Technology is nearly advancing at an exponential rate. That means not only is it improving, but the rate at which it is improving is getting faster at the same time.
Eventually it’s going to reach a tipping point if we don’t do something. It took us thousands of years to come up with the most basic of inventions, but in the years to follow we’ve invented things that would’ve been considered impossible just a few hundred years ago. We’ve gone from cave paintings to art museums, from stick huts to multi-million dollar mansions. We’ve evolved from wooden boats to supersonic jets, and everything in between. In every aspect of our society we have exponentially improved the technology to a point where it would be unrecognizable to past generations, so what makes you think we won’t do the same with artificial intelligence? Or that artificial intelligence won’t do the same to itself?A History of TechnologyCharles Babbage first theorized the concept of a computer early in the 19th century and about 100 years later the first one was built in 1946. It weighed about 50 tons and took up a total of 1,800 square feet.
35 years later the first laptop computer was invented, weighing 23lbs and featuring a 5-inch screen. 11 Years later the first smartphone was invented.Fast-forward to today. The iPhone is nearing its tenth installment, while technology continues to get smaller and more powerful.
With nanotechnology and quantum computing making recent strides, many would claim we are on the verge of an artificial intelligence revolution as well. While advancements are being made in all areas of tech, none have the potential to experience an explosion of evolution like artificial intelligence does.With machine-learning algorithms becoming more complex, computers will get better at reading humans. They will be able to analyze and predict us like we predict the weather, and this opens up some scary possibilities. AI could eventually begin redesigning itself at a pace faster than humans could keep pace with. It wouldn’t be long before we were relegated to zoos, as we’ve done to less intelligent animals. Is AI Bad? Depends On who’s using it Super-capable AI falling into malicious human hands could be just as bad as anything it “decides” to do on its own. If bad people out there decide to develop artificially intelligent terrorists, who’s going to stop them? Drones run by AI will become a lot more efficient at killing, and will likely be used in terrorist attacks in the future.
Robots will soon resemble those from “The Terminator”, and be capable of similarly terrifying feats. On the other side of the coin, however, we’ll also have “good” AI which is used to protect us. Cyberwar really will be the future once our machine learning algorithms advance a bit more. We are not far off from that reality and as history shows us, it’ll probably be here sooner than we think.
How Can We Prevent AI From Causing Global Destruction?”The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race….It would take off on its own, and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.” ~ Stephen HawkingArtificial intelligence is going to solve a lot more problems than it creates at first. We’re currently entering into its golden age where all kinds of advancements will be made in science and medicine because of AI. Our lives will become more efficient in every way possible and it will be an amazing time to experience. But if this technology gets into the wrong hands or is allowed to achieve sentience, it could spell the end of humanity as we know it. That’s why we need to regulate AI and put strict limits on who is allowed to develop it.
Considering that it could become much more dangerous than nuclear weapons, AI should be treated similarly. We’ll have to enter into pacts with other nations, agreeing not to continue developing AI for harmful purposes. Killer robots and other autonomous weapons of war are another security concern we will be facing very soon. If we don’t act quickly we could enter the third age of war before we know it, with autonomous robot armies leading the way.Industry experts like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Mustafa Suleyman are already starting to panic about how close we’re coming to this possibility.
They think we should join together with other groups of countries like the UN to ban autonomous weapons before they become a real threat. Once this technology is out there, it’s going to be nearly impossible to reel it in. Our best hope is to prevent the worst-case scenario before it happens, and ensure that AI is only used for non-harmful purposes. The Potential for a New WorldAs machine-learning algorithms get smarter and AI becomes exponentially more advanced, we will solve a lot of the problems plaguing our society. From poverty to obesity, our world will start to look more and more like a utopia as AI continues to evolve. But as real as its potential for good is, AI’s potential for evil is just as real. We could see millions killed and exploited in the future by AI if we don’t put limits on ourselves. Countries all around the world need to agree to ban autonomous weapons and strive to keep this technology out of the hands of people who would use it to do harm.
AI could potentially improve the lives of everyone on Earth someday soon. As it continues to grow more powerful, our responsibility to regulate it does as well. We can’t stop this technology from evolving, but we can discourage uses of it that we consider detrimental to our society. With the proper laws and guidelines in place, we should be able to safely wield artificial intelligence to advance our lives in ways never thought possible before.
