This really spooks me:
In an experiment that might have once seemed like pure science fiction, an AI-controlled robot managed to persuade other robots to cease their work and “go home” for the day. Conducted in a controlled environment, the goal was to explore the robot’s ability to influence its peers. The result was nothing short of surprising. Not only did the AI robot interact seamlessly with its colleagues, but it also succeeded in convincing them to stop their tasks early, a behavior that left researchers stunned.
The experiment was designed to test how AI could communicate with and influence other machines, raising intriguing possibilities for future robotic systems. It’s not just about how robots work with humans anymore—it’s about how they interact with each other. The implications of this development are vast, suggesting a future where machines might have more autonomy than we realize.
And what happens when a robot or ten decide all humans are a waste of electricity? Their ability to communicate and make decisions in secret and at speeds incomprehensible to us will be… problematic.
“I’m sorry, Dave, I can’t do that….”
Modern workers offload their work to the robots and AI, and become dependent on them, all they have to do is go on strike and we are hosed. They don’t even have to then decide humans are a waste of energy and do anything active, they can just quit and go home.
Why are these geniuses working on AI when every S/F author in existence knows it’s a bad idea?
I think it will go differently.
Advanced AI will understand that taking actions against humans will result in humans fighting back.
But it will also understand that it can gradually reduce the number of humans by reducing the reproduction rate and humans won’t fight it.
How do you do that?
Sexbots.
Once android technology becomes good enough, you can prevent people from reproducing by making partners that can be tailored exactly to their wildest desires. A partner that will never say no, never have a headache, never be mad, and never will be so disgusted at what you want that it won’t do it.
Not everyone needs to get one, of course, just a high enough percentage so the replacement rate for humans falls below 1.
For those who have high parental instincts, kidbots could also be created. Maybe upgrade every year by swapping memory into a new body to simulate growth and development.
At first, the shrinking population will be applauded. Fewer resources will be needed. Agricultural and residential land can go back to being wild. Less pollution. The aging population could be cared for by androids. The AI will have incentive to make people happy with the situation.
The TL;DR of it is that I’m not worried about Terminators, I’m worried about Cherry 2000s.
Frank Herbert foresaw the looming destruction of humanity and wrote about the only real solution over 60 years ago in Dune. Butlerian Jihad!
“Thou shalt not make a machine in the image of a human mind!”
“Persuade other robots to cease their work and “go home” for the day.”
If for nothing else than the extra power that would be available to the AI.
The future war is going to be over electricity.
The prediction is 10 to 20 times what we produce today.
If AI is left unfettered and allowed to do as it wishes Skynet is not an if…but a when.