Is artificial intelligence the greatest threat to human existence?


By Neil Patrick


Here’s a clip from the Rubin Report in which Elon Musk states “AI is like summoning the demon”.

Interesting coming from someone who more than most people is at the forefront of understanding and developing high tech future businesses.

Does he know something we don’t?





The ensuing discussion in the clip seems to miss the point. Rubin’s mates have been watching too many dystopian movies and playing too many computer games in which robots go on killing sprees I suspect.



I wonder if the real reason Elon Musk is so cautionary about AI isn’t because we’re at risk of being slaughtered by evil robots, but because he can see that technological development is now outstripping the abilities of our current political, economic and social systems to keep up.

And that this situation means we have 21st century technology but 20th century political, education, economic, social and legal systems.

The outcome of this two speed society is that jobs will disappear faster than ever…and no jobs equals no money. And in our world, no money is effectively extinction…?

Is this what he’s really hinting at?



1 comment:

  1. No money <> extinction; at least, not directly. Rather, no jobs = no money = desperation + lots of free time. Those two things add up to anger, then angry plans, then mobs. Mobs destroying the very factories - not to mention necktie parties for the executives (and possibly technicians / engineers) who accomplished it... THAT results in, certainly, civilizational collapse.

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