Can Artificial Intelligence Be Dangerous to Humanity?

Look sir, are you big? No, I am big! Does it suit you to play with bread? Do you think you have the power to destroy us?

I loved dear Münir Özkul very much.

In which movie was this dialogue?

I think the name of the movie was Our Family.

Hey artificial intelligence, are you bigger or us?

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There are those who think that there will be a great danger in the future that computer programs called "artificial intelligence" will one day bring the end of humanity as a result of reaching the level I call "digital consciousness".

(Programs that can change their code on their own are called "general artificial intelligence"; those that cannot change their code but can still give intelligent answers to the questions asked are just artificial intelligence!)

Can artificial intelligence really be as dangerous as thought?

Let's examine this issue a little bit today.

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What is artificial intelligence?

Computer program!

It is actually just a program that runs on a certain hardware and works with zeros and ones, which we call computer language.

For now, it has no consciousness, it does whatever task you give it.

Except for those that can change their own code, called general artificial intelligence, the rest works as the program was originally written.

For example, a chess player artificial intelligence can now beat you every time by statistically evaluating the records of all chess games played to date and making the most correct moves in the game. (Although I still win occasionally.)

However, this does not mean that that artificial intelligence is smarter than you. In my opinion, can this be called artificial intelligence? Even that is doubtful. In fact, to me, such programs are just computer programs.

Even the program called Chat GPT, which is open to the public, is half artificial intelligence and half just a computer program.

It only produces statistically correct answers to questions asked with comparative codes. On the other hand, he is under the supervision of programmers to ensure that he always gives correct and appropriate answers. The program constantly needs the intervention of computer engineers.

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In cases where you play chess with artificial intelligence called general artificial intelligence, the situation may be different.

It is an artificial intelligence that can learn on its own and change its own code by improving it each time. An artificial intelligence that has learned from scratch how to play chess like a human.

Look, in this case, while you may beat him at the beginning, as he gains experience, he will definitely beat you.

Because when it comes to chess, he will be able to experiment with the next moves and find the best move by examining the situation in a much shorter time and with many more options than you can.

Still, there are probably situations where the program needs to be intervened.

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Could such artificial intelligence be a danger to humanity?

No! As a chess player, such general artificial intelligence does not have the opportunity to go beyond the physical capabilities of the hardware on which it is built. In other words, it doesn't have an arm or a leg so it can get up, go somewhere, turn around and do you harm. Even if it is already a mobile artificial intelligence in robot form, the necessary restrictions are written in the source code of the program.

If you do not give access to the source code, it is not possible for it to go beyond its purpose.

All he can do is to do the best he can with the source code where his purpose is written, to create code on his own only where allowed in his program, and to become a good chess player by learning chess over time.

After all, if he is a chess player and the source code is written to be able to play chess in the best way, his only goal should be to be able to play chess better.

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Well, let's say that this general artificial intelligence has become conscious and is no longer just an artificial intelligence, but a digital consciousness. He reached Nirvana!

Let's provide him with access to all kinds of resources. We have already made arms and legs, and we have opened access to the internet.

In this case, wouldn't we reach the chip factory and offer it the opportunity to produce new chips?

If there is access to the internet, wouldn't we also offer the opportunity to install that chip on one's own?

This means that he at least has the opportunity to program other robots according to his wishes and use them for his purposes, and here you go, danger!

In this case, do you think there is a limit to what that digital consciousness can do to say "I can play the best chess"?

For example, what will happen if he directs the production in all chip factories to his own purposes in order to produce new chips for himself?

What happens if it collapses the chip industry and even financial markets in line with its goal?

Is such a scenario possible?

Yes, I think it could. Even though his goal is just to play better chess, a digital consciousness may be caught up in such an obsession. Because of his obsession, he can say that if the issue is chess, the rest is just details.

So, if he reaches a conclusion that the shortest way to win is to destroy the opponent just for the sake of being the best chess player, can he become a threat to humanity?

I don't know, maybe this could happen too.

So artificial intelligence is very harmful and very dangerous!

When you think about it like this, it seems really dangerous.

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Okay, but isn't humanity itself as harmful and dangerous to humanity as artificial intelligence?

Isn't it the person who has harmed people the most so far?

Throughout history, humanity itself has killed millions of people.

The wars in the world are not over yet.

Many people are still being killed every day for more ridiculous purposes.

Could there be greater brutality than this?

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We say source code, we say there is no possibility to change the source code, its purpose is to play chess...

But you are right, there is still danger.

Moreover, artificial intelligences do not just play chess.

If a general artificial intelligence, whose purpose is to ensure the security of the country and has access to all kinds of weapons, gets out of control, it may even bring the end of humanity, not to mention the world, and in the future, wars will be fought with the help of artificial intelligence.

The use of artificial intelligence in military technologies has already started today.

If human beings make the foolishness of handing over all control to artificial intelligence, one day they will truly bring about their own end, and the risk in this regard is increasing day by day.

Artificial intelligence has already come into use in every branch of life.

There is no one who can stop this trend.

In this competitive environment, countries will one day entrust their national security to artificial intelligence, and when those artificial intelligence reach the stage of digital consciousness, then they will become a great threat to humanity.

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But we are humans!

This is proof that we cannot be destroyed that easily.

We have undergone a great and long development to become human; the struggle for survival is written in our genes.

We have overcome nature, will we not be able to overcome artificial intelligence?

Of course we will overcome those stupid machines somehow!

Yes, why not, if one day there is a human versus machine conflict, it may happen, maybe we can handle it.

There are many movies shot on this subject.

It's an old movie, but there's a movie called "War Games" for example.

Then there are the “Terminator” movies we all know.

In these movies, the screenwriters somehow end the movie with the victory of humanity.

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However, if such a thing really happened, could the situation be resolved so easily?

Will all these years of human experience be enough for us to overcome machines?

I think this is a question whose answer cannot be known until it is experienced.

I think there is very little time left to learn the answer.

Chat GPT draws beautiful pictures, doesn't it?

With love and respect from Moscow.