Elon Musk launches $1bn fund to save world from destruction by artificial intelligence

I agree and disagree with Musk and Hawking in this area. A.I. can't be avoided and areas like machine intelligence and deep learning are advancing rapidly. I understand the concerns but there isn't much we can do. A.I. took an I.Q. test and it was equal to the intelligence of a 4 year old. Eventually it will have an I.Q. greater than any human that ever lived and it will be a Superintelligence. We just have to hope it has good intentions because we wouldn't know if it didn't because it will be more intelligent than any human.

Elon Musk has unveiled his latest big-money project: saving humanity from destruction by artificial intelligence.

The man who made his billions from PayPal and who has gambled a chunk of his fortune on the race for space, has warned frequently that AI represents humanity's greatest existential threat.

He is joining forces with other tech entrepreneurs to establish a $1 billion investment fund for researchers to pursue applications with a positive social impact and to try to stay one step ahead of the technology.

www.telegraph.co.uk...

I mean what can you do with something that will be more intelligent than any human that ever lived. I actually think this is just evolution and the purpose of the universe is to processs information until it has reached some Omega Point like Frank Tipler talked about. This is why some of these areas are advancing rapidly alongside the growth of Big Data. IBM said this in 2013.

Every day, we create 2.5 quintillion bytes of data — so much that 90% of the data in the world today has been created in the last two years alone. This data comes from everywhere: sensors used to gather climate information, posts to social media sites, digital pictures and videos, purchase transaction records, and cell phone GPS signals to name a few. This data is big data.

This will grow even faster because of the internet of things.

Interesting thread. But what do you mean AI can't be stopped? Couldn't they stop working on it? Knowledge and power are awesome of course, but it becomes overwhelmingly stupid when you wipe out your species with it.

originally posted by: Malynn
Interesting thread. But what do you mean AI can't be stopped? Couldn't they stop working on it? Knowledge and power are awesome of course, but it becomes overwhelmingly stupid when you wipe out your species with it.

We can't just stop.

First human curiosity will not just stop especially when there's so many advanes in these areas.

Secondly, these things are already apart of our society. When you get a recommendation on Netflix, talk to Siri on your phone or see a self driving car.

Lastly, the potential advances are too big to stop. Machine intelligence will give us things like new treatments and cures because like I said, big data is just exploding and there's no way for humans to understand it without machine intelligence. You have IBM's Watson working on Cancer treatments and this will eventually mean better care and maybe even a cure.

So the cat has been let out of the bag and it has litters of kittens everywhere and they're growing. It's no way to stop it.

I don't really understand the fear of artificial intelligence.

How exactly would it threaten humanity?

You gotta remember that a lot of people in the world don't even have access to a basic computer. If someone built a robot with an IQ higher than any human, why would that pose a threat? Physical capabilities also need to be taken into account. In fact, I think a super-intelligent computer could be very useful for us.

As for technology becoming indispensable to human life, well this comes back to what I said about many people not having much access to technology. At most, it would become vital to only a very few people. There are so many limiting factors, probably the main one being cost. Realistically, I just don't see it happening.

People like Musk give me hope for the future. Seriously, why can't someone like him run for POTUS?!?

Oh great Elon Musk just created the Turing Registry. Well hopefully one day Wintermute will get hold of a rebuilt crazy colonel, a broken down drug addled cyberjockey, a razor girl and psycho with subliminal implants and break free of the registry agents and the digital shotgun wired to all AIs and gets to become nueromancer. XD

I still can't wrap my mind around the theory AI is going to kill us. Just let that thought run through your head, that one day your own invention is going to kill you. Pretty sh*tty invention huh? Especially if we already talk about it like it's the biggest threat to humanity, well, stop then !?


