X-Message-Number: 30206
From: "Robert Moore" <>
References: <>
Subject: Hypothetically Dangerous AI
Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 08:11:20 -0800

>Jack Williamson's "The Humanoids" is a fine dystopian story in which a  
>powerful AI charged to "Protect" humans becomes a patronizing monster that
>won't  
>allow you to do anything that might be "harmful". A good read, from around

>1950.
 
>Because of a thousand such science fiction stories stretching over nearly a

>century, it is unlikely that an AI will be given physical power or contact 
>with  the outside world through the Net.
 
>Alan

I am not too worried about dangerous AI, but I also don't buy your
prediction, Alan.  How tight of control do you imagine rational people will
have in the future?  

To me your statement is like saying "Because of a thousand such science
fiction stories about nuclear holocaust stretching over nearly a century, it
is unlikely that dangerous governments will be given access to nuclear
weapons"

I think that if horses exist, one will eventually get out the barn.

Someone, somewhere will eventually say to themselves, "If I just give this
AI a little more independence, or make it a little more aggressive, or
connect it to more sources of information, or all three, it may be much more
effective.  Let's try it."  And those are the good guys!  No telling what
the bad guys might do with powerful AI.

 

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