We’ve proven we’re really good at saying no to new technology.
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Artificial intelligence — especially artificial general intelligence (AGI), an AI system capable of understanding, learning, and making decisions with human-like awareness and autonomy — poses an existential threat to humanity, not only in terms of replacing humans on the job but in a possible SkyNet-like scenario in which robots choose their own targets and decide to start killing us.
That’s not sci-fi paranoia. A Nobel Prize-winning AI pioneer, Geoffrey Hinton, has warned of a 10-20 percent chance of human extinction from AI within decades. Tech leaders, including Elon Musk, Sam Altman, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Wozniak, have sounded the alarm, estimating a 20 percent chance of AI-driven “annihilation.” These same tech moguls have asked Congress to regulate the industry. If the history of disruptive innovations like cigarettes, automatic weapons, automobiles, nuclear weapons, and drones serves as any guide, however, we probably won’t act until it’s too late.
While you’re here enjoying Ted Rall’s latest cartoon, please take a moment and read articles on related topics:
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- All Ted Rall cartoons at WhoWhatWhy