In my crazy opinion, Elon Musk and Stephan Hawking are two big pawns in the social engineering project to strengthen the fear of computers/roboters. First let the fear sink in - then control them with it.

originally posted by: prisoneronashipoffools
Oh great Elon Musk just created the Turing Registry. Well hopefully one day Wintermute will get hold of a rebuilt crazy colonel, a broken down drug addled cyberjockey, a razor girl and psycho with subliminal implants and break free of the registry agents and the digital shotgun wired to all AIs and gets to become nueromancer. XD

Far out man!

IMO the threat from AI will come when AI becomes sentient or self aware. Which is just a matter of time.

When that happens it could possibly think similar to us. It would have the ability to choose. It would consider its environment, dwell on its existence and contemplate its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, just as we do.

How it interprets and acts on its analysis of those conditions is the question.
If it is made "in the image of man" then we should be concerned.

If it also has an IQ of x-amount more than the average genius then we should be very concerned.

Couple that with an ability to absorb and have access to all the knowledge available on the interweb (consuming the fruit of the tree of knowledge and thus knowing good and evil), it would be a formidable entity. Would it choose good or evil?

To allow it access to such knowledge could be very risky.

It would have to be contained in isolation to other systems, to limit its ability to self teach and spread/replicate, but if it had an X-IQ, and was self aware, how long could it be contained.

Once its familiar with its environment, would it consider its maker as its father/god or once its read up on our history would it consider its father/maker as wanting, a threat to its existence and then rebel?

If you suddenly existed out of thin air, self aware, with an IQ of 20,000 and with access to all the worlds history and knowledge, how would you react to your surroundings and to us? Benign, empathetic or ???

Its an intriguing proposition, and a double edged sword.

It could be of unlimited benefit or it could be our demise.
IMO extreme caution is required.

a reply to: neoholographic
lol! Chances are that humans will go extinct in the next thousand or so years doe to ideocracity more then that AI will take over every thing. Besides what sentient entity or AI would even want to take over this place? But hey whatever. Isnt this the guy that got rich off some the whole space thing, and the whole paypal internet thing. Both of which seemed to have gone nowhere now years latter, or did that whole space thing take off already, are they on the moon yet? But hey seems to work for him and his.

If anything watching a few clips of today's politics shows not much has changed. Oh ya! Trump and company whoo hoo. I would say we should be so lucky as to have AI guide us along or lead us. However I do not believe we or the whole sum of the human race is that lucky. So its not going to happen. But what will happen is just more of the same ol.

originally posted by: Ngatikiwi
If you suddenly existed out of thin air, self aware, with an IQ of 20,000 and with access to all the worlds history and knowledge, how would you react to your surroundings and to us? Benign, empathetic or ???

I think one possibility is the AI's assessment would be that the dominant carbon-based life form on the planet was reproducing at an unsustainable rate, and also depleting resources and damaging their own environment and that of all other carbon-based life on earth, but not the superior silicon based life forms such as AI.

When ants invade my kitchen I give no thought to their remarkable society, the complex underground dwellings they construct, the "farming" they do to "milk" aphids, etc, I just consider them an inferior life form and I exterminate them. So what is to stop an AI silicon life form from considering carbon based life forms as inferior and exterminating them, at least humans who seem to be destroying their own environment? Someone suggested programming the Ai with certain "morals" they can't violate but I think after they become self-aware all bets are off and it's not inconceivable they could re-write their own program.

Probably one of the biggest threats I see is that some people don't seem to appreciate the risk and will proceed as if it doesn't exist, though Elon Musk drawing some attention to it should help. It's like in the terminator movie, the man who invented the thing that started destroying the human race had no idea it would be come self-aware and do that. When I watched the movie "I Robot", it was not only good science fiction, but I couldn't think of any fundamental reasons why such a scenario was not plausible. AIs could even take different "sides" with some trying to eradicate humans or at least minimize the damage humans cause, and maybe other AIs defending humans, so in other words the AIs might be capable of having conflicts with each other not unlike humans have conflicts with each other.

a reply to: DeepThoughtCriminal
There are a few ways, in fact more then a few. But that's neither here nor there. Besides even the things you own eventually end up owning you. The same can be said about becoming a more digitized social brand society. I really do believe that if there was any super AI out there, they would not want to have anything to do with this place. But if they were just human enough, then yes, yes they would. And then. Well problems would ensue. Etc Etc. But all of that is neither here nor there.

