Stephen Hawking believes that humanity will soon have no choice but to leave Earth and seek a new home. Such statements famous physicist already played before. In his opinion, the chance for survival we have with you will only arise if we become an interplanetary species, otherwise we are simply doomed to extinction. In a recent interview with WIRED, Hawking said that we have already crossed the so-called “point of no return”.
In an interview he reiterated that his thoughts about the need to find a second home for people associated with two reasons: the overpopulation of our planet and it is not illusory, but very real threat of development of artificial intelligence (AI). Machines, in his opinion, will soon become so smart that in the end decides to “replace” mankind.
“We are opening a real Pandora’s box. I’m afraid that the AI will be able to replace of all people,” commented Hawking edition of WIRED.
It’s definitely not the first time Hawking scares us such warnings. In an interview with the publisher of “the times” in March this year he also tried to warn everyone about the Apocalypse and creating a “new form of world government,” which would be able to keep this technology under control. In addition, a theoretical physicist expressed concern that the AI will have a significant impact on the amount of available jobs for the middle class, and even called for a ban on the development and use of artificial intelligence for military purposes.
Whatever it was, his warning almost completely ignored the technology companies involved in the creation and development of AI. However, now some people say that intelligent machines are gradually beginning to take away jobs, replacing real people, but in some countries, including the United States and Russia, the aim is the creation of weapons, AI controlled. To be honest, everything we once laughed at the Russian robot Fedor (he’s FEDOR, or Final Experimental Demonstration Object Research), developed by the NGO “Android technology” and Fund advanced research in behalf of the EMERCOM of Russia. However, people in the West for the presentation of this machine is treated much more seriously, because the Russian development demonstrates the possibilities, which are deprived of even robots Boston Dynamics — one of the most advanced robotics companies in the world. Fedora is positioned as robot rescue, as well as the future astronaut will go into space on a new spacecraft “Federation” in 2021, but in the West say it clearly combat potential.
In recent years, the development of AI was a very resonant theme. Some experts agree with Hawking and put forward similar arguments, take at least the same Elon musk and bill gates. Both see the development of artificial intelligence threat to humanity. A number of experts from the “opposite sides” suggests that such fears are largely based on contrived scenarios, conquer the world, super-intelligent AI, but because it is very harmful, as they have the ability to negatively affect public perception of the true benefit from AI in the future.
Hawking, in turn, are adamant and sure that these fears are very real basis.
“If people can develop computer viruses, someone will develop an AI, able to evolve and replicate. He can turn himself into a new form of life, which will be around to beat people,” commented Hawking journalists WIRED.
Here Hawking, most likely, tells about the development of AI to human level of thinking, or even surpassing this level of thinking. In other words, he talks about the event, which predicted many of today’s futurology – technological singularity. About when, according to Hawking, this event will occur, a theoretical physicist had not offered any specific dates. One can only assume that we are talking about the gap within 100 years, which we have identified Hawking for survival on Earth.
Others, such as the head of SoftBank Masayoshi’s Dream and senior Google engineer ray Kurzweil, suggest the arrival of the singularity before that – over the next 30 years.
We are still very far from the development of truly high-grade artificial intelligence. With regards to the singularity it’s still mere guesswork. At least from the point of view of what the singularity will bring us. Will this be the beginning of a sunset for mankind or, on the contrary, will mark the beginning of a new era in which humans and machines will coexist peacefully? In any case, the potential of AI can used for both good bad reasons so it would be nice to meet the necessary level of care.
Stephen Hawking: we have passed the point of no return
Nikolai Khizhnyak