March of the Machines

March of the Machines: The Breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence
Author Kevin Warwick
Subject Artificial intelligence, Robots, Artificial general intelligence
Publisher University of Illinois Press
Publication date
 2004
Pages 320
ISBN 978-0252072239

March of the Machines: Why the New Race of Robots Will Rule the World (1997, hardcover), published in paperback as March of the Machines: The Breakthrough in Artificial Intelligence (2004), is a book by Kevin Warwick. It presents an overview of robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) and then imagines future scenarios. In particular, Warwick finds it likely that AIs will become smart enough to replace humans, and humans may be unable to stop them.

Book outline

Ch. 13: Mankind's Last Stand?

Warwick proposes that because machines will become more intelligent than humans, machine takeover is all but inevitable. The drive to automate is fueled by economic incentives. Even if machines start out without intentions to take over, those that self-modify in a direction toward a "will to survive" are more likely to resist being turned off. Arms races will likely create ever-increasing pressure for greater autonomy by robotic warfare systems, and this pressure would be hard to curtail. Machines have a number of advantages over human minds, including the ability to expand practically without limit and to spread into space where humans can't reach. "All the signs are that we will rapidly become merely an insignificant historical dot" (p. 301).

Reception

John Durant is not convinced that machines look set to replace mankind.[1] Present-day computers "are not threats to us, but rather expressions of our power: we use the machines; they don't use us."[1] Durant cautions against Warwick's apparent anthropomorphism, such as his (perhaps sarcastic) ascription of intentions to Deep Blue.[1] And he wonders why, "If Warwick's thesis about impending world robot-domination is correct", Warwick continues to undertake cybernetic research.[1]

Don Braben begins his review of Warwick's book by noting that "Specialists love to share dire predictions of the future, which stem from limited perspectives."[2]

Medvedev and Aldasheva dispute Warwick's contention that machines will become superior to humans on the grounds that "machines are man-made human organs", i.e., they extend what humans do.[3]:367 Moreover, if machines were to rebel against humans, humans could make use of other machines to combat the rebels.[3]:367 If AIs were created, humans would program them to align with human goals, and while some AIs might go awry, this would not be so different from the situation of human maniacs.[3]:368 All told, they consider Warwick's predictions of robot rebellion "grossly exaggerated".[3]:369

Martin Robbins quotes Warwick's predictions of robot abilities as an example of "Extravagant claims" that "have been damaging the reputation of our soon-to-be robot overlords for decades now".[4]

Luke Muehlhauser cites Warwick's book as one of the first instances where serious discussion of AI's risks to humanity reached a mainstream audience.[5]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Durant, John (25 Apr 1997). "March of the Machines: Why the New Race of Robots Will Rule the World". New Statesman. p. 50.
  2. ↑ Braben, Don (10 May 1997). "Review : Hasta la vista, babies". Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 V. I. Medvedev; A. A. Aldasheva (May–Jun 2000). "Reading March of the machines by K. Warwick (in lieu of a review)". Human Physiology 26 (3): 366–370. doi:10.1007/BF02760201. ISSN 1608-3164.
  4. ↑ Robbins, Martin (11 Feb 2014). "We Must End Our Obsession with Robots that Look like Humans". Vice. Retrieved 24 October 2014.
  5. ↑ Muehlhauser, Luke (21 Mar 2012). "AI Risk and Opportunity: Humanity's Efforts So Far". LessWrong. Retrieved 24 October 2014.