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Gates, Hawking, Musk are Luddites of 2016

by on24 December 2015


Award nominations

Bill Gates, Elon Musk and Stephen Hawking have been nominated for the "Luddite of the year" award by a US think tank over their fears of artificial intelligence (AI).

The Washington-based Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) nominated the three for raising fears that humans could lose control of AI in the not-too-distant future, thus creating a threat to our existence.

For those who came in 200 years too late, Luddites were 19th century English textile workers who destroyed machinery in cotton and woollen mills, which they believed posed a threat to their jobs.

This year Hawking warned that the development of thinking machines could "spell the end of the human race". "It would take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever increasing rate.”
"Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn't compete and would be superseded."

Microsoft founder Gates has also cautioned of the dangers of AI, while Tesla Motors CEO Musk has stated that super-intelligent machines could pose a greater threat than nuclear weapons.
But the ITIF said that most of us are rightly amazed at AI applications like IBM's Watson, our Nest thermostat that learns, and other learning devices..

"But to say that these devices and systems will be smart enough to take over the world is to misunderstand what AI is and where it stands today. Whether such systems will ever develop full autonomy is a debatable question, but what should not be debatable is that this possible future is a long, long way off, and it is therefore premature to be worrying about 'Skynet' becoming self-aware."

The think tank said groundless fear-mongering over AI was unhelpful, as the technology promises "enormous benefits to society".

"Raising such sci-fi doomsday scenarios just makes it harder for the public, policymakers and scientists to support more funding for AI research," it added.

Other nominees on the list include advocates seeking a ban on autonomous weapons and those that seek to restrict the sale of genetically-modified food. The winner of the prize will be decided by a public vote.

Other nominations could include:

  • Advocates wanting a ban on "killer robots"
  • States limiting automatic license plate readers
  • Europe, China, and others choose taxi drivers over car-sharing passengers
  • Paper industry opposes e-labeling
  • California's governor vetoes RFID in driver's licenses
  • Wyoming outlaws citizen science
  • Federal Communications Commission limits broadband innovation
  • Center for Food Safety fighting genetically improved food
  • Ohio and others banning red light cameras.
  • Citizens fearing that solar panels will suck the sun dry.
  • Those opposed to global warming becuase the bible promises there will be no floods
  • People who believe Blackberry keyboards are high tech.
  • Those who think Apple makes the most advanced hardware in the world

 

Last modified on 24 December 2015
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