For renowned physicist Stephen Hawking, the greatest mystery in the world is not about the universe - it's about women.
Last July, Hawking hosted a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session. Though unlike a usual AMA, Hawking allowed interested parties to submit their questions for several weeks before answering those that got the most number of upvotes.
While most of the questions he answered had something to do with artificial intelligence (AI), a question on what Hawking found was the most intriguing mystery in his life got a surprising answer.
"Women," the physicist said. "My PA reminds me that, although I have a Ph.D. in physics, women should remain a mystery."
This was not the first time the twice-married-then-divorced professor admitted this. Last 2012, during an interview for his 70th birthday, he admitted to spending much time thinking about women, who he described as being "a complete mystery."
The reason behind the large amount of AI-related questions in the AMA was Hawking's firm and vocal belief that AI is a risky science, believing that the greatest danger behind it would be its potential to disregard human ability and even harm others if it is what's necessary to achieve their goals.
"The real risk with AI isn't malice but competence," said Hawkings. "A super intelligent AI will be extremely good at accomplishing its goals and if those goals aren't aligned with ours, we're in trouble.
He compared the possible future relationship of AI and humans to that of humans and insects like ants. While humans may not outright hate ants, if they are in the way something humans needed to do, then the ants will be eliminated.
Hawking continued that a highly intelligent AI would be able to survive and gain more resources in its effort to accomplish its own goals, which will then be a problem for humans who are already competing for the same resources among themselves.
He then added that if AI becomes developed enough to continue evolving without human help, it will result into what he called an "intelligence explosion," which will then make the AI superior to its creators.
"When it eventually does occur, it's likely to be either the best or worst thing ever to happen to humanity, so there's huge value in getting it right," Hawking said.
Hawking signed an open letter this year warning against the dangers behind rapidly developing AI. There are several other scientists and entrepreneurs who share Hawking's opinion on dangerous AI including Stuart Armstrong of Oxford University and SpaceX founder Elon Musk.
Photo: Dan Thornton | Flickr
