Jeremy Lizakowski responded to “Robot Uprising, NBD” (the recent dispatch featuring a meme of Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton). His comments are below, lightly edited for readability.
I think “robot uprising” is the wrong term, although everyone uses it.
Killbots are the threat. Murder by robot.
Whether or not robots are killing for humans or via unexpected judgments made by a program is a secondary issue. There are plenty of homicidal humans who would press the button. An exploding drone is a problem regardless of who sent it.
Most likely, killbots will do the dirty work of humans, especially in the early years, before any other option is available. [Editor’s note: Middle Eastern war zones are already experiencing this scourge.]
It’s a real threat. I just worry that personifying the machines might lead us the wrong direction.
If you disagree, you join many world-class scientists and visionaries, from Hawking to Bostrom. I’m bucking the trend.
A still from Chappie, the movie about policebots and Die Antwoord.
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