Can A.I., In The Hands Of Evil, Be Stopped?

 

A.I. can be used for good or bad just like any other invention or technology. The real problem is that it may become so advanced that bad people, who will never stop trying to use it for evil, will not be able to be thwarted because good folks will not act quickly and decisively enough to oppose it. Because they don't want to believe anybody would use it for that kind of evil…and because they want to be tolerant, non-judgemental, or even wish to compromise. At that point, in the case of this new technology, it will be too late. These tolerant tendencies of the non-evil could lead to total devastation when the technology evildoers employ and/or control reaches a certain level of capability, complexity, and even potentially sentience. There can be no compromise with abject evil, especially if in control of the most advanced technology, if a functional society is to survive.

We are not talking about 20^th Century nuclear weapons technology, which is scary enough in itself, but of something far more subtle, pervasive, and sinister. Something of which we may not even be aware. Something which may someday escape the grasp and control of all of us. Something which, if it isn’t used to eliminate us, could effectively enslave us forever.

A corollary: can someone who promotes—or ‘tolerates’-- policies that historically and predictably result in destitution, crime, chaos, death, and destruction truly be called a good person? Can the same be said of those who will not try to address what I believe to be the coming technological tipping-point? Or of those who don’t wish to offend evil?

In the end, I think not.