A robot that can open doors and find electrical outlets to recharge itself. Computer viruses that no one can stop. Predator drones, which, though still controlled remotely by humans, come close to a machine that can kill autonomously.

Impressed and alarmed by advances in artificial intelligence, a group of computer scientists is debating whether there should be limits on research that might lead to loss of human control over computer-based systems that carry a growing share of society’s workload, from waging war to chatting with customers on the phone.

Their concern is that further advances could create profound social disruptions and even have dangerous consequences.

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1. libraryjim wrote: Isn’t that the basis for “Battlestar Galatica”? And “The Matrix” and “Terminator” and many other Sci-Fi storylines? July 26, 6:23 pm | [comment link]

2. Jeffersonian wrote: If they start producing robots that look like Tricia Helfer, I’m not sure this is at all a bad thing. July 26, 7:50 pm | [comment link]

3. Jeff Thimsen wrote: The “universal” remote has already outsmarted me. July 27, 12:25 pm | [comment link]

4. Rich Gabrielson wrote: Jeff, you need one of those smart robots to operate the remote for you July 28, 9:16 pm | [comment link]

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