United States v. AI

Susan Fonseca-Klein, J.D.

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V. The Singularity

“Within thirty years, we will have the technological means to create superhuman intelligence. Shortly after, the human era will be ended.” Vernor Vinge 1993.

The term Singularity was originally coined by Vernor Vinge and today refers to “the technological creation of smarter-than-human intelligence.”[1] The Singularity is believed to be that one moment in time that would change human-kind forever because until now the human brain (biologically evolved) has led all other beings in intelligence. However, that may no longer be the case post-Singularity.

Noted futurist and innovator Ray Kurzweil has described the term Singularity as“a future period during which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will be irreversibly transformed.” The Singularity, as Kurzweil explains is therefore a “transition.”[2] Under this scenario it is understandable that scholars are both excited and worried.

Dr. Douglas Hofstadter, Professor of Cognitive and Computer Science at Indiana University, Bloomington, recently noted: “To any thoughtful person, the singularity idea, even if it seems wild, raises a gigantic, swirling cloud of profound and vital questions about humanity and the powerful technologies it is producing. Given this mysterious and rapidly approaching cloud, there can be no doubt that the time has come for the scientific and technological community to seriously try to figure out what is on humanity's collective horizon. Not to do so would be hugely irresponsible.”[3]

Scholars often use the term Singularity when discussing AI. Understanding of this phenomenon in a scientific context is important if, in turn, we are to analyze the legal impact of AGI.

VI. The Origins of AGI

The creation of greater-than-human level intelligence has sparked debate over how the first AGI will arise. On the one hand, Artificial Intelligence is already here. Dr. Rodney Brooks, Director of MIT Computer Science and AI Laboratory and Chief Technical Officer of IROBOT Corporation, has said: “There’s this stupid myth out there that AI has failed, but AI is everywhere around you every second of the day. People just don't notice it. You've got AI systems in cars, tuning the parameters of the fuel injection systems. When you land in an airplane, your gate gets chosen by an AI scheduling system. … Every time you see a movie with computer–generated characters, they're all little AI characters behaving as a group. Every time you play a video game, you're playing against an AI system.”[4]

As for Artificial General Intelligence, its creation is expected within our lifetime. Ray Kurzweil, author of The Age of Intelligent Machines and The Age of Spiritual Machines, has predicted that by 2029 AGI will be capable of passing the Turing test, “thereby soaring past human intelligence.”[5] Dr. Ben Goertzel, Chair of Artificial General Intelligence Research Institute (AGIRI), has stated that with enough funding AGI could be created in 10 years.

According to Dr. Goertzel, there are two basic approaches that can be taken when creating AGI, “One is to emulate the human brain in computer software, and the other is to create a non-brain-like AI system that achieves intelligence by principles somewhat different from those that the human brain uses.”[6]

The difference between AI and AGI, and how AGI is created, will greatly impact humans’ ability (or inability) to establish legal policy and standards to protect both humans and AI alike. Some scholars question whether human regulation and legal standards, (pre- or post- AGI) will make a difference at all.

When AI first reaches greater than human level intelligence and becomes AGI, will humans be able to stop any harmful actions by the AI? Laws will be irrelevant as AGI will be more powerful, smarter and stronger than its human creators. AGI will, likewise, have the power to decide if and when it conforms to human standards. Unintended consequences of AGI’s original program may find the human architect powerless to stop or change undesired code. Will humans, instead of AGIs, find themselves arguing for their constitutional right to live?
Others, however, dispute the portrayal of horror and doomsday most people envision when thinking about a future world which includes AGI. The future will not resemble the Terminator scenario, but the Star Trek world with “friendly” AIs like DATA or “Sunny.” Some scholars argue that because AGI will surpass human intelligence it will forgo human errors, biases and prejudices and will, in fact, be a benevolent friend to homo-sapiens.

The answer to whether our legal system has time to prepare for AGI may depend on whether AI has a fast or slow take-off, whether emphasis by AI creators is on “friendly AI” programs, and whether humans augment themselves and become Transhuman [7] in time to narrow the gap between biology and silica.

Footnotes

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technologicalsingularity

2. The InstaPundit Interview with Ray Kurzweil (September 2, 2005).

3. Singularity Summit 2007. http://www.singinst.org/summit2007/...

4. Singularity Summit 2007. http://www.singinst.org/summit2007/quotes/rodneybrooks

5. KurzeilAI.net - Singularity Chat with Vernor Vinge and Ray Kurzweil (June 11, 2002).

6. SIAI Interview Series - Ben Goertzel (9/2007)

7. “Transhumanism (sometimes symbolized by >H or H+) is a term often used as a synonym for "human enhancement." Although the first known use of the term "transhumanism" dates from 1957, the contemporary meaning is a product of the 1980s. Transhumanist thinkers postulate that human beings will eventually be transformed into beings with such greatly expanded abilities as to merit the label "posthuman". Transhumanism is therefore sometimes referred to as posthumanism." See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transhumanism

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