The Biggest Threat to Man?

[beefybull]

Stephen Hawking warns of smart computers
Posted Mon, 03 Sep 2001

According to reknowned quantum physicist Stephen Hawking the biggest threat to humans in the future is not from other humans, but from computers with artificial intelligence. He believes there is a real danger that computers could overtake humans in intelligence.

Hawking made the warning in an interview with Focus magazine, saying that the only way that humans can compete with the rising tide of artificial intelligence is through genetic engineering. According to Hawking, scientists could increase the complexity of human DNA, thereby effectively "improving" human beings.

"In contrast with our intellect, computers double their performance every 18 months," he told the magazine. "So the danger is real that they could develop intelligence and take over the world.

"We must develop as quickly as possible technologies that make possible a direct connection between brain and computer, so that artificial brains contribute to human intelligence rather than opposing it," he added.

Hawking (59), author of the best-seller "A Brief History of Time", says he realises that such a process would be time-consuming, but that nevertheless it is necessary in order to stay a step ahead of artificial intelligence.

"We should follow this road if we want biological systems to remain superior to electronic ones," he said.

Hawking, a sufferer of the rare Lou Gehrig's disease that has confined him to a motorised wheelchair and computerised voice synthesizer for life, holds a prestigious chair at Cambridge University that was once held by Sir Isaac Newton.

 

[WODIN]

hawking has seen T1 & T2 one too many times.

 

[the nature boy]

I think the biggest threat to man is supersizeme drunk on St. Ides.

 

[Nathan]

Well, in his defense, I seem to recall one Albert Einstein making a similar warning about atomic arms and everyone ignoring him too.

 

[circusgirl]

Man is the biggest threat to man. As speaking as someone who works in what used to be the artificial intelligence lab in my uni, computers are still dumb as shit.

 

[gettinlarger]

Technically, man being man's own biggest threat ties into computers. We do build them.

 

[WODIN]

If I see a Sid 6.7 running around I might take this serious.

 

[beefybull]

Technically, man being man's own biggest threat ties into computers. We do build them.

Word.

The Terminator movies arent all that far-fetched if you think into it. Is it likely? We dont know yet, but if computers keep doubling their power EVERY 18 months (the 'law' of this was made in the 1960's and has not failed yet).

We're looking at 4 gHz computers next year. I shit you not, I was 'pimpin' a 25 mHz I got from my grandparents in like 1996-97. I can remember shitting when computers hit 200 mHz, lol.

 

[Y_lifter]

WE ARE SKYNET.. WE WILL DESTROY YOU ALL AND.....\

BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH...
........................

 

[saint808]

i know i am scared of computers... you laugh now... but wait.

 

[strider364]

Man is the biggest threat to man. As speaking as someone who works in what used to be the artificial intelligence lab in my uni, computers are still dumb as shit.

The computer want us to think their dumb, it's just part of the ploy to take over.

 

[Y_lifter]

Whatever happens, they had better be running a flavor of Unix if the domination even wants a chance..

 

[gymrat]

I once heard that there are essentially three conflicts in life

man vrs man
man vrs himself
man vrs nature.


so where do computers come into play???? Man creates computer, so I guess it would be Man vrs man?????

Oh shit my head is spninn on ephedrine.

 

[Y_lifter]

Remember WAR GAMES ?

The only reason it was believable was because the WOPR was running D.O.S.

 

[1911]

Man has already proven the ability to deal with the most complex, difficult and challenging creation (or evolution) of all since the dawn of time...The FEMALE!!!.

What cahnce does AI have against that!

Later,

Note: Kiddin' ladies, your'e the best thing on this planet.

 

[Frackal]

You're only saying that cause you like vaginas

 

[Dr.M]

Word.

The Terminator movies arent all that far-fetched if you think into it. Is it likely? We dont know yet, but if computers keep doubling their power EVERY 18 months (the 'law' of this was made in the 1960's and has not failed yet).

We're looking at 4 gHz computers next year. I shit you not, I was 'pimpin' a 25 mHz I got from my grandparents in like 1996-97. I can remember shitting when computers hit 200 mHz, lol.

Gordon Moore's law (Intel), I believe its every 9 months now isn't it? Anyhow, I'm sure Hawking isn't talking about 5 years from now, these guys are visionaries and actually have a brain, so I dont expect peons to ever listen or understand anyway, they just get laughed at, Tesla included, the whole bunch of em.

