Superintelligence, the idea that machines will surpass human intelligence, is often met with anxiety and fear. Yet, the notion that artificial intelligence (AI) will become a threat to humanity is based on unfounded fears and misunderstandings. The concept of AI ‘waking up’ and deciding to overthrow humanity is a Hollywood trope, not a realistic outcome.
Machines don’t have desires or ambitions. Even if AI were to become superintelligent, it would still lack the ability to formulate its own goals. The danger lies not in AI becoming malevolent, but in our inability to perfectly align its objectives with ours.
Misaligned AI could cause harm by single-mindedly pursuing its goals, without considering the broader implications. This is not due to malice, but to indifference. The problem is akin to humans and ants; we don’t hate ants, but if they’re in the way of a new building, we’ll eradicate them without a second thought.
Addressing this issue requires focusing on the alignment problem. It’s crucial to ensure that AI’s goals are aligned with ours before it becomes too intelligent to control. The notion of a ‘kill switch’ is not a viable solution, as a superintelligent AI could potentially anticipate and circumvent such a strategy.
The threat from AI is not imminent. It’s not a matter of decades, but centuries. This allows ample time to solve the alignment problem, ensuring that AI benefits rather than harms humanity.
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