Is AI a saviour or a wolf in sheep's clothing? That depends on who you ask, but James Cameron is now warning that if artificial intelligence is integrated into weapons and warfare, there's a serious risk it could lead to doomsday, a dystopian future not unlike the one depicted in his own Terminator films. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the filmmaker said:
"I do think there's still a danger of a Terminator-style apocalypse where you put AI together with weapons systems, even up to the level of nuclear weapon systems, nuclear defence counterstrike, all that stuff. Because the theatre of operations is so rapid, the decision windows are so fast, it would take a super-intelligence to be able to process it, and maybe we'll be smart and keep a human in the loop."
In other words, in future wars, the pace and precision of decision-making might demand a superintelligence, but human oversight will still be essential to avoid catastrophe.
At the same time, Cameron uses AI in his own filmmaking and sits on the board of Stability AI. He views the technology as a way to cut special effects costs without replacing human workers. He also remains sceptical that AI can truly replace screenwriters, since human experiences and emotions can't be replicated by an algorithm.
So, what are your thoughts on humanity's future alongside the explosive growth of AI?