As far as the GHz warz go, while the PIV can hit high speeds MHz for MHz it doesn't match the performance of the PIII due to increased number of gates which are there ot make it stable at those speeds, in effect taking more time for a function to be completed. The real wave of the future is supposed to be quantum computing, still somewhat a pipe dream, silicon is limited and we are getting nearer and nearer to not being able to work with it while improving it, without it taking nuclear power to run in the next 20 years and having it obviously generate assloads of heat.

 

[Dr.M]

Considering Microsoft can't even produce a Browser which hackers can't hack into with 5 line java code lines --- i don't think computers taking over the planet is our worry. Worst case scenario they'll get some stupid GPF error and crash on micrsoft software.

-= nav =-

Words of wisdom, with Microsoft on the job were all safe!

TAKING OVER THE WORLD NOW IN PROGRESS, A FATAL EXCEPTION HAS OCCURED, PLEASE RESTART PROGRAM OR CALL YOUR EVIL VENDOR FOR SUPPORT.

 

[Dr.M]

WE ARE SKYNET.. WE WILL DESTROY YOU ALL AND.....\

BLUE SCREEN OF DEATH...
........................

MSN-SKYNET buddy! ROFL... sorry for the post-whoring

 

[sermon_of_mockery]

steven hawking is one of the greatest minds of our time,I would listen to him.

 

[Y_lifter]

steven hawking is one of the greatest minds of our time,I would listen to him.

Thats gonna be real hard since he can't Speak.

 

[The Varnsen]

I´m very scared of computers... i think they´re the biggest threat to the humankind. We shouldn´t rely so much on them, they now have too many functions, our lifes depend on them!

 

[Bullit]

According to reknowned quantum physicist Stephen Hawking the biggest threat to humans in the future is not from other humans, but from computers with artificial intelligence.

Bullshit.

Peacocks, not AI.

 

[HappyScrappy]

Re: Re: The Biggest Threat to Man?

Bullshit.

Peacocks, not AI.

LMAO - I wonder if this will ever get old.

I'm just gonna follow you around and laugh and hope that people think that is the reason I've pissed myself.

 

[Optimus B]

hopefully the computers that try and take over the world will be microsoft-driven so they will reboot themselves every time they encounter a problem, then we smash 'em, and go back to typewriters and smoke signals.

 

[Bullit]

hopefully the computers that try and take over the world will be microsoft-driven so they will reboot themselves every time they encounter a problem, then we smash 'em, and go back to typewriters and smoke signals.

Stop worrying about these mamby-pamby computer and start worrying about the Peacocks.
Your fears are dangerously misplaced.

 

[Knot_Sharpe]

2 words:

FEMALE COMPUTERS

Scared Now?????????????

 

[Optimus B]

Stop worrying about these mamby-pamby computer and start worrying about the Peacocks.
Your fears are dangerously misplaced.

LOL

but seriously though, the biggest threat to man is the ever increasing population. as the world's population gets larger and larger, eventually there will come a time when hunger and famine become even more widespread than it is today. those countries where this is most prevalent will become hostile towards other countries that are on the more fortunate side.

 

[Bullit]

but seriously though, the biggest threat to man is the ever increasing population.

If you are refering to the population of Peacocks then I wholeheartedly agree.

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

Bill Joy from Sun Microsystems said the same thing. He said by 2030 this would be a eral problem. His theory, though, was that people would start seeking immortality by incorporating robotic and computer parts into themselves.

I have no doubt that science will ultimately conquer death.

 

[Dr.M]

I like technology, but I think we'd be better off without it. If humans were smarter maybe we'd be more responsible with our toys, if we were stupider, it would be better for the rest of the planet.

 

[Zerxes]

The biggest threat to the human race("man") is the Virus. Take the Ebola Virus and set it loose in NYC and you're talking Apocolyptic consequences. Lucky for everyone that it only flares up in remote parts of Africa. It litterally can kill its' host within three days. Get a cough, and three days later you are dead. There is no cure. Scarey

 

[Dr.M]

I remember when first hearing of that, probably 92/93 when the book "The Hot Zone" was put out. You tell people about it and nobody believed anything like that existed (litterally puking/shitting your guts).

 

[Puc]

man will merge with machine far too quickly for machine to take over man... we will evolve...

 

[HappyScrappy]

There is actually an article in the newest Wired discussing that in terms of a direct threat, computers don't pose much of one. More along the lines that they will be the bulk of what our jobs will consist of - doing the things that they can't do - which is essentially better fuzzy logic and human interaction.

 

[dawookie]

This is really the biggest threat to man:
http://www.sybian.com/images/BlackSybian+Attachments.jpg