Could The Human Brain Be Linked To AI In The Future?

Early AI

The idea of Artificial Intelligence has been around since the early Twentieth century. The Tinman from the Wizard of Oz and the robot that impersonated Maria in Metropolis.

Early computers lacked the prerequisite for intelligence, they were told what to do but did not remember what they did.

The expense was another drawback as leasing computers ran as high as $2000,000 a month. Only high-end corporations and upper-crust universities could afford to dally in such matters.

In 1956, John McCarthy and Marvin Minsky put together the first conference to address the possibility of AI. The conference though a failure in bringing any agreement on standard methods did set in motion the catalyst for the next twenty years of AI research.

AI Marches On

AI research has moved along quite well and has already been given many tasks once performed by humans.

In the ‘80s General Motors manufactured a car almost entirely by robots, remember the Cavalier?

There are some who believe AI will transform the future for the good and for the bad.

Since its inception, AI has viewed with conflicting views. Will it enhance the human experience or will it bring destruction to the human race.

There have been warnings from prominent people such as Steven Hawking and Elon Musk who believe AI poses a potential threat.

And others like Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates who predict that AI will do good for mankind.

What Is AI Doing Now?

AI has already moved into the realm of Virtual Assistant, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant are just a couple.

This voiced based technology is already embedded in a wide range of devices, smart appliances, smart TVs, smart cars and the list goes on.

AI has mastered the ancient game of Go. A game that is so complicated, many thought could only be played by humans. In 2016 AlphaGo defeated Lee Sedol one the world’s best Go players.

Neuralink

In 2016, Elon Musk formed a company, Neuralink, an ultra-high bandwidth interfacing brain-machine to connect humans to computers.

Neuralink is being designed to treat severe brain disease and brain damage caused by strokes.

Some of the inspiration of Elon Musk’s Neuralink comes from a series of novels by Sci-fi author Iain M. Banks titled The Culture.

The Culture is a futuristic interstellar society where the sci-fi concept of Neural Lace comes into play in a space society of humanoids, aliens, and advanced AIs.

This Neural Lace technology being funded by Musk is the merging technology that could link computers with human brains with no need for physical connection.

Through the use of cybernetic implants, Neuralink is a mix of brain surgery and futuristic science allowing the mind to interface with gadgets and programs.

This technology will allow humans to upload or download information directly from computers.

Leading to technological Singularity, the point where human intelligence is no longer superior to AI, and AI takes steps to defend itself.

What Are The Dangers?

Unemployment

As we move forward with AI, the potential exists that humans will be replaced by robots. By 2030, it is estimated that 800 million jobs will be lost due to automation.

We are now creating AI that will compete with humans on a cognitive level. What's scary, AI will have the capacity to think quicker than we can.

AI Rights

As soon as we look at AI as entities with perception, to act and feel, is it not possible to think they have rights?

Is it too far fetched to that an AI could argue its rights before the Supreme Court?

What about a robot that was sent hitchhiking across the country, only to be destroyed by angry people.

One fear that comes to the surface concerning AI is that it may feel threatened by humans and take measures to defend itself.

As we strive to make AI more like humans will our bias and prejudices be transferred to AI?

How does mankind create AI that is not capable of harming humans, when much of the human condition has its roots in violence?

We must be careful not to create AI that will become humanity's ultimate destruction.