How Far Are We from Skynet and Judgment Day?
Written on
Chapter 1: Understanding Skynet and Its Implications
Don’t fret! We are far from that reality!
Judgment Day, for those unfamiliar, signifies the moment when the artificial intelligence known as Skynet becomes sentient and initiates a nuclear assault on humanity, resulting in the demise of three billion individuals. Due to various time travel narratives in the Terminator universe, the date for Judgment Day has been shifted multiple times, with the most recent being June 18, 2021.
This creates an engaging sci-fi narrative filled with time travel and dystopian elements! But how close are we really to creating our own version of Skynet? Are we nearing the development of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI)? Should filmmakers consider producing another sequel to extend the timeline yet again?
Section 1.1: What is Artificial General Intelligence?
Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) refers to the possibility of a machine that can think and reason like a human across various tasks.
Recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Deep Learning (DL)—including Reinforcement Learning (RL), the well-publicized success of Google's AlphaGo, improvements in Natural Language Processing (NLP), as well as developments in chatbots and self-driving cars—might give the impression that AI is rapidly approaching or surpassing human intelligence. However, that is not entirely accurate.
Several obstacles—technological, social, and economic—impede the progress toward AGI.
Subsection 1.1.1: Technological Challenges
The current AI technologies must enhance three primary anthropomorphic capabilities to realize AGI:
- Meta-learning: This refers to the capacity of sentient beings to learn how to learn. While current AI systems excel at mastering specific tasks within defined environments, meta-learning would enable algorithms to swiftly and effectively adjust to new tasks and environments. This requires training algorithms to respond to previously unlikely data.
- Cognition: Historian Yuval Noah Harari, in his book "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind," posits that the "Cognitive Revolution," which occurred between 70,000 and 30,000 years ago, marked a pivotal point in human evolution. This unique capability allows humans to envision non-existent concepts, forming the foundation of modern society—money, government, banking, and religion. Advanced computers, no matter how sophisticated, currently lack a comprehensive model of reality.
- Consciousness: Consciousness is defined as the ability to have subjective experiences and thoughts. However, our understanding of human consciousness is limited, and we are even less knowledgeable about the consciousness of other organic life forms. The role of consciousness in the development of AGI remains unclear.
Section 1.2: Socio-Economic Challenges
In addition to the technological hurdles mentioned, socio-economic factors also hinder AGI advancements.
- Absence of Standards: The lack of established protocols leads to a lack of focus in AI development.
- Limited Collaboration: Existing AI models are often isolated and developed in closed systems. Progress in real-world applications requires collaboration among researchers and experts from various fields, as well as fluid data exchange between models.
- Resource Scarcity: The pool of individuals with the necessary skills is limited, making it costly to deploy such systems.
So, if James Cameron, 20th Century Fox, Skydance Media, or anyone connected to the Terminator franchise is reading this, it’s high time to create a sequel to push the timeline further. After all, who wouldn't want to see Arnold as T-800 one last time?
Chapter 2: Insights from YouTube
The first video, "Yes. Big Tech is Building SKYNET. AI Machine Learning," delves into the implications of current AI technologies and their potential future trajectory.
The second video, "Skynet and Robot Armies: Are We Close to a Terrifying Reality?" discusses the advances in AI and the risks they may pose to humanity.