The Craziest Consequences of Artificial Superintelligence

What Could Be the Craziest Consequences of Artificial Superintelligence?

We all, well most of us in any case, remember how Skynet became aware and tried to take over the world. Once it became self-aware, Skynet, with its super artificial intelligence saw humans as a threat and triggered the nuclear holocaust.

Maybe we’ve been amazed by how F.R.I.D.A.Y assists Tony Stark in everything that he does. From troubleshooting his Ironman suit to making a reservation at a restaurant, she, or it is always at his side.

Though we found it entertaining, we never gave it much thought as we just did not have the technology available today. For years AI was only part of good, or bad, science fiction books and movies. The advances in artificial intelligence or AI, however, has certainly made many things we thought to be impossible, possible. If one looks at the current science and technologies available, AI gets real. According to Tim Jones, AI expert at SDS club “Artificial intelligence develops faster than mankind intelligence did”. Who knows what we will face in the nearest decade.

So, today the question arises, is something we see in the fiction movies even possible? Are machines that could use super intelligent AI a threat to humans? There are some experts which have cautioned against it and warned that it could pose a danger.

Maybe we should take a step back and first look at what artificial superintelligence is. Armed with this knowledge, we can maybe answer the question.

What is Artificial Superintelligence?

Artificial intelligence has been with us for a while. Just think of Siri or maybe self-driving cars. Although we don’t give much thought to it, these technologies are a part of our daily lives. Thinking of these examples, AI is easy to define. It is the software-based simulation of human intellectual capacity.

Now, what exactly is artificial superintelligence? Like artificial intelligence, it is a simulation of human intellectual capacity, except in this case it far exceeds the capabilities of humans. According to Nick Bostrom, the Swedish philosopher, AI superintelligence is “an intellect that is much smarter than the best human brains in practically every field, including scientific creativity, general wisdom and social skills”.

Although AI hasn’t developed to that level yet, it does make one think what would be possible if that is achieved. It’s no wonder that some leaders in the technology field have warned us against it.

Some of The Crazy Consequences of Artificial Superintelligence

Let’s forget machines taking over the world for one minute, and maybe look at some more tangible negative consequences AI superintelligence can bring. These might not mean the end of the world but the sooner we begin to contemplate what these might be, the better we can equip ourselves against them.

Keep in mind that these might not be all the consequences, but just some of the crazy consequences which can occur.

Job Losses

In its current state, some predict a net increase in available jobs due to artificial intelligence. In other words, although AI may lead to some job losses, it will create more jobs. This is as a result of the improvement in automation and autonomous manufacturing. On the other hand, these AI systems need to be created and maintained by humans, which will create jobs.

Now take this a step further to a situation where artificial superintelligence is the norm. If the capability of the AI systems far exceeds the intellectual capability of humans, it stands to reason that there will be far more job losses. In such a case the machines will be capable of doing any job better than a human.

Imagine feeling ill and going to the doctor, except that the doctor is a machine that does all the tests, looks at your symptoms, and makes a diagnosis. As a bonus, and without you even knowing, it can send the prescription through to the electronic pharmacist who will dispense your medication.

Far-fetched? Maybe, maybe not. How close are we to AI? Some experts predict that we can have our first artificial intelligence that can pass as human within the next 40 years.

That brings us to another consequence, a positive one.

Medical Care

Humanity has made some great advances in medical and health care. There has been excellent improvement in the care for Cancer, Alzheimer’s, surgery, and other chronic illnesses. If machines with super intelligence and capabilities exceeding those of humans would diagnose, operate, and do research, the possibilities are endless.

This has already been proven in some instances where machine learning algorithms are making more accurate diagnoses compared to human clinicians.

Whilst during a global pandemic, imagine for one moment if we had health care workers who could work around the clock and not get sick. The benefit to the patients would be immeasurable.

Autonomous Weapons

For years, nuclear weapons in the wrong hands have been one of the greatest fears of mankind. Luckily it has been kept under control, but the amount of destruction these weapons can cause is reason for fear.

Now throw some artificial intelligence into the mix. The thought of autonomous weapons which can’t be easily disarmed in the hands of a government or terrorist organization is frightening. Once deployed, they would not be easy to stop.

Even more frightening, is these weapons under the control of a machine that can decide how and against who to use them. Who knows, the next nuclear superpower might be a super intelligent superpower.

Hacking

We hear of hacking attacks every day. From phishing attacks to accounts being hacked and ransomware, it is quite common.

Hackers are already using artificial intelligence in their attacks. They use AI to create and accelerate polymorphic malware. This causes the code to change the code constantly and make it undetectable. They also use it to bypass facial security and spam filters and to bypass anomaly detection engines.

Ultimately, however, these hackers are humans who decide who to attack and why. When we have a machine, which can implement these attacks faster, more efficient and for its own reasons, the results could be mind-boggling. If we take this into account, a Skynet which holds the world at ransom is not such a crazy idea.

Whether frightening or amazing, the field of artificial intelligence is surely fascinating. Ultimately, whether these consequences occur is up to us. We need to be aware of the risks and prepare for it. One way to do this is to learn more about AI.

We can use it for good, some will use it for bad, but it is a part of our future. Who knows, maybe one day we will have a tycoon in a steel suit using his AI superpowers to save humanity.