The Rise Of The Machines-New Research

[A Listener]

It appears that progress is being made in the development of artificial intelligence software programs to operate machines that can learn from experience and modify their software to improve their performance. Below is a link to a report on some recent research. This may start to get scary.

http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Rise_of_the_Machines_video_gamers_beware_999.html

 

[K.S. Crooks]

Whomever is working on this program should be placed in a locked room and forced to watch The Terminator, Matrix and I Robot repeatedly until they understand what should not be done.

 

[A Listener]

Whomever is working on this program should be placed in a locked room and forced to watch The Terminator, Matrix and I Robot repeatedly until they understand what should not be done.

It is not hard to imagine scenarios in which we would come under serious threat from our machines, if only social and economic upheaval (leaving genocidal wars with robots to science fiction for now). The social/economic systems in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere appear to be moving toward situations in which there will be significant numbers of people who are considered to be surplus, with no place in the productive economy.

In the U.S. there are already more people unemployed and underemployed than there are jobs available, millions have run out of unemployment benefits, Congress refuses to extend the benefit period, and too many potential Presidential contenders and other leaders of an unidentified party, blame the unemployed for not finding jobs. At this point, those people are on their own. As Frederick Lewis Allen noted about the unemployed during the Great Depression of the 1930's, the modern unemployed can no longer go back to the farm, and when work disappears, they are helpless.

Additionally, the politicians and economists appear not to be interested in undertaking a reorganization of society to assure some place for all to lead reasonably productive, dignified lives. As machines displace more and more workers, and the sociopathic nature of corporate profit morality makes this a certainty absent government intervention, I suspect that we will be in for a rough ride.

 

[Conscious Bob]

I suspect that we will be in for a rough ride.

Revolt!

 

[SFG75]

And "progress" marches on.

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-27762088

 

[Conscious Bob]

Only a matter of time before it tries to sell you something.

 

[sparkchaser]

Amazon keeps trying to sell me a Rolex. Show me a Milgauss at 50% off then I will be interested.