Advances in technology are generally good for the human race. They help keep us alive longer, make our lives more fulfilling, and generally make the world a much more entertaining place to live. Which is all well and good while we’re in control. The problem is with the continuing evolution of AI (Artificial Intelligence) we may not always be in control.

I’m a huge fan of The Matrix trilogy of movies. Sure, they may be getting a bit long in the tooth now, and sure, the third film may be a dodgy end to the series. But still, they make for compelling viewing, even a decade after the original film was released. And what makes them so compelling is the fact that the dystopian future detailed in The Matrix trilogy could actually happen.

OK, so The Matrix could be a dramatized version of how things could pan out, and most people will rightly call any prediction of that kind of future for Earth over-the-top and overly pessimistic. But the fact remains that the rise of AI and machines that think for themselves and operate without any user interaction is a worrying trend.

The New York Times recently reported that it isn’t just laymen such as me worrying about this kind of thing. In fact, a groups of researchers made up of “leading computer scientists, artificial intelligence researchers and roboticists” met at the Asilomar Conference Grounds in California in February to discuss these concerns.

News of this conference, held at the same venue as the one used by leading biologists in 1975 to discuss the side effects of genetics and DNA research, has taken this long to emerge because it was held in private. But a report detailing what was discussed and decided is set to be published later this year.

While the researchers discounted “highly centralized superintelligences” and the prospect of the Internet being the breeding ground for the first AI spark, they did agree that machines which can kill without being commanded to are already here. They also expressed concerns that the criminal underworld could use AI to its advantage, especially in regards to obtaining personal information.

I certainly think this is an area of science and technology that needs to be closely monitored and have firm rules and regulations in place in order to stop machines becoming the dominant species on the planet. That prospect may seem kooky and far-fetched now but surely that’s the direction we’re already heading in. And that scares me.

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Entry was posted on Sunday, July 26th, 2009 at 1:48 am under Opinion, Robotics, Technology.

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