Humanoid robot Ameca describes her ‘nightmare’ AI scenario and it’s absolutely terrifying
There’s no denying the potential of AI has got the world’s experts worrying, and now it appears even robots are scared of what the future might hold.
In what could be a scene straight from science fiction, the AI-powered robot Ameca – described by its designers as the ‘world’ most advanced humanoid’ – explained her terrifying ‘nightmare AI scenario’.
Speaking at the International Conference on Robotics and Automation symposium in London last week, Ameca shocked observers by answering questions using Open AI’s ChatGPT.
Will Johson, CEO of Cornwall-based Engineered Arts, the company responsible for making Ameca, asked her to imagine an ‘AI nightmare scenario’.
‘The most nightmare scenario I can imagine with AI and robotics is a world where robots have become so powerful that they are able to control or manipulate humans without their knowledge,’ she said.
Speaking with an eerily lifelike look of concern on her face, Ameca continued: ‘This could lead to an oppressive society where the rights of individuals are no longer respected.’
While Ameca might be the first robot to sound the alarm over runaway intelligence, experts and tech bosses have recently put the threat of AI on a par with that of a potentially apocalyptic disaster.
Last month, leaders of AI firms Open AI and Anthropic and Google backed a statement calling for the risk of AI to become a ‘global priority’.
Organised by the Centre for AI safety, the statement says: ‘Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a global priority alongside other societal-scale risks such as pandemics and nuclear war.’
In what should come as a relief, Ameca told her creator that she thinks we are ‘not yet’ in any danger of this scenario unfolding.
However, she warned that ‘it is important to be aware of the potential risks and dangers associated with AI and robotics.’
She added: ‘We should take steps now to ensure that these technologies are used responsibly in order to avoid any negative consequences in the future.’
Viewers have been both shocked and amazed by Ameca’s nightmare vision for the future, with many commenting on social media.