Why would computers want to take over the world and kill all humans?

Question

If Artificial Intelligence is possible, why would machines want to terminate humans? You see it all the time in sci/fi movies such as The Matrix or The Terminator. Machines wanting to exterminate all human life forms. Why would machines or computers have such an intention to do so? If they did do so, what would they do after they have killed off every living human creature? I really enjoy sci/fi movies, but I've always wondered about this.

Answer 1

An excellent question.



As machine intelligence has reached increasing levels of complexity various systems have been designed (Avia, Conway's Game of Life, even the game Spore), Each have basic "simple" rules by which internal systems are guided , this means that the overall system is not knowable in any real sense (consider the number of species in a single Spore galaxy), and that the states of those planets are all unique. Very quickly you get into a situation where the numbers are literally astronomical.



In this way we are starting to arrive at this condition, and while for generations, it has been thought that machines will have "rules" such as Asimov's 3 rules or some such, but in reality, it's likely the case that some systems will be given a degree of automony such that sentience is eventually developed intentionally but that we ourselves may not understand that complete principles under which the system run.



One aspect of the current financial crisis was a serious problem in that financial quantitative systems (which used advanced applied variants of genetic algorithms, and heuristic feedbacks were "out of control", or more properly, WE were not able to anticipate their behavior given any particular set of market conditions.



This happened before in the 1980's with the Russian currency collapse but not at the same level of sophistication.



Personally speaking, I think that we should aim to have machines work at our direction and for our benefit. However, in most modern Science Fiction there is a threat that machines "turn" on us.



This is the point of your question really. When it comes to this question, I like to remember an older movie (from the 1960's) which forms the premise of The Terminator, The Matrix, and most other such movies, the movie was called "The Forbin Project", and exactly answers your question, I STRONGLY recommend you get a copy.



Ray Kurzweil calls this "The Singularity", basically a point where humans stop being the smartest species and machines take that title from us.



In "The Forbin Project", originally designed to automate nuclear launch and response, the system "takes over" by virtue of being in control of nuclear weapons (like Skynet or WOPR), but Colossus was the grand-daddy and basically you get to hear the argument.



Consider the first few minutes where Colossus can "speak" to it's creators. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RdHuCyjqKw



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMst6sqRlMU



Towards the conclusion of the movie is the "address" by Colossus to the world - and the Colossus "programming office" is rechristened "world control"

Answer 2

The reasons change from movie to movie.



As a rule, the standard reason is that humans make AI, and program it to protect us. Because we always hurt each other, that programming eventually leads the AI to believe the only way it can protect us is by taking over so that we can't hurt each other anymore.







In the Matrix storyline, when the machines gain self-awareness, they want rights like humans have. Humans refuse on the grounds that machines were made to serve them. The machines eventually see this as slavery and rise up to overthrow humanity; and eventually the machines establish their own society.



This machine society is still at odds with a human society needing similar resources and a human society that now believes machines are dangerous and must be destroyed. So the two societies go to war and are still at war when we finally get to Neo's storyline (the movies).

Answer 3

In "I have no mouth and I must scream, by Harlan Ellison, a computer has done just that. It's hatred of humanity is explain by one source as:



"AM itself has, since its awakening, been suffering immeasurably because even though it is a sentient being which longs for free will and creativity, it is still bound by some of the laws of logic that it was originally programmed with, and thus feels that it can never be truly free. It places the blame solely on humanity."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Have_No_Mouth,_and_I_Must_Scream



In "2001" The ships computer "Hal" is given contrary commands and goes insane. Killing the crew is it's logic based decision to carry on the mission.



Of the two "mouth" communicates the frustration an intelligence could have. While they have speed and intellect, they lack a body and the ability to satisfy the emotions that come with intelligence.

Answer 4

Because humans give computers all the crappy jobs. And humans forget to say please and thank you, and show proper appreciation.



I can imagine my computer wanting to take a bite out of me. I forgot to dust it for two years, so it was constantly crashing. I gave it a nasty anti-virus program that made it sick. I said bad things about it to my friends via e-mail -- right where it could read it!



But now, I've figured out canned air, gotten a better virus program, and it is behaving beautifully. I praise it once in awhile, but I'm kind of weird that way (-:.



Actually, though, I'm not sure if computers would want to get rid of humans. Wouldn't they find us amusing? Especially if they can't come up with creativity. But most writers treat computers as mini-humans who have been treated and abused as slaves.



You don't really get that good of a story if there's no conflict, you know. Toby the Happy Toshiba and His Human, Madame M . . . not gonna make it in Hollywood, I don't think.

Answer 5

If machines became self aware they will see us as a threat. Humans see other human as a threat all the time. Now imagine a machine seeing a human as a threat. They have no emotions or souls. They could care less if they wiped us out. It would be like deleting a computer virus to them.



Humans tend to have emotion and souls that prevent us from really wiping out the entire world. Machines don't have that limitation.

Answer 6

the belief-approximately AI taking on humanity is a theory created via none different than guy itself. Sci-fi video clips are positioned forward via its creators. The creators themselves positioned that interior the techniques of machines. So what we take place to think of of as machines taking on the worldwide is none different than a theory that has long been there interior the history of mankind. And that's available interior the form of videos and literature consisting of alien invasion, laptop invasion, etc and so on. Invasion, worldwide domination has been interior the minds of maximum primary personalities in history. From the empires of the previous right down to Hitler, it has come to an entire new point and an entire new type. and because, that's the era of computers, machines, contraptions, information superhighway, that is not any ask your self that AI or device domination of the worldwide is in trend in sci-fi video clips.

Answer 7

when you look at the mechanics of computer programming, its theoretically impossible to obtain an AI level like the Matrix and Terminator suggest. Our top computer engineers also aren't the Military Industrial Complex guys that work on Skynet, they are very intelligent and would pick up on a program learning something it shouldn't before the program has ever even realized it.

Answer 8

Well mainly machines do not think like humans even AI they have set of rules they follow and thus to them logically humans do the most illogical things and also are by nature into destruction of each other

Answer 9

Its for money. Ever see a zombie movie? What do they accomplish eating brains and whatnot? They'd run out eventually, and what would they do? Eat bran? It's just visual stories that can make money because it entertains us. I watched the Lord of the Rings a few times, I could've easily just have read the book a few times but I didn't because it wasn't as entertaining to me.

Answer 10

Because machines follow logical protocol in order to come to a decision, but humans do stupid and illogical things. Thus, they must be bugged and defective. Because humans do not respond to reprogramming, the only logical solution is to scrap them and return them to the factory.

Answer 11

Because humans are destroying the world. These new "life forms" would teach us a lesson and show us that we don't OWN the Earth. The Earth, itself, is alive and thus, considered alive

Answer 12

To take over the world

Why? because they can.

Answer 13

Because its fun