A superintelligent form of AI (ASI), which surpasses human intelligence and is capable of learning on its own, can play the role of a “great filter”, that is, be an insurmountable obstacle preventing the emergence of advanced civilizations endowed with the ability to explore large outer spaces. According to experts, the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies may coincide with the transition of civilization from a single-planet existence to a multi-planet existence.
One catastrophic scenario is that if countries increasingly rely on autonomous AI systems that compete with each other, a situation might arise where AI’s military capabilities are used to cause destruction on an unprecedented scale. This can destroy both civilization itself and the AI systems themselves.
The typical lifespan of a technologically advanced civilization may be less than a hundred years. This is approximately equal to the period between the advent of the ability to send and receive interstellar radio signals (on Earth this is 1960) and the expected creation of ASI (2040) on Earth. If this estimate is included in the Drake equation, then at any given time there are only a handful of intelligent civilizations.
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2024-05-13 02:00:32
