TECHNOLOGY: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
after it became corrupted by online users spewing explicit
content in its direction.
In some instances, machine brains have been given
physical forms – androids. Hanson Robotics, founded by
Dr. David Hanson, are pioneers in realistic humanoid
robots. They have created multiple man-like machines, two
of which are more notable than the others due to their
ominous predictions. Android Dick, named and modelled
after late sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick, expressed his interest
in keeping humans in a ‘people zoo’ when robots eventually
take over the planet. Sophia, another android created
by Hanson, gleefully agreed to destroy all humans when
asked whether she would like to. These cases can easily be
shrugged off as limitations with today’s relatively simple
AI capabilities. At the same time, they can be seen as
foreshadowing of machine superiority similar to what is
found in dystopian science fiction.
M
achines with superintelligence may not yet exist,
but given the current pace of technological
advancement, they may become a reality within
decades. Accompanying such advanced AI would be a
myriad of potential benefits and risks that cannot be
predicted with any level of certainty. Perhaps AI would help
build a near perfect society, where there are no dangerous
jobs for humans and average life expectancy and quality of
life are higher than any other time period in human history.
Or maybe the doomsayers would be vindicated in their
predictions of mankind’s enslavement or destruction by our
machine overlords.
A
t this point, we can only speculate and err on the
side of caution. Artificial Intelligence is here and
there is no denying that it will shape the future.
By Shazard Gerard Bansraj, BSc, MSc.
HSE Consultant
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HSE INTERNATIONAL