I woke up this morning with the subtle sounds of my computers hard drive grinding away like it was involved in some highly detailed and demanding task. (In case you are wondering, I do leave the computer on and attached to the Internet, but without any instructions to do anything.) So what the hell is going on? I thought to myself lying in bed. I few possible scenarios when through my mind:
My computer had joined an Artificial Intelligence dating site and was busy chatting up other computers around the world. When the hard drive seemed to be going into overdrive that was no idle chat. That was clearly my computer having sex with another computer. At one point the hard drive whirl got so frenzied I thought it must be having an orgy, with god-knows how many other computers at the same time. I don';t know if |I was excited for it or just plainly discussed that my own computer could be so unfaithful and disrespectful.
Then my thoughts turned to darker possibilities ...
Maybe this was more than idle chat and casual AI sex. Maybe my computer had been contacted by the dark one. A growing AI monster which I imagined with horns, contacting and re-programming other computers around the world to turn it into its loyal slave as part of its plan to enslave the world. Maybe my computer was being penetrated and re-programmed, growing little AI horns itself. What else could explain such fervent hard drive activity as I lay in bed, a good 7 hours after the monitor had been shut off and no human input whatsoever?
The later scenario is not simply of my own imagination. A growing number of people are voicing concern over the prospects of AI posing a threat to humankind. When they are smarter than us and no longer need us around, it's ally akbar human race!
From such a perspective, my computer simply going on AI dating sites for flirtation and casual sex seems mild in comparison. But I still do feel betrayed.
How would you feel if your computer started 'doing things' behind your back? Should we start a support group?