A Conversation With the Future

For the regular eight or nine of you who read these scribblings, you may recall that I’ve written a time or two about AI – artificial intelligence. According to the experts at IBM, AI combines computer science and data to enable problem solving. According to sci-fi fans, AI is Skynet from the Terminator movies, the evil force that takes over the world and goes to war with us mere humans.

Which is it? I truly have no idea. So I decided to do what us newspaper types do best – go straight to the source. I interviewed ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI. To be clear, I “interviewed” a computer.

Terrifying? Exciting? Some of the answers with pretty negative connotations for the aforementioned mortals were couched with terms like “could . . . if . . . as of now” and the like. Not exactly reassuring, but hey, you be the judge.

(Oh, one other thing. Since I was chatting with someone, uh, something much smarter than me. I decided to ask it about another world-ending concern I have. It’s toward the end.)

Is A1 a threat to humanity?

I’m not sure what you mean by “A1.” Can you please provide more context or clarify your question?

Sorry, I mean AI, artificial intelligence.

The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on humanity depends on how it is developed, deployed, and regulated. AI has the potential to bring significant benefits to society, including improved healthcare, transportation, and education. However, it also presents certain risks and challenges, such as job displacement, bias and privacy concerns, and the possibility of unintended consequences.

There is a debate among experts about whether AI is a threat to humanity. Some argue that if left unchecked and unregulated, AI could pose an existential threat to humanity, potentially leading to the development of superintelligence that could be difficult to control. Others believe that AI will continue to evolve as a useful tool that can be harnessed to solve some of the world’s biggest problems.

Regardless of whether AI is seen as a threat, it is essential to continue to study and develop it responsibly, with appropriate ethical considerations and safety precautions in place. This will help to ensure that the potential benefits of AI are maximized while minimizing any risks or unintended consequences.

Can AI be weaponized unintentionally?

AI can be weaponized unintentionally if it is not developed and deployed responsibly with adequate safeguards in place. For example, if AI systems are designed to be autonomous and can make decisions on their own, they may potentially be used for unintended purposes, including military applications.

Additionally, if AI systems are not tested thoroughly or if there are vulnerabilities in their programming, they may be susceptible to hacking or other forms of cyber attacks, which could be used to weaponize them. In such cases, the AI systems could be used to cause harm to people or to disrupt critical infrastructure.

To mitigate the risk of unintentional weaponization of AI, it is important to develop and deploy AI systems responsibly, with appropriate safeguards in place. This includes testing AI systems thoroughly to identify and fix any vulnerabilities, ensuring that they are used for their intended purposes, and implementing ethical guidelines and regulations for their development and use.

Will AI develop feelings and emotions?

As of now, artificial intelligence (AI) is not capable of developing feelings and emotions in the way that humans do. While AI systems can simulate emotions, they are not truly experiencing them in the way that humans do.

Emotions are a complex aspect of human psychology, involving not just subjective experience but also physiological responses, cognitive processes, and social and cultural factors. While AI systems can be programmed to recognize and respond to emotions in humans, they do not have the subjective experience of emotions themselves.

That being said, some researchers believe that it may be possible to create AI systems that can simulate emotions and develop a degree of emotional intelligence. These systems would be designed to recognize and respond to human emotions in a more nuanced and empathetic way, potentially improving the human-machine interaction. However, even if such systems were developed, they would still not be experiencing emotions in the way that humans do.

I write for a daily newspaper. May I quote your responses?

Yes, you may quote my responses in your newspaper article as long as you attribute them to me, ChatGPT, a language model developed by OpenAI. Additionally, please keep in mind that my responses are based on the current state of knowledge and may not reflect the views of any specific individual or organization.

Where do you see AI going in the next year? And after that, in the next five? And after that in the next 10?

As an AI language model, I do not have the ability to predict the future with certainty. However, based on current trends and developments in the field, I can provide some general insights into where AI may be heading in the next few years.

In the next year, we can expect to see continued progress in the development and deployment of AI systems across various industries, including healthcare, finance, and transportation. We may also see more progress in the development of conversational AI and natural language processing, as well as increased focus on ethical considerations and responsible use of AI.

