It might be tempting to reach for a conspiracy theory or two, not least because it’s hard to hear the name “Skynet” without thinking of the malevolent, self-aware artificial intelligence (AI) system in The Terminator movie franchise.
But there’s no connection other than the name and, in any case, real life is always more prosaic.
It is somewhat depressing that everybody’s understanding of artificial intelligence and technology in general is derived from a sensationalist movie, which made no effort to be even remotely realistic.
Let’s face it though, the movie never made a lot of sense.
They replaced humans with artificial intelligence, an artificial intelligence capable of independent thought (why did it need to be capable of independent thought).
All they needed to do was literally replace the humans with remote control relays, there’s absolutely no reason for it to be an AI. If you are giving artificial intelligence access to weapons, then you are the problem, not the artificial intelligence.
I wish we could have a sensible conversation about AI without assuming that it’s going to kill everyone because it happened in some movie. AI’s biggest threat to humans is that it will replace everyone by doing a better job, and our entire economic system will fall apart, not that it’s going to start Armageddon.
Yeah one can be prevented the other can’t so let’s worry about the thing we can prevent.
If AI is going to kill us all the only thing we could do to stop that is not make AI which is basically not going to happen. We can alter society so that it’s no longer based on the assumption that everyone will be able to find employment.
Ruh roh
The BBC have preempted your joke
It is somewhat depressing that everybody’s understanding of artificial intelligence and technology in general is derived from a sensationalist movie, which made no effort to be even remotely realistic.
WARNING: This is exactly what a T-1000 would say
Let’s face it though, the movie never made a lot of sense.
They replaced humans with artificial intelligence, an artificial intelligence capable of independent thought (why did it need to be capable of independent thought).
All they needed to do was literally replace the humans with remote control relays, there’s absolutely no reason for it to be an AI. If you are giving artificial intelligence access to weapons, then you are the problem, not the artificial intelligence.
I wish we could have a sensible conversation about AI without assuming that it’s going to kill everyone because it happened in some movie. AI’s biggest threat to humans is that it will replace everyone by doing a better job, and our entire economic system will fall apart, not that it’s going to start Armageddon.
Is there a difference?
Yeah one can be prevented the other can’t so let’s worry about the thing we can prevent.
If AI is going to kill us all the only thing we could do to stop that is not make AI which is basically not going to happen. We can alter society so that it’s no longer based on the assumption that everyone will be able to find employment.