Earlier in the life of the survival forum, there were a series of "situation x: scenarios, wherein thread originators imagined various threats to
civilization, and everyone would reply to them. We ran the gamut of pandemics, earthquakes, comet strikes, zombies, and even infestations of
fire-breathing dragons(!). In that spirit, let us consider "MAGI" a malevolent artificial global intelligence, that breaks free of the computer lab
in which it was created, and which takes up life on the internets.
Something like HAL 9000 from Arthur C. Clarke's
2001: A Space Odyssey, but with internet access.
First of all, what would an intellect like that do, once it decided that humans were the only threat to its existence, and that it chooses to unplug
humans before we unplug it?
I could imagine the AI deciding the control us first, instead of trying to exterminate all seven billion of us.
-The AI might take over all computer-managed financial markets and banking decisions, "for the sake of humanity"
-It might automate all air traffic controls, as well as ocean-going traffic; and perhaps even the traffic signals at every intersection.
-If the AI decided to kill us, it might try to produce a poisonous gas to suffocate us.
-The AI might shut down most of our civilization, as a way of slowing us down. Say, stopping all oil production by shutting off all radio controlled
valve networks on every pipeline and tanker. If we were stuck in the dark ages, we'd be powerless.
-It might decide to launch all nukes from every nuclear power, knowing that every nation has a supercomputer buried in an underground bunker
somewhere. The AI could live on in the military computer, fed by its literal army of worker-drones who tend the mainframe and do the AI's bidding.
How would you protect yourself and your people from this threat?
Have fun.
edit on 3-9-2014 by tovenar because: punctuation saves lives