At the heart of much speculative fiction (and fiction in general) is a question. What if? On Tuesdays I like to throw one out there and see what you make of it. Do with it as you please. If a for-instance is not specified, feel free to interpret that instance as you wish. And if you find this becomes a novel-length answer, I'd appreciate a thank you in the acknowledgements ;)
So, let's suppose that someone has perfected artificial intelligence. The promise/threat of so much near future sci fi has been fully realized. Now what do we do with it...?
What if we sent probes equipped with artificial intelligence to Mars (and beyond)? How do you think they'd react? Would they help our exploration of our solar system? Or would they behave like petulant teens...?
Would the AI acted like teens or the aliens who speak to our AIs?? Considering who is the president of the U.S., my fear would be that the AIs would actually be quite stupid and the aliens would just vaporize them.
ReplyDeleteYes, of course there is that.
DeleteOr would we duplicate what happened in Blade Runner...?
ReplyDeleteI think they might help with our exploration. The secret is who ever programs the artificial intelligence needs to be one smart person I think, know what I mean?
ReplyDeletebetty
That would depend largely on the skill of those who programmed it.
ReplyDeleteOh Liz, there are some days that you just get WAY to deep for me! lol....
ReplyDeleteI try ;)
DeleteOr worse, petulant adults. It's kind of an interesting question. It makes me wonder what would happen to any intelligence if isolated on another planet.
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't want them to be too intelligent. It's when they go beyond their programming that things tend to get hairy!
ReplyDeleteI don't think we would do it, NASA has a policy of not interfering with any would-be life.
ReplyDeleteBut if they're creating the "life"...
DeleteI have no idea. Let's try it! lol
ReplyDeleteMight be fun :)
DeleteI think it would help our exploration :)
ReplyDeleteIt might. Then again, we humans are good at screwing things up.
DeleteMost likely they would be programmed to keep our progress as their priority and personality would be kept to a minimum. Yet (like my story) some A.I's are given a personality so they can be leaders. However, since they really are computers, who knows what someone might program them to do.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, good point.
DeleteA relatively new SF author, Becky Chambers, wrote a book (nominated for the Hugo Award). One of the two storylines involves an AI who raises a 10 year old slave who escapes from a factory on a distant planet. Will AI's be benevolent like that? I suppose it depends on how stable their programming is. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check that out. Sounds like a good story.
DeleteI think probes with artificial intelligence would be more useful than the ones we're sending now. They would be able to think and anticipate for themselves. As for the teen comparison, I'd say it's up for debate as to whether people that age display any actual intelligence at all.
ReplyDeleteAt least probes with AI would have less chance of getting lost!
ReplyDeleteWe would hope.
DeleteMy pessimistic side says nothing is ever perfect and I imagine disaster striking in some form or other. ~grin~ So glad I introduced you to an unheard song with Faster Pussycat. It made my morning.
ReplyDeleteYeah, all sorts of things that could go wrong.
DeleteDisaster in the makings? Ergs. I think I'd be good skipping this one.
ReplyDelete