Has 200 years of science fiction prepared us for AI?

Recent advances in artificial intelligence have edged the world closer to the kinds of machines envisioned in many apocalyptic stories. (Image: Depositphotos)

Bloomberg

Sun, 16 Apr 2023

By Stephen MihmThe arrival of a new generation of artificial-intelligence chatbots and apps has fuelled hysteria that humans may soon become obsolete, or worse, the victims of a Skynet scenario, in which our AI creations become sentient and turn against us. Even the biggest AI boosters recently called for a moratorium on further research until we can better assess the risks.The perils posed by today’s technology may well be new and noteworthy, but our anxiety is not. For two centuries, humankind has fretted about what might happen if...

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