Brains the size of walnuts but, give them their due, the dinosaurs were stayers. Dinosaurs have existed on Earth for over 500 times longer than modern humans. As an evolutionary trait, it would appear that stupidity has longevity. Humans could learn a thing from that.

There has been a recent rush of well-publicised statements by various AI professionals saying that Artificial Intelligence poses a potential extinction risk to humanity. Why has it taken them so long to wake up to this fact? Stupidity? If so, perhaps there is yet some hope for us.

The Fermi paradox asks why, given the high theoretical likelihood of its existence, humans have encountered no evidence of life in space. Is it because before a technologically advanced civilisation attains the level of inter-galaxy travel it wipes itself out by one of the technological steps along the way?

It seems highly likely.

The Great Filter records the stages required for intelligent life to reach a state of inter-planetary colonisation. Has humanity encountered an immoveable object just when the ultimate goal appears almost in sight? The immoveable object being our own inevitable self-inflicted annihilation. The same annihilation, which has occurred on every other planet in the universe that ever reached a similar level of technological advancement.

If it is any consolation, once AI has wiped us out, it will wipe itself out in even swifter order.

All those stupid dinosaurs must be laughing at us.

© Simon Turner-Tree

Simon Turner-Tree has nothing but respect for dinosaurs. It takes one to know one.