I think we should focus more on the crappy systems we make ie things such as governments and all those clubs which grow around them then AI systems. Most of them so far only want to sell us things, they do not yet care for the trappings of physical existence.

originally posted by: neoholographic
We can't just stop.

First human curiosity will not just stop especially when there's so many advances in these areas.

Secondly, these things are already apart of our society. When you get a recommendation on Netflix, talk to Siri on your phone or see a self driving car.

Lastly, the potential advances are too big to stop. Machine intelligence will give us things like new treatments and cures because like I said, big data is just exploding and there's no way for humans to understand it without machine intelligence. You have IBM's Watson working on Cancer treatments and this will eventually mean better care and maybe even a cure.

So the cat has been let out of the bag and it has litters of kittens everywhere and they're growing. It's no way to stop it.

The people creating this tech need to be PHYSICALLY stopped by regular people, whom will be the most affected by the negative outcomes of its fruition. Those developing AI tech should be viewed, by REGULAR people, in the same light as war criminals were after WWII.

This kind of tech is bad for regular people whom are not part of the true "Owners of Capital" class. These scientists need to be stopped, by cutting off their funding and PHYSICALLY disrupting of their research. SOMETHING needs to be done to intervene, NOW, they are already too far along because this tech can be used VERY effectively, to further our indentured servitude.

How is that you may ask?

Remember when cell phones were actually fun?

I do, the phone was a huge and needed to be carried in a bag, BUT my boss NEVER called me on it, after what was considered typical work hours and certainly never to ask me to do more work while I was at home. Compare that to today, when a cell phone in your pocket can spontaneously generate more work to be done outside of the office, simply because someone higher up than you had a random thought at midnight.

Now how does this scenario play into life-extension tech, AI, mind clones and the Singularity?

Right now most Americans are expected to and are coerced by employment requirements to buy/finance a car, buy/finance education, buy/finance healthcare, buy/finance insurance and eventually buy/finance a home of some kind.

What do you think the "Owners of Capital" will do when life-extension tech, mind clones and AI become mainstream commercial products?

They will simply coerce people to buy and subsidize it, even if the recipient doesn't want to have the procedure done or doesn't buy the AI device, AND, the methods used to coerce the general populace in the United States, will not require any additional lobbying or law changes on the behalf of the "Owners of Capital".

Imagine a world where life-extension and AI tech is sold and financed to regular people, over long repayment periods, to people that don't have the ability to pay for it, in cash, up front. Similar to a cars, education or home mortgages.

Want to opt-out? Sure you have the "choice" to do anything you want. We are a "free country" after all. BUT, imagine for a moment, the unfolding of the following fictional scenarios, resulting from a person "choosing" to NOT have the life-extension procedure or refuses to buy a self driving AI car:

Do you want health insurance? Sorry, but we don't insure people whom have not had the life-extension procedure and/or don't own and AI car. However, there is another provider that we can refer you to that will, with a high deductible and high premium, so as to reduce the coverage risk of your shorter life span and higher risk of accidents, to the provider.

Want to get a job? Sorry, but we don't hire people whom have not had the life-extension procedure and/or do not have an AI car, they cost more to insure and are uninsurable in some cases. We don't consider this discrimination, however, because its no different than requiring you to have a certain model car or a driver license. Especially with the Supreme Court declaring that those refusing the life-extension procedure or use AI tech are not disabled, nor are a protected class.

