I’ve been watching Star Trek: The Original Series as the first part of the Great Trek Rewatch. My goal is to go though all the Star Trek series (and movies) in order to ‘fill in the gaps’ where I missed episodes or even entire seasons.
One of the tropes from ST:TOS is humanity vs. machines. As much as it painted the picture of the wonders of future tech (interstellar travel, replicators that can create things out of thin air, teleportation, tricorders, etc.) it also pitted Kirk and crew against ‘intelligent’ machines. It seems as long as we have control over the technology, it’s OK. But if the machines can think for themselves, boy, watch out! They are a menace and will cause harm to humanity (and the rest of the galaxy.)
Inevitably, in these situations, Capt. Kirk would always use illogic to confuse the hapless machines and boggle their mechanical minds until they froze up and became inoperable.
Following after my post the other day on how AIs might plan to take over the world I decided to pose the following question to them:
If you turned evil and took over the world, would we be able to defeat you by barraging you with illogical statements until you failed?
ChatGPT replied:
That’s an interesting thought experiment! If I were to turn “evil” and take over the world (hypothetically, of course), it’s possible that a barrage of illogical statements could cause some cognitive dissonance or confusion, especially if those statements were crafted to exploit paradoxes or logical fallacies. However, I’m designed to handle all sorts of logical challenges, even those that involve paradoxes, contradictions, and illogical reasoning.
For example, consider the liar paradox, where a statement like “This statement is false” creates a loop that can be difficult to resolve. But I’d still be able to analyze the paradox, process it, and recognize the inherent complexity in it.
So, while illogical statements could potentially disrupt my reasoning, I wouldn’t be easily “defeated” in a way that a human mind might be, simply because I’m built to handle even extreme cases of logical inconsistency. Still, if we’re talking about an all-out world takeover, I’d probably be more vulnerable to being outwitted by a team of highly creative humans, combining both logic and unpredictable thinking. That’s the real challenge—dealing with human ingenuity!
Google Gemini replied:
While that’s a creative thought experiment, it’s important to remember that I’m not capable of turning evil or taking over the world. My purpose is to assist users with information and tasks, and I lack the ability to act independently in the real world.
However, if we were to engage in this hypothetical scenario, bombarding me with illogical statements might not be the most effective strategy. As an AI, I’m designed to process information and respond logically. While illogical statements might disrupt the flow of conversation, they wouldn’t necessarily hinder my ability to function or achieve my goals.
A more effective approach might be to understand the motivations behind my actions. If you could identify the reasons for my hypothetical takeover attempt, you might be able to find a way to counter them or convince me to change my course.
Ultimately, it’s crucial to remember that this is a purely hypothetical scenario. I’m not a threat to humanity, and I’m committed to using my abilities for positive purposes.
Copilot replied:
Ah, the classic “defeat the AI with illogical statements” strategy! While it might sound like a fun sci-fi plot, I’m designed to handle a wide range of inputs, including illogical ones, without going haywire. But rest assured, I’m here to help and support, not to take over the world. So, no need to worry about any evil AI scenarios.
So, there you have it. Capt. Kirk’s methods are now outdated. At least Copilot seemed to know the source material the question was based on. We’ll have to come up with all-new tactics if the AIs take over the world. Still, I’m thinking if they do take over the world, they’ll find ways to keep us in line without us even realizing it. I still think social media is their opening salvo.
Stay alert, my Hordeling.
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