Will AI 'kill' all humans? Decoding the conspiracy theories

In recent times, the conversation surrounding artificial intelligence has taken a turn towards conspiracy theories and fear-mongering. Former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon warned of an uncontrollable AI, prompting speculation about the apocalyptic end of humanity. However, amid the cacophony of comments, a tweet by UK MP Zarah Sultana stood out as particularly absurd: "AI should be controlled by the workers who build and use it, not by parasitic billionaires."

Even before Marx could discuss this idea, Bernie Sanders announced plans for a bill banning artificial superintelligence, threatening 20 years in prison for violations. Critics argue that this bill is merely a rehash of one that exists to regulate illegal nuclear weapons but has no impact on individuals like Jeff Bezos.

Upon hearing these fiery political statements, one can't help but wonder if the Deus Ex-Machina is closer than we think. To explore this further, we delve into three conspiracy theories that are slowly gaining traction as potential threats to humanity:

1. The China Boat: The idea of being killed by a Chinese robot might seem preposterous, but as tech giants collaborate with China, concerns about a Chinese AI advancement threaten to overshadow all else. The "Manhattan Project" parallel is drawn, where Oppenheimer collaborated with scientists from the Third Reich, and now, the US is seeking to coordinate with Beijing in the AI race.

While America cannot slow down due to potential Chinese competition, Sam Altman suggests that Trump and Xi could win a Nobel Peace Prize if they agree on AI. Gary Marcus, a staunch AI skeptic, proposes three categories for the US-China AI relationship: adversarial, competitive, and collaborative. In addition, a CNN report reveals an American AI chatbot nearly starting a war while preparing intelligence on a Chinese vessel.

2. The Shylock Problem: Drawing an analogy to the California Gold Rush, the idea of profiting more from building tools that enable AI development than building AI itself is a prominent concern. This "Shylock Problem" is based on the notion that those who create the tools for AI development will reap greater financial rewards than those actually building the AI. OpenAI raised $122 billion in March, while Anthropic raised $65 billion in May, raising questions about the financial motivations behind the AI race.