Scientists Worry Machines May Outsmart Man

[dreamdancer 0]

first they'll smother us with empathy...

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A robot that can open doors and find electrical outlets to recharge itself. Computer viruses that no one can stop. Predator drones, which, though still controlled remotely by humans, come close to a machine that can kill autonomously.

Impressed and alarmed by advances in artificial intelligence, a group of computer scientists is debating whether there should be limits on research that might lead to loss of human control over computer-based systems that carry a growing share of society’s workload, from waging war to chatting with customers on the phone.

Their concern is that further advances could create profound social disruptions and even have dangerous consequences.

As examples, the scientists pointed to a number of technologies as diverse as experimental medical systems that interact with patients to simulate empathy, and computer worms and viruses that defy extermination and could thus be said to have reached a “cockroach” stage of machine intelligence.

While the computer scientists agreed that we are a long way from Hal, the computer that took over the spaceship in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” they said there was legitimate concern that technological progress would transform the work force by destroying a widening range of jobs, as well as force humans to learn to live with machines that increasingly copy human behaviors.

The researchers — leading computer scientists, artificial intelligence researchers and roboticists who met at the Asilomar Conference Grounds on Monterey Bay in California — generally discounted the possibility of highly centralized superintelligences and the idea that intelligence might spring spontaneously from the Internet. But they agreed that robots that can kill autonomously are either already here or will be soon.

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/07/28-5

stay away from moving propellers - they bite
blue skies from thai sky adventures
good solid response-provoking keyboarding

[AggieDave 6]

Every few years for the past century similar concerns have been raised again and again. Its has become a basic fear in modern society; to the point that many fictional accounts have been successful playing on those fears.

So will it happen? I have a feeling that similar stories will continue to be told and concerns raised for the next century as well.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Lefty 0]

We're too late. In Dubai I saw a box labeled "SkyNet" being driven around by a human on a bicycle, I can only assume under threat of force. God help us...

Provoking a reaction isn't the same thing as saying something meaningful.
-Calvin

[kelpdiver 2]

Well, even Eliza could do more than cut n paste, and she's been around for over 40 years. So dreamdancer should be worried.

[pirana 0]

Yes, the Matrix is going to come true, . . . any day now for the last 50 years.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[downwardspiral 0]

Oh and now they have a motive to kill or use humans.

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[chasteh 0]

There are actually terminators that are already walking around our DZ. The way we detect them is by hanging a giant magnet i the middle of the packing floor that dangles from a six foot rope. (Our ceiling is high enough so that we won't hit anyone on the head with it)

When one walks by, the magnet moves BIG time. And then it starts...

We pay particular attention to anyone who visits Disney World.

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/

The deals are so unbelievably good, that almost anyone would be willing to go. Don't fall into the trap! They are using great deals as a ploy to attract you and yours into their holdings. The terminators we have found all had small, almost invisible signs of happiness - which came in the form of park entrance stamps on their left hands. If you or anyone at your DZ finds one, run!

[AdamLanes 1]

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...they said there was legitimate concern that technological progress would transform the work force by destroying a widening range of jobs...

Good.

[dreamdancer 0]

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...they said there was legitimate concern that technological progress would transform the work force by destroying a widening range of jobs...

Good.

including police officers and soldiers jobs
(don't worry their empathy algorithms will keep us secure)

stay away from moving propellers - they bite
blue skies from thai sky adventures
good solid response-provoking keyboarding

[pirana 0]

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...they said there was legitimate concern that technological progress would transform the work force by destroying a widening range of jobs...

Good.

Even better if they were to take some of the people doing them too.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[happythoughts 0]

My computer at work told me that when it takes over the
world, it will move to the Bahamas with the cute copier
on the 4th floor.

[nerdgirl 0]

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Oh and now they have a motive to kill or use humans.

Well … not sure if there was evidence of motive or intent on the robot’s part ... maybe the robot didn't *want* to be fixed - it thought it was fine just the way it was, but

“A Swedish company has been fined 25,000 kronor ($3,000) after a malfunctioning robot attacked and almost killed one of its workers at a factory north of Stockholm.”

“Thinking he had cut off the power supply, the man approached the robot with no sense of trepidation.

“But the robot suddenly came to life and grabbed a tight hold of the victim's head. The man succeeded in defending himself but not before suffering serious injuries.

“‘The man was very lucky. He broke four ribs and came close to losing his life,’ said Leif Johansson [the Public prosecutor in the case].”

/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[timmyfitz 0]

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Oh and now they have a motive to kill or use humans.

Well … not sure if there was evidence of motive or intent on the robot’s part ... maybe the robot didn't *want* to be fixed - it thought it was fine just the way it was, but

“A Swedish company has been fined 25,000 kronor ($3,000) after a malfunctioning robot attacked and almost killed one of its workers at a factory north of Stockholm.”

“Thinking he had cut off the power supply, the man approached the robot with no sense of trepidation.

“But the robot suddenly came to life and grabbed a tight hold of the victim's head. The man succeeded in defending himself but not before suffering serious injuries.

“‘The man was very lucky. He broke four ribs and came close to losing his life,’ said Leif Johansson [the Public prosecutor in the case].”

/Marg

This is probably the robot that was involved in this incident.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3owLjBkEtHs

[MrDree 0]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_singularity

"One day, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it's worth watching."

Dudeist Skydiver #101

[downwardspiral 0]

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Oh and now they have a motive to kill or use humans.

Well … not sure if there was evidence of motive or intent on the robot’s part ... maybe the robot didn't *want* to be fixed - it thought it was fine just the way it was, but

“A Swedish company has been fined 25,000 kronor ($3,000) after a malfunctioning robot attacked and almost killed one of its workers at a factory north of Stockholm.”

“Thinking he had cut off the power supply, the man approached the robot with no sense of trepidation.

“But the robot suddenly came to life and grabbed a tight hold of the victim's head. The man succeeded in defending himself but not before suffering serious injuries.

“‘The man was very lucky. He broke four ribs and came close to losing his life,’ said Leif Johansson [the Public prosecutor in the case].”

/Marg

I read that when it happened and couldn't stop laughing for a few minutes while trying to picture the event unfold.

www.FourWheelerHB.com

[nigel99 588]

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Every few years for the past century similar concerns have been raised again and again. Its has become a basic fear in modern society; to the point that many fictional accounts have been successful playing on those fears.

So will it happen? I have a feeling that similar stories will continue to be told and concerns raised for the next century as well.

Interestingly I have been discussing the "ethics" of remote warfare with my boys (9 years old). Personally while I fully understand the motives behind UAV and other remote operated machines I do believe that they should be limited to surveillance only. I believe that taking the "horror" and risk out of warfare/killing automatically lowers the threshold for decision making and I believe is reflected in the number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan due to Predator strikes. Then in the last few days I saw this news article http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8182003.stm

I know that my argument can be extrapolated to fighter planes, bombers and cruise missiles etc and to be perfectly honest the more I think about it the more I believe that if you are going to war - you SHOULD have to risk life and limb, it is a grave decision and the abstract nature has allowed us to take the decision to go to war lightly as it has become a question of economics rather than the loss of sons and daughters.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.