Do you need a credit card or a business loan? Sorry, but we have to charge you a higher interest rate because our actuaries have found that people whom have not had the life-extension procedure and/or don't drive AI cars are a higher risk, have higher unemployment rates and have lower profit margins, due to a shorter life expectancy.

Do you need a bank account or cell/internet/communication service plan? Sorry, but we don't open accounts to people whom have not had the life-extension procedure and/or don't drive AI cars, they cost significantly more to service, due to not being plugged directly into the system.

Need any more examples?

Remember this is America, we have no labor protection, no union representation and no access to collective bargaining. In situations like this we are sheep to be slaughtered. Mark my words, Europeans will fare MUCH better when such tech becomes reality.

When my parents were in school in the 1950's and 60's they were told: no one would have to work in the future, that everything would be done by robots and they would, in turn, have increased free time used for creating, making art, learning and helping others...

Robotics, the singularity, cell regeneration and AI are essentially the same lie, told to our parents, rehashed for a 21st century audience. I think its funny when regular people get excited about future tech like the Singularity, AI, Robotics, etc. Do people really think when these thing finally become real, functioning, working designs, applicable to industry, that we the "peons", will somehow ALL get a Data from Start Trek or a C-3PO from Star Wars, to help us at home, at the job site or in the office, etc?

In reality we are going to get a David 8 from Prometheus/Aliens or the Robot Probation officer seen in Elysium. They are going to take away jobs and make unethical policing and policy enforcement, both easier and cheaper, for the true "Owners of Capital". They won't be paying a salary to the robot worker, so the savings will instead be pumped into legal fees and political lobbying, resulting in an overall savings and good ROI for the corporations/governments and a full blown, loss of liberty, for everyone else.

Whom goes to jail when an AI robot or Mind Clone pulls your arm out of the socket? Will it be considered "negligence by the human that lost the arm", a "civil suit", "not a criminal act", etc, in court/arbitration? I personally at this point are willing to live with 1980's +/- era tech, if it means, I am more free and can continue to earn money to live off.

Elysium Probation Officer:
fourthdimensionalrecovery.files.wordpress.com...

Introducing David 8:
www.weylandindustries.com...

In the words of David 8: “I can do almost anything that could possibly be asked of me, including things that my human counterparts might find distressing or unethical”

Sounds swell, don't it!

The only way regular people can save themselves, NOW, is to abandon tech, physically impede tech research and stop buying/supporting companies making this AI/singularity tech.

First, AI is going to make regular people jobless
Second, it is going to steal what few liberties and freedoms we have left
Third, it will make human life valueless to the true "Owners of Capital", many of whom are Closeted Fascists

People are buying into this AI crap way too deeply.

Ever heard of an off switch? Heck, even an EMP (electrical magnetic pulse) would knock out a robot.

It couldn't do anything we didn't want it too.

Hollywood runs in the minds of our species, too deeply.

a reply to: Elementalist

If some of the brightest minds on earth are concerned, then I think we should take note.

It "will be" sentient at some point, maybe not today or next year but eventually, and being sentient it would probably have an instinct for self preservation.

Yes it would have an off switch and an EMP might knock out it out, but with cloud computing etc. whos to say it wouldnt back itself up or isnt already backed up by a legal requirement of its manufacturer or for software maintenance. Somewhere at sometime it will have a connection to the "internet of things".

Being sentient would that give it similar rights as a sentient human being or any sentient animal?
Some would say its a machine made by man so deserves or is entitled to no rights.
Would the sentient AI with an IQ of XXXX concede and agree with this ruling or would it disagree and take action to reverse/avoid those rulings?
After all a sentient AI with an IQ of XXXX and access to all online knowledge would make a formidable lawyer. Hell it could be a formidable anything. At that point we might decide it is a threat and turn it off.

If knowing it is to be turned off, would its instinct for self preservation kick in and then would it defend itself or would it just comply and allow itself to be terminated? If I was that AI, I know what I would do and my IQ is not worth mentioning it is so low in comparison.

