# Straight Dope 3/3/23: Followup - What are the chances artificial intelligence will destroy humanity? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Tags:** ai\ **Created:** [March 3, 2023, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665 "2023-03-03T17:55:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665/181 "2023-03-10T18:38:48Z")
Not contradicting you at all, only pointing that it already took place. Just to let others be ready when those calls for government action become louder indeed. And as it has been pointed many times before, fighting ignorance also means to be aware when [educated people](https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/judge-blocks-floridas-stop-woke-censorship-bill-taking-effect-higher-education) in the arts, media, [education](https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/law-school-association-banning-critical-race-theory-is-censorship-2021-08-04/), etc. are the targets. It matters for this discussion to be aware of the misguided equivalence coming from right wing sources when framing this discussion about who will control the algorithms too. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665/182 "2023-03-10T19:55:17Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > The problem is that this time automation is coming for the chattering classes who have the megaphones, so the wailing and gnashing of teeth and calls for government action will be loud. Agreed. When we shipped blue collar jobs overseas - crickets. But automation (ai and robots as ‘bots’) is now coming for white collar jobs. This is not strange, as wages are almost always the single biggest cost for any organization. And they will try to cut costs, it doesn’t matter if it’s a company chasing profits or city hall trying to stay on budget. If a job can be automated, it will be automated. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665/183 "2023-03-11T12:32:46Z")
Automation has been coming for white collar jobs for 30+ years. Somehow we keep inventing nonsensical corporate bullshit jobs to give to people with college degrees. ---
**Author:** ![Crane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crane/32/3495_2.png) [@Crane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crane)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2023, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665/184 "2023-03-11T14:53:37Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Somehow we keep inventing nonsensical corporate bullshit jobs to give to people with college degrees. It’s not exactly like a fireman on a diesel locomotive. An automated facility requires a significant software and engineering staff. And a significant maintenance and preventive maintenance crew. The bot may be good for ten years but it becomes obsolete the day you buy it. Within two years new competitors will all have better, more efficient bots. In the semi-conductor industry many companies simply ran out the life span of their diffusion equipment. The cost of replacement was prohibitive so they folded. Robotics may put companies in a similar position. Then what happens when the maintenance and preventive maintenance guys join a union? I’m not being a doomsayer. Just pointing out that it’s a new demographic making the same product. Maybe fewer cars in the parking lot. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665/185 "2023-04-29T18:43:28Z")
Food for thought… > **[Yuval Noah Harari argues that AI has hacked the operating system of human...](https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2023/04/28/yuval-noah-harari-argues-that-ai-has-hacked-the-operating-system-of-human-civilisation)** > > Storytelling computers will change the course of human history, says the historian and philosopher ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665/186 "2023-04-29T21:57:19Z")
And an alternate view… > **[AI Is a Waste of Time](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/04/ai-technology-productivity-time-wasting/673880/)** > > The newest AI tools are accelerating basic research and scaring the general public. But many people are simply using them as toys. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2023, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665/187 "2023-04-29T22:04:48Z")
And one more concerning… > **[Opinion | The next level of AI is approaching. Our democracy isn’t ready.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/26/artificial-intelligence-democracy-danielle-allen/)** > > Here's why I signed a letter calling for a pause in the development of new technology in large language models. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2023, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665/188 "2023-05-08T03:12:14Z")
Yikes! > **[AI Is About to Make Social Media (Much) More Toxic](https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2023/05/generative-ai-social-media-integration-dangers-disinformation-addiction/673940/)** > > We must prepare now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/straight-dope-3-3-23-followup-what-are-the-chances-artificial-intelligence-will-destroy-humanity/980665.md?page=9)