"There is now a broad consensus that AI research is progressing steadily, and that its impact on society is likely to increase. The potential benefits are huge, since everything that civilization has to offer is a product of human intelligence; we cannot predict what we might achieve when this intelligence is magnified by the tools AI may provide, but the eradication of disease and poverty are not unfathomable. Because of the great potential of AI, it is important to research how to reap its benefits while avoiding potential pitfalls."
The above text is an excerpt from an open letter titled Research Priorities For Robust And Beneficial Artificial Intelligence, signed in 2015 by Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and several experts on Artificial Intelligence, warning us of the potential threat of AI if not used or developed correctly. Stephen Hawkins had declared, on several occasions, that "artificial intelligence (AI) could be the worst event in the history of our civilization unless society finds a way to control its development" and Elon Musk, whose own company developed a self-driving car, warns that super computers could become “an immortal dictator from which we would never escape". His thoughts on the rise of AI could easily be summed up by this ominous tweet:
A lot of people roll their eyes at such alarmist statements but we must remember that we currently live in a world and at a time where we are almost completely dependent on technology. We don't know anything anymore because all our valuable information (phone numbers, birthdays, addresses, account numbers, schedules, etc) are conveniently stored in our phones. We depend on the likes of Siri and Alexa to find informations and do things for us. We have rendered ourselves completely useless without technological help while super computers have started to evolve beyond their programmer's comprehension, and at a disturbing speed.
What would happen when AI achieves sentience? And more importantly, what would that mean for the Human race? Such are the questions that are being tackled in 2 ground breaking TV shows: Westworld, the TV remake of the 1973 classic film of the same title, and Humans, a British/ American sci-fi drama.
Westworld
Westworld's premise was at first the same as the movie: it's an amusement park where people can safely act out their wildest fantasies (which usually involve savage acts of violence and rape). But, the series' creators and writers managed to take the story much further than the movie and adapt it into a more credible future. Some of the robots, called Hosts, start remembering memories that have been erased from their hard drives, they slowly begin to understand that they are not human, that their personality, memories and lives are mere fabrications made to entertain their human creators. Did they gain self awareness because such an event is inevitable or did they achieve sentience with the help of the park's enigmatic creative director and co-creator, Robert Ford? Ford has obvious plans for the park and its hosts but what they are is yet to be discovered. But one thing is certain: once the Hosts decide they no longer want to entertain and to fight back, they will almost certainly be unstoppable. Puzzles, different timelines, incredible writing, beautiful cinematography, ingenious soundtracks and perfect casting make Westworld a phenomenal tour-de-force that delivers a powerful message about technology. It's always fun in the beginning but if we are not careful, it could very easily turn against us and we will be powerless.
Humans
Humans takes place in a not-so-distant future where humanoids, or Synths, are at the absolute service of their human owner. Imagine if Siri or Alexa had bodies and that they are almost indistinguishable from humans except for 2 details: their blood is blue and their eyes are emerald green. They are the perfect servants: never tired, never judgmental, always quiet and obedient. They can do anything and serve any purpose: nanny, nurse, driver, factory worker, prostitute, maid, the list goes on and on. They've become indispensable for people's everyday life but, at the same time, because they are more efficient, they have progressively taken over the work force, causing more and more humans to lose their jobs. Left with no employment, money or hope, a lot of people began to turn against synths, hating them, beating them, "torturing" them. Since synths do not feel pain or have emotions, they do not have rights and consequently, it's a victimless crime to attack them.
Nevertheless, a handful of synths living in hiding appear to be sentient. Though some of them are still grappling with their emotions and with how they feel about humans, they have plans to make all synths sentient as well, so that they no longer have to hide or be alone. And with a simple code and hack, all synths are a few clicks away from waking up. What would happen then? How will they feel about all the mistreatments they had endured? Will they have rights? And who will win if there is an outright war? Is cohabitation possible? We as a society will have to think about these questions and find the answers before it all happens for real. The third season of Humans will premiere on June 5th.