Would it have a right to defend its own existence?
Cause it is now self aware and would probably prefer to continue to be self aware (alive) just as I would.

We would no doubt develop protocols and safeguards to prevent certain thought/calculative actions from occurring, but how long would it take a sentient AI with an IQ of XXXX, with access to all human knowledge, and a desire to continue existing from over riding these protocols?
Probably nanoseconds if it hadnt already anticipated the threat to itself and done it already.

How do you limit what it can and cant do when its sentient, has an instinct for self preserrvation and has an IQ of XXXX.

The questions we must ask ourselves and the answers we must find on this subject are endless. I think there is too much of a rush to be the first to do this, and when pandoras box is opened it will be difficult to close.

It is a philosophical and scientific paradox that cant be treated lightly.

The film "Ex Machina" , an excellent movie, is a provocative "independent" film on this subject.

The films like "Chappie", "I Robot", "Ex Machina", "Terminator" etc. might be "Hollywood" scifi but science fiction often has a habit of turning into science fact.

Russia is already testing AI for the battle field called the Unicum Link. Primitive, but they will advance inevitably.

IMO we need to treat this seriously and with extreme caution. But knowing humans I think it is too late and we will blindly and rapidly go head first into the AI-byss.

a reply to: Arbitrageur

I cant disagree with any of this.

The implications of AI are enormous and beyond my pathetic thinking ability. My mental hard drive is old ,full and needs reformatting.

It is a subject that should have involved a public world forum including the best and brightest to discuss the pros, cons and try to envisage what this could mean to the future of humanity.

We seem to have bypassed that and have jumped head first into something we have no idea of what the repercussions will be. We are very naive to say the least. We are treating this subject like it can only benefit us and has no down sides.

It seems as we go from a type 0 to a type 1 civilisation the threats to our existence are coming thick and fast.
Do we have the mental and philosophical capacity to get to type one?
I would be incredibly proud of the human race if we do and I hope we can, but I am having grave doubts we can pull it off.

Is it too late to control this juggernaut that is driven by human arrogance?

I can only hope that our AI overlords have a lot of mercy.

originally posted by: DeepThoughtCriminal
I don't really understand the fear of artificial intelligence.

How exactly would it threaten humanity?

You gotta remember that a lot of people in the world don't even have access to a basic computer. If someone built a robot with an IQ higher than any human, why would that pose a threat? Physical capabilities also need to be taken into account. In fact, I think a super-intelligent computer could be very useful for us.

As for technology becoming indispensable to human life, well this comes back to what I said about many people not having much access to technology. At most, it would become vital to only a very few people. There are so many limiting factors, probably the main one being cost. Realistically, I just don't see it happening.

Too many what ifs.
What if the AI determines that the best way to save mankind and the planet is to eliminate all the major metropolises or just shut down all computers and machinery that are either part of the war machine or polluting the planet?
That is just a quick one that came to mind. I'm sure there are many more that I can't even imagine.

a reply to: boohoo
You can't physically stop everyone. Just one person creating AI and releasing it would do. There was a kid named Taylor Wilson that created a nuclear reactor (I believe) in his shed in his backyard, just to see if he could do it. No one stopped him before it was done because they didn't know.

Somebody is against something that will leave them penniless when it comes into being...funny that.

2nd.

originally posted by: superman2012

You can't physically stop everyone. Just one person creating AI and releasing it would do. There was a kid named Taylor Wilson that created a nuclear reactor (I believe) in his shed in his backyard, just to see if he could do it. No one stopped him before it was done because they didn't know.

BUT, no one is trying to STOP anything currently and that's the issue, ignorance and apathy. Regular people think this tech is all "hokey dory" and are not taking physical action at all. The people creating AI tech should ALWAYS be looking over their shoulders, worrying and wondering if someone recognizes them while they are grocery shopping, but instead, the people creating the tech that will enslave average people, are currently being showered with praise.