Elon Musk has once again expressed his apprehension about highly advanced artificial intelligence. He says that robots smarter than humans could potentially be the ultimate tyrannical leaders.
The Tesla CEO uses the term "superintelligence" in referring to AIs that can achieve the brainpower far greater than their creators. He contends that a robot with immense intellectual capacity can oppress people for as long as time exists.
"At least when there's an evil dictator, that human is going to die. But for an AI, there would be no death. It would live forever. And then you'd have an immortal dictator from which we can never escape," Musk said.
The SpaceX founder continues his remarks by warning companies and other entities against developing "godlike digital superintelligence." He emphasizes that these AIs need not be programmed as evil robots to be capable of destroying humanity. Logically, they can inflict damage apathetically for simply being a robot, Musk stresses.
'Do You Trust This Computer?'
The SpaceX founder has made the statement in a documentary titled "Do You Trust This Computer" directed by U.S. filmmaker Chris Paine. The documentation explores the emergence of AIs and the impending risk they bring to the world.
The film also attempts to analyze the extent of breached data and how AIs can influence the society. Case in point is the recent controversy involving Cambridge Analytica which has allegedly manipulated the 2016 Presidential Election. Ultimately, the documentary aims to answer the question of whether people can control what they created.
In line with the film's theme, Musk describes Google's DeepMind as "superhuman" for having the capability to play games at super speed in less than a minute. He is referring to how a program developed by Google was able to defeat Lee Sedol, a board game champion in 2016.
Elon Musk Has Consistently Objected To Applications Of Artificial Intelligence
Musk has always been vocal about his concern over the emergence of intelligent robots.
In 2017, he has spoken about how China, Russia, and all countries competing for AI superiority can lead to potential World War 3. He says this following a statement from Russian President Vladimir Putin which asserts that whoever becomes the leader in artificial intelligence can become the "ruler of the world."
In 2015, together with Stephen Hawking and other scientific experts, Musk has signed an open letter to the United Nations. The letter highlights the potential of lethal autonomous weapons becoming the third revolution in warfare. Worse, it can end up in the hands of terrorists, birthing a conflict at a scale greater than ever, the experts' letter says.
In 2014, he has described AI as potentially more perilous than nuclear weapons.
