“The human race may well become extinct before the end of the century,” philosopher Bertrand Russell told Playboy in 1963, referring to the prospect of nuclear war. “Speaking as a mathematician, I should say the odds are about three to one against survival.”
Five years later, biologist Paul Ehrlich predicted that hundreds of millions would die from famine in the 1970s. Two years after that warning, S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, forecast that 75 percent of all living animal species would go extinct before 2000.
Petroleum geologist Colin Campbell predicted in 2002 that global oil production would peak around 2022. The consequences, he said, would include “war, starvation, economic recession, possibly even the extinction of homo sapiens.”
These failed prophecies suggest that A.I. fears should be taken with a grain of salt. “AI systems with human-competitive intelligence can pose profound risks to society and humanity,” asserts a March 23 open letter signed by Twitter’s Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and hundreds of other tech luminaries.
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Reason magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 2023-utgaven av Reason magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Gimme Shelter - The U.S. confronts a growing homelessness problem. Does Miami have the answer?
The U.S. confronts a growing homelessness problem. Does Miami have the answer?
AI Is Coming for Hollywood's Jobs
But so is everyone else.
AI Can Do Paperwork Doctors Hate
With help from AI, doctors can focus on patients.
Antitrust May Smother the Power of AI
Left alone, AI could actually help small firms compete with tech giants.
A Brief, Biased History of the Culture Wars
THE FIRST PAR AGR APH of the book jacket lays it out: “There is a common belief that we live in unprecedented times, that people are too sensitive today, that nobody objected to the actions of actors, comedians, and filmmakers in the past.
FAMILIES NEED A VIBE SHIFT
THE AUTHORS OF FOUR NEW BOOKSWITH 24 KIDS BETWEEN THEM-SAY THE AMERICAN FAMILY NEEDS A COURSE CORRECTION.
"The Past Is There To Teach Us What Can Happen'
Hardcore History's Dan Carlin on hero worship and moral assumptions in the study of the past
Cutting Off Israel
ENDING U.S. AID WOULD GIVE WASHINGTON LESS LEVERAGE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THAT’S WHY IT’S WORTH DOING.
WHAT CAUSED THE D.C.CRIME WAVE?
GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT, NOT SENTENCING REFORM OR SPARSE SOCIAL SPENDING, DESERVES THE BLAME.
States Turn Their Backs on Criminal Justice Reform
IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE to avoid the “strange bedfellows” cliché when reading about the criminal justice reform movement in the 2010s.