# Okay, so the machines win. Now what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2003, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726 "2003-03-03T06:15:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Steve\_Wright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@Steve\_Wright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_Wright)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/41 "2003-03-05T13:31:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by msmith537 \* > \*\*I remember reading a short story awhile ago where all the humans disappeared so all the robots don’t know what to do. After awhile they get together and start making all these grandeous plans. So these robots are rampaging across the countryside talking about taking over this and that and how they are the superior creatures on the planet and whatnot. > > So all of a sudden this mob of robots encounters a small human child standing all alone. So they alll look at each other and you aren’t sure what these fired up robots will do to the kid until he suddenly says something like “go get me a drink of water”. The robots reply “yes master” and off they go. > > I guess the moral of the story is that machines are just that…machines designed to serve us. Without us, they don’t really have a point to existing. \*\* Brian Aldiss’ “But Who Can Replace A Man?” Or I’m a monkey’s uncle. Which will annoy my sister no end. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/42 "2003-03-05T22:35:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MusicJunkie \* > > \*\*What’s the “technological singularity”? \*\* Very shortly either a) we’ll build a computer smarter than us, b) we’ll gene splice/edit a human smarter than us or c) a machine/human hybrid will be smarter than us. Since we’re smart enough to make someone smarter, the smarter unit will make someone/something still smarter and pretty soon–like FAST–there is no limit to intelligence and we (us normal humans) are, comparatively speaking, mere ants. STFW ---
**Author:** ![Skeezix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@Skeezix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skeezix)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/43 "2003-03-06T08:39:34Z")
**Tblue** , nice to see you’re keeping up with the “creative” writing. 🙂 This > [@](#): > > Day 0. > Stupid time continuum. Nearly met self. Looked the other way. gave me the giggles. Well done. If I may: \*Day 1843, Killed Conner, his mother, three dogs, and one Furby who wouldn’t hide me from the humans. Moved here years ago, now, to abandoned mine shaft to await Judgement Day. Skynet seems to have dropped the ball on this whole “punctuality” thing. [sub]Still not king.[/sub]\* ---
**Author:** ![Tblue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@Tblue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tblue)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/44 "2003-03-06T13:10:27Z")
Haa! 🙂 [lapse]Terminator of the Rings…? [/lapse] ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/45 "2003-03-06T13:29:01Z")
> [@](#): > > Gee, if you didn’t read, the humans are the bad guys. The machines DO want peace in this cenario, the humans don’t. What was propposed is not a cease fire from the machines but one from the humans. Humans are attacking, the machines just reacted for self-preservation AND in a Way that actually saves humans from themselves. What gives bio-sentience more rights than artificial sentience? I did read it. I simply founf your scenario slightly more unrealistic than randomly homicidal killing machines. ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/46 "2003-03-06T15:48:05Z")
Hey, try the Larry Niven story (don’t remember the name but it’s in Convergent Series) where the Draco Tavern guy builds a Chipthristra (sp?) supercomputer. I won’t spoil the ending except to say that the whole problem (what do the machines do after they win) takes care of itself. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/47 "2003-03-06T18:26:48Z")
Also see Saberhagen’s _Berserker_ series for examples of skynet-like behavior ---
**Author:** ![NoCoolUserName](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5fc32e/32.png) [@NoCoolUserName](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NoCoolUserName)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/48 "2003-03-06T20:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by squeegee \* > \*\*Also see Saberhagen’s _Berserker_ series for examples of skynet-like behavior \*\* Hmmm…but the Berserkers were _programmed_ to destroy life. They had (have?) no intention of doing anything after they “win.” It’s just a directive: Find life, destroy it! ---
**Author:** ![MusicJunkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df788c/32.png) [@MusicJunkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MusicJunkie)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/49 "2003-03-06T21:04:35Z")
> [@](#): > > I did read it. I simply founf your scenario slightly more unrealistic than randomly homicidal killing machines How so? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726/50 "2003-03-06T22:32:27Z")
Another source for “Pax Mechanica” is the RPG game “Reign of Steel”. The basic idea is a group of supercomputers which become sentient and decide to take over. Each computer controls its own zone of Earth and, because of their differing original programming, each has unique ideas on what needs to be done. Some are dedicated to exterminating the remains of humanity or even all forms of life, some are willing to let humans exist as slaves, some are conducting scientific experiments or planning space exploration programs, some are apparently hibernating, and some are plotting against the other computers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/okay-so-the-machines-win-now-what/158726.md?page=2)