Professor warns about war over the building of super computers
Machines evolving beyond the point of human control, a war that will cost the lives of more than a billion people and the eventual destruction of all mankind and the hands of our own creations.
“The Artilect War: A Bitter Controversy Concerning Whether Humanity Should Build Godlike Massively Intelligent Machines” written by Utah State University computer science professor Hugo de Garis has all the elements of great science fiction. There’s just one problem.
It’s not fiction.
De Garis has been working in the field of cyber-neurology, of the building of computers that function like the human brain, for many years and has come to some disturbing conclusions.
He contends not only could machines grow to the point where they could destroy all of humanity, they almost certainly will.
Sounds like something from the “Matrix,” I know, but de Garis has been at this long before the Wachowski ever started even thinking about whether or not there was a spoon.
The book is de Garis’ attempt to warn the world of the horrific potential future. Unlike than many such doomsday books, de Garis isn’t just trying to tell everyone to completely turn away from computers before it’s too late. Rather he attempts to educate people about the power of these artificial intellects – or artilects – that they are possible and that mankind will need to face and make the decision whether or not to build them.
It is this decision and the controversy accompanying it, which de Garis claims will split the world into two massively opposing factions, that he dedicates the majority of his book to.
According to de Garis, the two sides that will arise from this controversy will eventually go to war and, with the weapons that will be available, fight the first war with over a billion casualties.
While de Garis is a certainly more of a scientist than a writer he does a great job at explaining how something that sounds ripped from today’s movies could become real. He can take readers with very limited understanding of computers through some potentially confusing theory very painlessly.
Beyond being understandable, de Garis makes his predictions sound down right believable or at least frightening possible.
Since he sees himself on both ends of the spectrum of the Artilect War de Garis endeavors to present the arguments that both side will use to further the cause.
In this part I felt that while he himself is more in favor of the building of such machines, he does a better job crusading against it. Of course, with reasons like the death of everyone the planet, it’s hard to come up with much against it.
“The Artilect War” is not a book for everyone. It’s also not a read on the beach while you relax book ether. The book has a lot of deeper science and math so if that’s not your thing just take it to heart that this stuff could happen.
However if you are the kind of person who wonders about the future or if you like to know that theirs scientific principles behind those sci-fi stories or if you just want another thing to keep you up at night worrying, “The Artilect War” is an interesting and rewarding read.
Steve Shinney is junior majoring in computer science. Comments may be sent to steveshinney@cc.usu.edu.