Fears of imminent global catastrophe, particularly concerning artificial intelligence, are overblown and often stem from personal anxieties rather than objective assessments, according to a review of the BBC2 program "The Future With Hannah Fry." The program featured discussions with AI analysts who posited that superintelligent robots could lead to the demise of human civilization.
Stuart Russell, a professor from Berkeley, was quoted in the review stating that AI could strip humanity of its defining characteristics, a prospect he found "almost worse than extinction." This sentiment aligns with historical anxieties surrounding technological advancement, such as the reaction to IBM's Deep Blue defeating chess champion Garry Kasparov in the 1990s.
However, the review suggests that such dire predictions are unfounded. The argument is made that doomsayers often project their own fears of mortality onto future events. For instance, a 25-year-old might predict humanity's end within the century, while a 70-year-old might foresee the end within two decades. This pattern is compared to the character Private Fraser from "Dad's Army," whose pessimistic outlook was attributed to his advanced age.
The program also touched upon other perceived threats, including climate change and the potential for asteroid impacts or new pandemics. However, the review dismisses these alarms, stating that "every scientist has their own version of the bleak fairytale." Demonstrations on the show, such as observing a slice of mouse brain or a mechanical grabber responding to commands, were presented as not particularly alarming.
The review draws a parallel to the past, noting that despite predictions following Deep Blue's victory, human chess champions continued to emerge and the game evolved. The article also references Alan Turing's own expressed fears about machines taking control, contrasting it with his tragic end, which the author attributes to a "belief in fairytales."