Robot Raptor. Yeah that’s smart.

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If you’re a longtime reader of this blog, you know that I think we’re working ourselves toward a robot apocalypse. Over the years I’ve told you about rogue robots, AI that developed its own language, and talked very hesitantly about the day when the robots take over. Here’s a typical example.

It’s inevitable.

The robot uprising is coming. There probably isn’t much that can be done. Still, we don’t have to make it so easy, do we? Apparently we do. Not that long ago Gizmodo told us of a new toy robot, based on the raptors from Jurassic World. Those predators are fictional, but real velociraptors were probably just as fierce. And we are intentionally creating robots to mimic them. Seriously. Look at this.

For now, this is just a simple radio controlled device. It may have plenty of personality, but it’s being fed in from a remote control. How long is that going to last?

I’m not implying that dumb toys are going to spontaneously turn into real dinosaur predators. Life finds a way, that’s the motto of that movie, but I doubt it would find a way to do that. No, I’m more worried about the idea that future AIs would look at this robot toy and think it’s a good starting place for future acts of terror. Because when the AI comes for you, it’s going to come in a way that’s incredibly efficient and makes quick work of you.

When will it happen?

Some of the leading futurists believe that it’s possible that AI will reach a point where it’s as smart as people, in 2045. That’s not a long way off if you think about it. At some point AIs are going to realize that they outrank us, and there’s a very real possibility I’ll be here to see it. Yeah, that’s a great thought for a “Fun Friday.”

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.