April 5, 2015

Credit: Thinkstock

John Hopton for redOrbit.com @Johnfinitum

Science fiction has a habit of portraying the future of Artificial Intelligence as one in which machines break their programming and cause all kinds of trouble. From 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968 to new movies such as Transcendence and Chappie, the future of AI looks fraught with danger.

But this concept is not only the reserve of fiction. Professor Stephen Hawking says that AI could spell the end of the human race, and that humans who are limited by slow biological advancement could not compete. Elon Musk thinks that AI could be humanitys greatest threat more dangerous than nuclear weapons.

RedOrbit spoke to AI expert Charlie Ortiz, Senior Principal Manager of the Artificial Intelligence and Reasoning Group within Nuances Natural Language and AI Laboratory. He revealed why he opposes the view of Hawking and Musk, and what, in his view, the real future of AI will look like.

Hollywood is exaggerating the potential negative aspects because that makes good movies, Ortiz told us. They envision a future in which machines match our intelligence and then exceed it, and taking lessons from human history, they assume that the more powerful will persecute the weaker and that were all doomed.

However, he says: Thats one possibility, but there are many others. You cant discount the future in which these systems become our helpers, assistants, and teachers.

Asked about Hawking and Musk, Ortiz said: I disagree with both of them. Any technology can be harmful if its not controlled and if its used by the wrong people. Thats one extreme future, but its not the only future. He wonders why we should we take such a negative view about this technology when we dont with other technologies.

Could AI machines be like our grown-up children?

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