Artificial Intelligence Take-over: Truth Or Myth?

Though the idea of an Artificial Intelligence world domination may have a cartoonish status in our survivalist community, unfortunately, the concept is closer to the truth than you might think. I don’t need to point out the obvious: the signs are all around us, from the self-driving car developed by Google to 3d-printed bionic limbs and organs, and if Nobel-prize winner theoretician and physicist Stephen Hawking himself fears an impending machine attack, then the red button has been pressed as far as I am concerned.

If Stephen Hawking, the multi-awarded scientist considered the smartest physicist on the planet thinks seriously about this, so do I, and so should you. Unlike the case of a war or a hurricane, the problem with a war of the machines is that it can happen overnight in just one instant, thwarting any chance of preparing whatsoever.

What Exactly Is An AI-attack?

The Terminator, the Lawnmower Man, and many other flicks, books, and cultural elements have long since proposed the idea of a world taken over by AI. If you look at sci-fi movies you can notice that ever since the 60s, the ideas imagined back then have more or less came true. This means that the human mind can anticipate how to the world will evolve 50 to 100 years time in the future.

In a recent interview, Stephen Hawking talked about the new technology used to power his device that helps him communicate. The technology uses his previously used words in order to predict what he will say next, not unlike the similar technology on smartphones. It’s this very technology that Mr. Hawking is concerned about, as it may very well surpass human intelligence.

“Once humans develop artificial intelligence, it would take off on its own and re-design itself at an ever-increasing rate,” he told the BBC.

“The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.”

The idea is not new, as the British scientist and grandfather of modern computers Alan Turing was wondering in the 1950s: “Can machines think”, however, the concern is.

Much like in the sci-fi movies, the artificial intelligence becomes so intelligent that it ultimately develops a conscience of its own. The concerns are all the more real as we ask ourselves: what exactly determines conscience? And the scientific answers are so downright simple, it is truly alarming: a sum of electrical impulses in our brains.

This idea of tech singularity (one super intelligent machine over-mind) was theorized by none other than Ray Solomonoff in 1967:

“Although there is no prospect of very intelligent machines in the near future, the dangers posed are very serious and the problems very difficult. It would be well if a large number of intelligent humans devote a lot of thought to these problems before they arise.

It is my feeling that the realization of artificial intelligence will be a sudden occurrence. At a certain point in the development of the research we will have had no practical experience with machine intelligence of any serious level: a month or so later, we will have a very intelligent machine and all the problems and dangers associated with our inexperience.”

But probably the most alarming factor of concern in this direction is that IT evolution is growing at an ever-accelerating pace. From the internet to phones and computers, the new generation machines already take several months to be developed. If everything grows at an exponential rate, it isn’t difficult to imagine where will it all go in a decade: a world ruled by computers; and are there so many paces left to the state where machines develop conscience?

Machines Already Took Over

The way for a possible conquest of the machines has already been paved, as society is welcoming them more and more into our lives. More and more functions are being done by machines instead of humans, from simple ticket vending machines to transport systems, air traffic control, and nuclear warfare. It’s a known fact that the stock market downfall in 1987 was caused by computer transactions. Imagine what would happen to the world economy if the internet would simply cease to exist tomorrow. All the financial crisis in history combined wouldn’t match the real consequences of such a financial disaster. The brutal truth is that we already live in a world controlled by machines one way or another, except they are not sentient. Think about what would happen if they become so!

Spell checker software exists on every computer in every home, and it is a very basic program, yet it is able to speak our language better than us. Language invented by humans, perfected by your computer.

However, this nightmare scenario, though it can occur anytime without warning, is not necessary for a small scale machine apocalypse to happen. Imagine a world completely sustained by non-sentient machines. What happens should a major bug occur? Transport systems blocked, security door blocked – people trapped inside buildings, elevators, trains, and most importantly, credit system collapse. Without money we cannot pay for food and paper money becomes more and more obsolete. In such a scenario, chaos ensues, and we must be prepared. But how?

What Are The Solutions?

Until the few scientists concerned with this issue get the governments mobilized (if they do, that is), you need to be prepared. Rely on machines as little as possible.

If machines develop conscience overnight, a zombie apocalypse scenario would seem like a child’s play. Machines are metal and circuit giants which cannot be stopped by bullets, no matter how well prepared you are. The best solution is to make your own EMP generating device.

What Is EMP?

EMP stands for electromagnetic pulse, and it’s basically a burst shot of electromagnetic energy. This energy has the ability to partially or completely damage or temporarily disrupt the functions of electronic equipment of any type. Given the right proportions, an electromagnetic pulse can disrupt any device with electric circuits, from a cell phone to an atomic bomb.

How To Make Your Own EMP Generator

If you are familiar with EMP guns, you are probably thinking of big generators and atomic bombs. But the principle applies at any scale. You don’t need to build a complex circuit to be able to have an EMP gun for close quarters use. Actually, the circuit is already built and you can find it for less than $5 at any store: a disposable camera.

You will also need:

• an insulated copper wire (the thicker, the more powerful the pulse)
• a metal rod (preferably iron for better efficiency)

Instructions:

Wrap the wire TIGHTLY around the rod. The wire should be sticking out on both ends after you are done.

Take the battery out of the camera

Take out the taser from the camera and solder the capacitor to the ends of the wire. Make sure it is shorted.

To test the device, do so with a pocket calculator. Take it somewhere far from any other electronic device, preferably outside in the backyard. Leave any electronic object out of your pockets; remove your wristwatch if you have one. The EMP gun you just built should have a several feet range. Put the battery in and push the switch while holding it close to the calculator. It should render it unusable right away.

Always Keep Prepared!

Keep your appliances sharp, but your wits sharper! Just because society evolves in a direction that tends to remove the humanity in its individuals bit by bit, doesn’t mean that individuals will turn into machines, or worse, be ruled by them. Stay prepared!