Created to Serve, Able to Rule: What Do The Matrix and The Terminator Predict for the Great Debate of 2024?
As artificial intelligence (AI) was still in its infancy, humans already pondered a critical question: what if intelligent machines turn against us?
We revisit several ominous predictions from mythology to The Matrix.
Every day, a bipedal metal structure circles the shores of Crete three times, keeping approaching individuals at bay with a hail of stones and burning those who attempt to intrude.
If readers suspect that neither Frontex (the EU's border guard) nor the Greek police employ such primitive and brutal tactics against migrants, their suspicions are well-placed. Talos a giant with a bull's head, made of bronze belongs to Greek mythology and served as protector for King Minos. This autonomous weapon, capable of detecting enemies without human orders, signifies that what today falls under the category of AI or robotics had already emerged in the human imagination long ago.
It's hardly surprising that the most renowned early simulation, The Turk, a chess-playing automaton created by Wolfgang von Kempelen in 1769, did not cause much astonishment; centuries before Deep Blue's chess victory against world champion Garry Kasparov in 1997, people deemed it conceivable for an intelligent machine to challenge a human at the game. However, it was later revealed to be a trick. The device remains memorable, for assuming the descriptions are accurate it represented a mechanical feat, enabling a small-statured man concealed within and camouflaged with mirrors to move the Turk’s hand and make significant moves.
In retrospect, the label of AI, robots, or androids can be applied to several classics, not to mention the books and films of the last century that are not only fantastic but also more or less scientific. Although not exhaustive, indicates that those who first conceived the idea of AI precursors were deeply engrossed in the now especially prominent question of whether a machine capable of independent thought would serve or dominate humans. Let's look at the early examples first!
Every day, a bipedal metal structure circles the shores of Crete three times, keeping approaching individuals at bay with a hail of stones and burning those who attempt to intrude.
If readers suspect that neither Frontex (the EU's border guard) nor the Greek police employ such primitive and brutal tactics against migrants, their suspicions are well-placed. Talos a giant with a bull's head, made of bronze belongs to Greek mythology and served as protector for King Minos. This autonomous weapon, capable of detecting enemies without human orders, signifies that what today falls under the category of AI or robotics had already emerged in the human imagination long ago.
It's hardly surprising that the most renowned early simulation, The Turk, a chess-playing automaton created by Wolfgang von Kempelen in 1769, did not cause much astonishment; centuries before Deep Blue's chess victory against world champion Garry Kasparov in 1997, people deemed it conceivable for an intelligent machine to challenge a human at the game. However, it was later revealed to be a trick. The device remains memorable, for assuming the descriptions are accurate it represented a mechanical feat, enabling a small-statured man concealed within and camouflaged with mirrors to move the Turk’s hand and make significant moves.
In retrospect, the label of AI, robots, or androids can be applied to several classics, not to mention the books and films of the last century that are not only fantastic but also more or less scientific. Although not exhaustive, indicates that those who first conceived the idea of AI precursors were deeply engrossed in the now especially prominent question of whether a machine capable of independent thought would serve or dominate humans. Let's look at the early examples first!
Translation:
Translated by AI
