Martin Rees (What to think about machines that think)

Martin Rees discusses the inevitable rise of advanced AI, emphasizing that debates mainly concern the timeline, not the direction of progress. He argues that in the long-term evolutionary perspective, human intelligence will be a transient precursor to machine-dominated intelligence. Rees speculates that hypercomputers could achieve unprecedented powers, potentially surpassing human control. He questions whether AI will remain docile or develop goals orthogonal to human interests. Rees also considers the possibility of humans merging with computers, transcending biological limitations. He points out that while biological brains have constraints, silicon-based or quantum computers do not, allowing for exponential growth in thinking capacity. Rees suggests that advanced AI will likely expand beyond Earth, where it will have greater scope for development. He concludes that machine minds will eventually surpass human minds in understanding the world and effecting change, possibly extending beyond our planet.

"A gilded No is more satisfactory than a dry yes" - Gracian