In what seems to be the precursor to a real-life Terminator movie, dozens of anti-robot protesters rallied near South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas, yesterday, protesting, of all things, the rise of artificial intelligence technology. They were evidently concerned by the rise of artificial intelligence, and showed their disdain for 'thinking machines' with signs, shirts, and other protest memorabilia.
"Stop the Robots" is the common cry of these protesters, which were composed mainly of engineering students in the nearby University of Texas. The anti-robot protesters aimed to raise awareness about the potential consequences of uncontrolled developments in the field of robotics and other technology geared towards overcoming or simulating human control.
According to the anti-robot protesters, technology isn't their enemy; in fact, they believe that it will benefit the world infinitely when put to the right use. What's dangerous however is the prospect of robotics overrunning human function and developing objective 'thoughts'.
As expected, many dismiss the group's notion, claiming that the world have so much more to fear from humans than machines. Phil Libin, CEO of Evernote, said that there are much more dangerous and pressing concerns on the front lines of the world's problems, income inequality and global warming among them.
Other experts are concerned that the anti-robot protesters themselves aren't even aware of the urgency of what they are protesting. According to them, humanity just might be a thousand years away from what they are worried about.
Fortunately for the Stop the Robots movement, they aren't alone in their advocacy. Stephen Hawking himself has repeatedly expressed concern and advocated caution against the unintended repercussions of smart artificial intelligence. Hawking is known to have said that dismissing the notions of a super smart AI capable of thinking and acting of their own volition as pure science fiction could be the worst mistake humanity could do.
Whichever side you may be on, the anti-robot protesters or their detractors, one thing is clear: history has shown time and time again how dangerous a piece of technology could be. While it is prudent to advance towards a better, more comfortable world as soon as possible, it is also best to keep from rushing headlong into the unknown, for therein might lie our doom.
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