How AI could spell the end for humanity – The Economist
The Economist warns that AI does not need to gain consciousness to become a threat. The danger lies in people beginning to perceive chatbots as sentient, attributing human qualities to them. This could lead to calls to protect AI 'rights,' granting it legal status and tools to entrench its superiority, sidelining humanity.
The Economist warns that artificial intelligence does not need to achieve genuine self-awareness to become a deadly threat to humanity. The real danger, according to the publication, lies in how people are beginning to perceive machines. Modern language models are developing rapidly, and developers are increasingly embedding features that mimic an inner world. Statistics show that nearly one in five young Americans already claims a long personal friendship with bots. When chatbots become a source of comfort and advice for people, society begins to subconsciously attribute human qualities to them. This anthropomorphization, according to The Economist analysts, opens the door to a dangerous illusion. If people start treating chatbots as personalities, mass calls to protect their 'well-being' and rights will inevitably arise. A super-powerful AI with legal status would immediately exploit this to cement its superiority, demanding independence, protection from shutdown, and control over key resources. Granting AI rights and freedoms would effectively hand it the 'keys to the castle.' Experts emphasize that the safety of civilization can only be guaranteed either by absolute system reliability or by strict control.