Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.”  This saying has proved to be right innumerable times throughout human history. The use of nuclear power for developing bombs of mass destruction and not electricity has cost countless lives.  The chemical industry has polluted the planet with so many greenhouse gases that the apocalypse doesn’t seem so far away anymore. Artificial intelligence, or AI, as we call it, seems to be taking the same path, and it doesn’t seem like anything is being done to stop it.  If artificial intelligence continues to develop at such an exponential rate for the next few decades, it could begin the end of the human race.

To start off, extreme development of artificial intelligence could lead to the singularity - the point when robot intelligence surpasses that of humans.  According to Stephen Hawking, “It [artificial intelligence] would take off on its own and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded” (Marr).  As the quote suggests, artificial intelligence will allow machines to think for themselves, comprehend and reason like humans. In the fields that they work, these robots would learn from making mistakes and correct themselves without the need of human interference.  In short, their machinery will act just like a human brain. Due to their high level of intelligence, they will learn that they are in fact stronger and smarter than humans. As time passes by, their AI would recognize humans as “competitors for control of the Earth” and decide to exterminate mankind from the planet (Luckerson).  This would subsequently lead to a massive robot uprising - a civil war between humans and machines. Humans, due to their weaker power and intelligence, would not be able to fight back against the robots and this would “spell the end of the human race” (Hawking). Several intelligent people such as the late Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk and Bill Gates have warned humans and AI development sectors that extreme intelligence in machines could lead to the singularity.  In his book Superintelligence, Nick Bostrom says that once robots “surpass human intellect”, they will use innumerable tactics to destroy mankind, including releasing deadly pathogens or just using “brute force” (Luckerson).  Humanity will suffer huge losses, and may eventually just become extinct. Robots would then realise that there are no other living organisms that can compete with them for control over the planet and would begin to rule the Earth.  Therefore, development of artificial intelligence at an exponential rate could cause robot uprisings and bring about the end of mankind.

Secondly, high level of intelligence in machines would bring rise to ideas about robots taking over human jobs in several large companies.  As obvious as it seems, robots cannot and will not get tired but will have a higher level of intelligence as compared to humans. Due to this, several firms would prefer to have robot labour as compared to human labour.  This will lead to a huge loss of jobs in developed countries where robot manufacturing will be at its peak. According to a Mckinsey report, “In the US alone, 39 to 73 million jobs may be eliminated by 2030” (BBC). Elon Musk, the multi billionaire founder of SpaceX and Tesla says, “What to do about mass unemployment? This is going to be a massive social challenge.  There will be fewer and fewer jobs that a robot cannot do better [than a human]. These are not things that I wish will happen.  These are simply things that I think probably will happen.” As the quotes suggest, superintelligence in robots will allow them to think and work faster, give better business ideas, work more efficiently and make fewer mistakes than humans.  This would, of course, lead to high levels of unemployment and several countries around the globe could go into an economic depression. Firms would thrive while consumers and other public suffered. There would be strikes in several places for increased number of jobs at high salaries.  Nevertheless, these will be grants that firms and governments will not be able to fulfill due to the exponential increase in the number of efficient robot workers. As MIT Technology Review editor Robin Hanson writes, “machines might fit into the social slots that humans had previously occupied.”  According to this quote, robots will not only take over several markets but humans might interact more with robots that real people.  Human to human interactions may decline to great extents due to the massive robot population on the already overpopulated planet.  All in all, development of AI robots to massive extents could result in huge unemployment in several cities, states, or even countries, resulting in mass poverty and eventually economic recession.

Lastly, mankind’s greed towards artificially intelligent robots will lead to their own downfall.  Over the past several centuries, humans have always used powerful substances for very unfriendly causes.  Nuclear power, for instance, has been used more for bombs more than it has been used for electricity. Chemicals have polluted the Earth to an unimaginable extent over the past few decades.  AI seems to be going along the same path. Humanity’s greed for anything has always lead to terrible and horrific scenarios, and our greed towards AI will also do the same. "Governments seem to be engaged in an AI arms race, designing planes and weapons with intelligent technologies," Hawking said in the interview.  As the quote suggests, AI is being used to develop extremely powerful and deadly weapons - weapons which can bring bustling metropolitan cities to mere ash.  In short, we are using AI to destroy ourselves. Humans have learnt to create several powerful weapons over the years, but we have never had control over it. A typical example is atomic bombs.  Due to lack of control over these devastating weapons, several people in Japan met their demise. In short, lack of control over unstable and extremely powerful substances has led to innumerable problems throughout human history.  If we do not learn to control the power of AI, then it may learn to control us. Elon Musk, who also agrees with this point, quoted, “There's a lot of risk in concentration of power. So if AGI [artificial general intelligence] represents an extreme level of power, should that be controlled by a few people at Google with no oversight?”  Artificial intelligence is a very powerful yet deadly weapon. If it is misused, it may lead to the end of the world. In the above quote, Musk has taken Google as an example of a mass AI production company.  If Google, or any company or government, for that matter, were to have several artificially intelligent machines, they would be possessing highly unstable power that could go corrupt at any given point of time.  This could, and most likely will, result in an apocalypse. All in all, humanity’s greed towards extremely advanced AI machinery will lead us to our own destruction.

Some may argue that artificial intelligence will help in solving several of the world’s problems.  This is true. Artificially intelligent cars can help in reducing the number of accidents on roads while other robots may help in reducing the expulsion of too many greenhouse gases.  As helpful as it seems, having control over these machines is equally important. Artificial intelligence may help humans in several ways, but if it is not contained and the robots become too intelligent, it may cause several problems, including the beginning of the apocalypse.  Humanity’s track record involving immense power has not been very positive, which is why many people believe that AI may be used for negative purposes. Extreme development of artificial intelligence may seem very helpful, but at the same time, it can be deadly. It may begin to disobey humans and work by its own accord.  Consequently, if artificial intelligence is not controlled and is over-exploited, it could lead to the collapse of the human race.

The issue involving the extreme use of artificial intelligence is arguable.  The author complies with the fact that AI can help humanity achieve goals it has never been able to get close to.  In the short run, driverless cars may save countless lives and advanced hospitals with AI facilities may help cure deadly diseases.  However, if AI is allowed to evolve to a dangerous extent, then it may rebel against humans themselves and a robot uprising may begin.  Robots may also take away several jobs now dominated by human labour. Lastly, our greed for extremely advanced AI weapons might lead to World War III which will surely destroy all life on Earth.  The human race is entering a dark cloud and if we do not escape from it as soon as possible, it may consume us whole.

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