In the next five years, we can expect to see significant advances in AI technology, particularly in the areas of machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. We may also see more widespread adoption of AI systems in industries such as education, manufacturing, and agriculture, as well as increased use of autonomous systems such as self-driving cars and drones.

In the next 10 years, we can expect to see even more profound changes brought about by AI, including the potential for significant advances in areas such as robotics, virtual reality, and quantum computing. We may also see the emergence of more advanced forms of AI, such as artificial general intelligence (AGI), which would be capable of performing a wide range of intellectual tasks at a human level or beyond. However, it is important to note that the development of AGI is still a long-term goal and subject to significant uncertainty and debate in the AI research community.

Overall, the future of AI is likely to be shaped by continued advances in technology and research, as well as by ethical considerations and societal debates around the responsible use of AI.

In the fictitious “Terminator” movie series, robots take over the world in a war against humanity. Is a future like that possible?

The scenario depicted in the “Terminator” movie series, where robots take over the world in a war against humanity, is a fictional one and not a likely outcome of current developments in artificial intelligence (AI).

While AI does present certain risks and challenges, including the possibility of unintended consequences and the potential for misuse or weaponization, there are many reasons to believe that a future where robots take over the world is unlikely.

First, AI is not inherently malicious or benevolent; it is a tool that can be used for a wide range of purposes, depending on how it is developed and deployed. As such, the development and deployment of AI can be guided by ethical considerations and regulations to minimize any potential risks.

Second, even if advanced AI were to emerge in the future, it would likely be designed and programmed with specific goals and limitations, rather than being a general-purpose intelligence capable of taking over the world.

Third, the scenario depicted in the “Terminator” movie series relies on many assumptions and exaggerations about the capabilities and limitations of AI, as well as about the likelihood of certain events and actions taking place.

Overall, while it is important to take AI risks seriously and to develop and deploy it responsibly, there is no reason to believe that a future where robots take over the world is a likely outcome of current developments in AI.

If you were human, what precautions and safeguards would you put into place regarding AI now, and its future development?

As an AI language model, I do not have personal opinions or preferences. However, I can provide some insights into the precautions and safeguards that experts in the field of AI are currently recommending for the responsible development and deployment of AI.

Some key precautions and safeguards include:

1. Ethical guidelines: Developing ethical guidelines for AI research and deployment, and ensuring that AI systems are designed and used in ways that are consistent with these guidelines.

2. Transparency: Ensuring that AI systems are transparent in their decision-making processes, so that the reasons for their decisions can be understood and audited.

3. Accountability: Establishing accountability for the actions of AI systems and their developers, so that responsibility can be assigned in case of unintended consequences or misuse.

4. Human oversight: Ensuring that AI systems are subject to human oversight and control, so that they can be monitored and modified as needed to ensure safety and ethical use.

5. Safety testing: Conducting safety testing and risk assessments for AI systems, to identify and mitigate potential risks and unintended consequences.

6. Privacy protection: Protecting the privacy and security of individuals and their data, and ensuring that AI systems are used in ways that respect these rights.

Overall, these precautions and safeguards are aimed at ensuring that AI systems are developed and deployed in ways that are safe, ethical, and aligned with human values and interests.

At the Bern Supercollider, what is the likelihood that a black hole will be created that will destroy the earth?

There is no likelihood that the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, commonly referred to as the “Bern Supercollider,” will create a black hole that could destroy the Earth.

The LHC is a particle accelerator designed to investigate the fundamental properties of matter and the universe at very small scales. It does this by colliding subatomic particles together at high speeds and energies. While these collisions can produce a variety of exotic particles and phenomena, they do not pose a risk of creating a black hole that could threaten the Earth.   

The reason for this is that any black holes produced by the LHC would be very small and short-lived, and would not have enough mass or energy to pose a danger. In addition, there are many layers of safety and monitoring in place to ensure that the LHC operates safely and without risk to the environment or public health.

Overall, the idea that the LHC could create a black hole that could destroy the Earth is a common misconception that is not supported by scientific evidence or theory.

Thank you for chatting with me today. I enjoyed and appreciate it.

You’re welcome! It was my pleasure to chat with you and answer your questions. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions in the future. Have a great day!

Two cents, which is about how much Timmons said his columns are worth, appears periodically on Wednesdays in The Paper. Timmons is the publisher of The Paper and can be contacted at [email protected].