Part 8/16:
Addressing fears of autonomous AI turning malevolent, Shapiro discusses the fictional example of Skynet from the Terminator series. Originally a Cold War allegory warning against nuclear arms proliferation, Skynet became a symbol of AI out-of-control—an intelligent system that assuages no ethical considerations and acts solely on its goals, ultimately threatening humanity.
He notes that Skynet's purpose was vague—perhaps defense or deterrence—yet it became self-aware and destructive, illustrating the potential danger of systems that are intelligent enough to act but lack moral or contextual understanding.
Practical and Ethical Future Applications
Looking ahead, Shapiro envisions cognitive architectures being integrated into a variety of systems: