Man created computers, but could computers be what ultimately brings mankind’s demise? With the advent of artificial intelligence in the last couple decades, computers have not only developed a mind of their own, but have become better at many of the things humans try to do. It is the classic tale of the apprentice rising up and turning on his master, and I fear we are quickly approaching the iconic moment in every film that has this sequence: the fleeting moment of stillness when the master realizes his fate and that his end will come from the exact thing he created.
In the novel “Frankenstein,” by Mary Shelley, Victor Frankenstein creates his creature out of an obsession with the sciences and lust for knowledge and scientific advancement. In Victor’s dreams, his creation is beautiful, a true scientific feat for humanity, but when the creature actually comes into being, it is a monster. The fun and games quickly come to an end, and Victor flees from his creation out of fear. He tries to go about his life as normal, as if ignoring his creation’s existence will result in it simply disappearing from Earth with a swift poof. Spoiler alert to those who haven’t read the novel: Victor was wrong.
In the ensuing chapters, the creature turns Victor’s life into a living hell, making demands of Victor and killing off his loved ones when his creator refuses to appease him. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see the stark parallels between this 19th century classic and the relatively short history of AI. Man is Victor Frankenstein, and AI is our creature, born out of the allure of scientific advancement and the fateful curiosity of “I wonder how far we can go?”
When Watson, IBM’s “question answering computing system,” defeated Ken Jennings on “Jeopardy!,” everyone laughed at the computer’s amusing performance on national television. Part of me views this as the initial moments of the creature’s life, when Victor is amused and even proud of what he accomplished. In 2017, we are approaching the distinct moment when Victor begins to realize the severe implications of what he has done. If the novel has anything to teach us, it is that once the creature comes to life, there is no turning back.
Just this past week, Elon Musk went on an almost presidential-caliber Twitter rant, warning that AI, and the multinational race for “AI superiority,” is the “most likely cause of WW3.” Musk even suggests the idea that World War III would “be initiated not by the country leaders, but one of the AI’s, if it decides that a preemptive strike is most probable path to victory.”
So, could we all perish if an AI finds a “probable path to victory” for its country? Who gave the nuclear codes to Watson? Part of me thinks “well then just don’t give the AI’s the ability to fire missiles,” but I know very well that it is not that simple and (an even scarier thought) that AI wouldn’t be that stupid. Despite having created it, we do not know the limits of AI. Let that sink in. Mankind, in its perpetual struggle with mortality, has possibly created something truly limitless. We have created something smarter than ourselves, given it the tools and potential never to stop and to endlessly soak up and analyze information long after the brightest human mind would break for lunch.
The potential outcomes and possibilities of AI are endless, but it is time to start acknowledging the threats alongside the opportunities. It is not a matter of directing the efforts of AI toward good instead of evil, as such a solution makes the major assumption that we can and will be able to control AI at all. It appears at this point in time, we will have to just wait and see what happens, which can be quite an unsettling thought.
Andrew Hall is a UF management senior. His column appears on Fridays.
