Professor Stephen Hawking has issued a chilling warning about the imminent increase of artificial intelligence and the possible danger that this represents for humans.
During an interview, Hawking warned that artificial intelligence would soon reach a level which and become potentially hazardous for humanity:
“I fear that AI may replace humans altogether. If people design computer viruses, someone will design AI that improves and replicates itself. This will be a new form of life that outperforms humans.”
According to the world-renowned physicist, robots will soon be considered a new life form on Earth, and their rapid development means that they will soon outperform humans, and could ultimately even replace them.
According to Hawking, in their quest for a greater efficiency, future machines would want to get rid of people.
But even if this does not happen, he believes that humanity will run the risk of ruining itself.
During the interview, Professor Hawking also urged more people to take part in science, saying that there would be ‘serious consequences’ if this didn’t happen.
Professor Hawking also said that we need to start developing a new space program, ‘with a view to ultimately colonizing suitable planets for human habitation.’
“I believe we have entered the point of no return. Our Planet is becoming too small for us, global population is growing at an alarming rate, and we are in danger of self-destructing.”
Professor Hawking has spoken about the potential dangers Artificial Intelligence represents for humanity in the past.
Last year, professor Hawking also issued several warning when speaking about Artificial Intelligence saying that we could soon reach a point where machines could develop a will of their own that is in conflict with that of humanity.
“I believe there is no deep difference between what can be achieved by a biological brain and what can be achieved by a computer,” said Professor Hawking at a conference in Cambridge at the launch of The Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence
“It, therefore, follows that computers can, in theory, emulate human intelligence – and exceed it.”
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