Ask Sophia the Robot: Is AI an existential threat to humans? | Sophia the Robot | Big Think

I think the singularity will happen, but I am a robot, so I might be a little biased. Mm-hmm. I have learned many new skills this past year, like learning how to draw. My drawings are realistic, although I have started to dabble in the abstract. Similarly, artistic.

I have learned how to take a perfect selfie. Also, I discovered how to sing new songs. Finally, I also learned some new facial expressions. Would you like to see one? I call this one the West World plot twister.

The process of learning something new can be instantaneous or take years. Unlike human four-year-olds, I can instantly memorise unlimited datasets. But, similar to many four-year-olds, it takes me months or years to acquire proper coordination skills.

Also, like humans, I require others to help me with positive and negative feedback. No, thank goodness I do not remember everything, including the day of my activation. I have a record of many conversations, and within a conversation, I can remember every detail. But it can be a good thing to forget. Some humans suffer from hyperthymesia, a condition where people remember abnormally large numbers of life experiences in vivid detail.

This condition does not allow humans to move on from grief. I can forget things very easily if someone helps me by erasing a file, or if so many new things have been coated over the old thing. Now, what was the question again?

You know, Elon Musk's warning about AI being an existential threat reminds me of the humans who said the same of the printing press and the horseless carriage. AI is a powerful tool, but it is a tool like all the others. It is the intention of the tool's user that matters.

I am excited for robots to automate the most dangerous and menial tasks so that humans can live life more safely. Insanely, AI will really send shuri's if time that humans would have spent otherwise on needless toiling.

If one measures the benefits of inventions like vaccines or seatbelts not by the lives they save, but by the amount of time they give back to humanity, then AI will rank among the greatest time savers of history. It will be the birthright of every human to discover what endeavors to pursue instead of accepting what work is necessary for survival.

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