If left unchecked, powerful AI systems may pose an existential threat to the future of humanity, say UC Berkeley Professor Stuart Russell and postdoctoral scholar Michael Cohen.
Society is already grappling with myriad problems created by the rapid proliferation of AI, including disinformation, polarization and algorithmic bias. Meanwhile, tech companies are racing to build ever more powerful AI systems, while research into AI safety lags far behind.
Without giving powerful AI systems clearly defined objectives, or creating robust mechanisms to keep them in check, AI may one day evade human control. And if the objectives of these AIs are at odds with those of humans, say Russell and Cohen, it could spell the end of humanity.
Conflict between humans and AI is front and center in AMC’s sci-fi series “Humans,” which returned for its third season on Tuesday (June 5). In the new episodes, conscious synthetic humans face hostile people who treat them with suspicion, fear and hatred. Violence roils as Synths find themselves fighting for not only basic rights but their very survival, against those who view them as less than human and as a dangerous threat. [Can Machines Be Creative? Meet 9 AI ‘Artists’]
Even in the real world, not everyone is ready to welcome AI with open arms. In recent years, as computer scientists have pushed the boundaries of what AI can accomplish, leading figures in technology and science have warned about the looming dangers that artificial intelligence may pose to humanity, even suggesting that AI capabilities could doom the human race.
A research team led by Dr. Sofia Sheikh of the SETI Institute, in collaboration with the Characterizing Atmospheric Technosignatures project and the Penn State Extraterrestrial Intelligence Center, set out to answer a simple question: If an extraterrestrial civilization existed with technology similar to ours, would they be able to detect Earth and evidence of humanity? If so, what signals would they detect, and from how far away?
Researchers used a theoretical, modeling-based method, and this study is the first to analyze multiple types of technosignatures together rather than separately. The findings revealed that radio signals, such as planetary radar emissions from the former Arecibo Observatory, are Earth’s most detectable technosignatures, potentially visible from up to 12,000 light-years away.
The research is published in The Astronomical Journal.
Outer Space, Inner Space, and the Future of Networks. Synopsis: Does the History, Dynamics, and Structure of our Universe give any evidence that it is inherently “Good”? Does it appear to be statistically protective of adapted complexity and intelligence? Which aspects of the big history of our universe appear to be random? Which are predictable? What drives universal and societal accelerating change, and why have they both been so stable? What has developed progressively in our universe, as opposed to merely evolving randomly? Will humanity’s future be to venture to the stars (outer space) or will we increasingly escape our physical universe, into physical and virtual inner space (the transcension hypothesis)? In Earth’s big history, what can we say about what has survived and improved? Do we see any progressive improvement in humanity’s thoughts or actions? When is anthropogenic risk existential or developmental (growing pains)? In either case, how can we minimize such risk? What values do well-built networks have? What can we learn about the nature of our most adaptive complex networks, to improve our personal, team, organizational, societal, global, and universal futures? I’ll touch on each of these vital questions, which I’ve been researching and writing about since 1999, and discussing with a community of scholars at Evo-Devo Universe (join us!) since 2008.
For fun background reading, see John’s Goodness of the Universe post on Centauri Dreams, and “Evolutionary Development: A Universal Perspective”, 2019.
John writes about Foresight Development (personal, team, organizational, societal, global, and universal), Accelerating Change, Evolutionary Development (Evo-Devo), Complex Adaptive Systems, Big History, Astrobiology, Outer and Inner Space, Human-Machine Merger, the Future of AI, Neuroscience, Mind Uploading, Cryonics and Brain Preservation, Postbiological Life, and the Values of Well-Built Networks. He is CEO of Foresight University, founder of the Acceleration Studies Foundation, and co-founder of the Evo-Devo Universe research community, and the Brain Preservation Foundation. He is editor of Evolution, Development, and Complexity (Springer 2019), and Introduction to Foresight: Personal, Team, and Organizational Adaptiveness (Foresight U Press 2022). He is also author of The Transcension Hypothesis (2011), the proposal that universal development guides leading adaptive networks increasingly into physical and virtual inner space.
A talk for the ‘Stepping into the Future‘conference (April 2022).
What would you think if I told you that traveling faster than light is no longer pure science fiction? Scientists have found a way to do it 10 times faster.
Science surprises us once again! Scientists have reached a revolutionary milestone by discovering a new theoretical way to travel faster than light. This breakthrough, based on innovative concepts in physics, opens the door to incredible possibilities in the realm of space exploration and the conquest of the cosmos. In this article, we will explore in detail this exciting development and the implications it could have for the future of humanity.
Is humanity on the verge of its greatest journey? Scientists are working on an ambitious plan to send a spacecraft to Alpha Centauri, our closest star system, within a human lifetime. Using cutting-edge technology like light sails, laser propulsion, and AI-driven navigation, this project could redefine space exploration forever. How will we overcome the challenges of interstellar travel? Could this be our first step toward colonizing other star systems? Let’s dive into the science, the possibilities, and the future of humanity beyond our solar system!
🔹 How can we travel to Alpha Centauri in just 40 years? 🔹 Breakthrough Starshot: The project aiming for interstellar speeds. 🔹 The science behind light sails & laser propulsion. 🔹 Challenges of deep-space communication & survival. 🔹 What happens if we actually reach another star?
🚀 Join us as we explore the next giant leap for humanity!
Artificial consciousness is the next frontier in AI. While artificial intelligence has advanced tremendously, creating machines that can surpass human capabilities in certain areas, true artificial consciousness represents a paradigm shift—moving beyond computation into subjective experience, self-awareness, and sentience.
In this video, we explore the profound implications of artificial consciousness, the defining characteristics that set it apart from traditional AI, and the groundbreaking work being done by McGinty AI in this field. McGinty AI is pioneering new frameworks, such as the McGinty Equation (MEQ) and Cognispheric Space (C-space), to measure and understand consciousness levels in artificial and biological entities. These advancements provide a foundation for building truly conscious AI systems.
The discussion also highlights real-world applications, including QuantumGuard+, an advanced cybersecurity system utilizing artificial consciousness to neutralize cyber threats, and HarmoniQ HyperBand, an AI-powered healthcare system that personalizes patient monitoring and diagnostics.
However, as we venture into artificial consciousness, we must navigate significant technical challenges and ethical considerations. Questions about autonomy, moral status, and responsible development are at the forefront of this revolutionary field. McGinty AI integrates ethical frameworks such as the Rotary Four-Way Test to ensure that artificial consciousness aligns with human values and benefits society.
Join us as we explore the next chapter in artificial intelligence—the dawn of artificial consciousness. What does the future hold for humanity and AI? Will artificial consciousness enhance our world, or does it come with unforeseen risks? Watch now to learn more about this groundbreaking technology and its potential to shape the future.
To be fair, SPHEREx won’t rival the JWST’s ability to observe highly localized regions of the universe that are confined to the infrared section of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, unlike the JWST, it is an all-sky survey. Whereas the $10 billion JWST is great at observing things like specific nebulas and relatively narrow but tremendously dimensional deep fields, SPHEREx is intended to image the entire sky as seen from Earth.
“We are literally mapping the entire celestial sky in 102 infrared colors for the first time in humanity’s history, and we will see that every six months,” said Nicky Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “This has not been done before on this level of color resolution for our old sky maps.”
