Scientists Warn Of Robot Armageddon (In 1998)
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Wednesday, 9 of December , 2009 at 12:21 am
Now, I’m not saying that there is never going to be a robot Armageddon, but this just goes to show that people have been predicting that such things are right around the corner for decades:
February 18, 1998:
DAVOS, Switzerland (CNN) — Could artificially intelligent robots signal the end of the human race? Some Swiss scientists say such a threat may be closer than we think.
Their doom and gloom talk was prompted by one of their own creations: an autonomous robot that learns from its environment.
Within a few minutes, the microprocessor based robot can learn not to bump into a barrier. No one programs the robot’s actions, and its creator isn’t exactly sure how it will behave in any given situation.
Within 10 years, they predict that similar but more advanced machines, equipped with artificial intelligence, will be as clever as humans. Soon after, they say, the man-made objects could become more intelligent than their creators — and capable of taking over.
“Next century’s global politics will be dominated by the question of should humanity build ultra-intelligent machines or not,” said Hugo de Garis, who’s already created an artificially intelligent machine.
“In fact, I’m going so far as saying there will be major warfare between these two major groups, one saying building machines is the destiny of the human species, something people should do and the other group saying it’s too dangerous,” de Garis said.
Kevin Warwick, a professor of cybernetics — the science of comparing biological and computerized brains — agrees that thinking robots could be dangerous.
“I can’t see any reason why machines will not be more intelligent than humans in the next 20 to 30 years and that is an enormous threat,” Warwick said.
De Garis speculates that the robots might soon tire of their human creators.
“We could never be sure these artellects, as we call them — artificial intellects — wouldn’t decide that humanity is a pest and try to exterminate us, and they’d be so intelligent they could do it easily,” de Garis said.
Warwick has even gloomier premonitions.
“We’re talking in the future the end of the human race as we know it,” Warwick said.
The day when robots no longer do what we want them to may already be here.
De Garis’ machine quickly decided it was camera shy and refused to be filmed by a CNN crew.
Shy or not, only time will tell if these artificially intelligent machines will evolve enough to bring about our demise.
OMG! EVERYBODY PANIC ten years ago.
Progress is happening… In the last 10 years, all kinds of utterly crazy stuff has happened in the world of robotics. We’ve got robots with missiles and guns now, and robots that make all kinds of (sometimes scary) decisions without us. What isn’t happening is a robot apocalypse, or really any hint of one. I’d like to reiterate that there’s no reason why this isn’t something we should be concerned about, and legitimately… But it’s worth rational discussion, not dire predictions about “the end of the human race as we know it.”
[ CNN ]
Comments (3)
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Comment by Nick Taylor
Made Wednesday, 9 of December , 2009 at 2:23 am
Don’t you people watch television?…
Human stupidity will always trump machine intelligence.
Comment by Andy
Made Wednesday, 9 of December , 2009 at 5:29 am
I hope we have super smart robots that try to kill us. That would be fun… until we all die.
But seriously, when we develop these smart AI-humanoid robots, can’t we just put an off switch on them? A certain command/electrical frequency that disables robots perhaps?
Comment by Barrett Ames
Made Wednesday, 9 of December , 2009 at 9:16 am
“The day when robots no longer do what we want them to may already be here.”
That was here the day we started making robots, I don’t know how many times i’ve stood there and looked at a robot and been like, “Go!”
and it just sat there
What a rebel.
