much convenience. I think that we should use technology as a benefit to devices. For example, a cell phone, devices in a car, wheelchairs, home electronics, alarm systems, devices for amputees but I do not think, ever ever ever, should technology seriously be needed to build robots that are heavy, large, indestructible, and that could essentialy take me out.
ReplyDeleteWe are too technology dependent and it will only get worse as time passes by. The purpose for technology was to enhance our daily lives, but people have became to accustomed to needing it. We should just use it to make everyday livesbetter because I honestly think that technology can become like Transcendence and once that happens, it will be to late.
ReplyDeleteI always said that I will never be one of those people that will text all the time, or join social media, or basically rely on technology for anything. Times are definitely changing and its almost a must to be up to date with technology. From both a personal and working perspective. On the other hand it is scary to know what technology is capable of and yet we still on a fast track to get there. It will only end up breaking your heart (Her), wanting to take your rights away( IRobot), or try to kill you(Terminator). No thanks
ReplyDeleteIt is very discouraging to think about the future and be able to imagine any kind of technology being able to hurt us. Every day humans get closer to what they want, a self sufficient artificial technology. Our dependence on technology will only grow because of the simple idea of "we have to keep up". Technology is a great but dangerous tool.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe that AI is a bad thing but what I do think is that we should not rely on technology to run our every day lives. I honestly hope that zombies will be the cause of our extinction it sounds a lot more interesting than robots. As in the movie Transcendence with nano tech it has the possibility to help us out with the battles of diseases and may even recover "reproduce" limbs, give the gift of sight to the blind, and many other things that can help us out. I think we should go forth to research these possibilities but make protocols to make sure we are in control.
ReplyDeleteTechnology seems to have been such a great thing allowing us to further our knowledge about different products, people or situations. To think that this may be the demise to our existence is discouraging. Our society is overly dependent on technology to the point that we are losing personal human contact everyday its sad, but it is the way the entire world is moving.
ReplyDeletePeople in today's society depend on technology and the use for it far to much and is hurting the way people act and respond to different things. Yes, technology is a great thing and the evolution is as well, but it could also be a very dangerous thing as well. People are reliant on their phones, navigation system, computers, etc and some are not even able to get along with their days if they forgot their tablets or phones at home.
ReplyDelete-Shane Booth
To be honest, I'm not too concerned with the future of Computer AI. As you stated in class, computers are only instructed on what to do, and do not actually have meaning. With the current binary system, I can't see it possible that there is a way to code allowing for true understanding of meaning.
ReplyDelete