One expert joked that he worried about super-intelligent machines in the same way that he fretted about overpopulation on MarsAI researchers build machines, give them certain specific objectives and judge them to be more or less intelligent by their success in achieving those objectives. This is the dystopian nightmare that Russell fears if his discipline continues on its current path and succeeds in creating super-intelligent machines. One expert in the field famously joked that he worried about super-intelligent machines in the same way that he fretted about overpopulation on Mars. But for anyone who thinks that living in a world dominated by super-intelligent machines is a “not in my lifetime” prospect, here’s a salutary thought: we already live in such a world! One such super-intelligent machine is called Facebook.

Source: The Guardian December 25, 2021 21:57 UTC