AI - The catalyst for the next Great Depression?

[Gaidin]

At my school in the AI class I took, the official stance is that anything that was previously took a human mind to do but can be automated is considered AI.

The problem with defining it in other ways is that an AI in essence is an algorithm (a way of solving a problem), thus far it is always programmatically constructed and in the foreseeable future will always be programmatically constructed whether reliant on self-maintainable and updating code or otherwise.

Artificial Intelligence as defined by the modern field of study is a hilariously different concept than what this thread is fearing.

[Cyclops]

Sufficiently complex computers will I think be capable of behaviour indistinguishable from Human intelligence. As an agnostic materialist I cannot imagine intelligence is the result of having a soul, so the only thing preventing machine sentience is human technical incapability.

I think we will have fully automated economies before we get to AI, and the people who own the robots will (after overcoming some qualms) eliminate most humans. Maybe Bill Gates 3.7 will keep a little reserve for wild humans on Hawaii?

I'm guessing the remnant humans will build in obedience to the AI they create, no point in committing suicide now is there?

[Himster]

What about biological engineering something with intelligence: that'd be AI too, right?

[Ἀπολλόδοτος Α΄ ὁ Σωτήρ]

It would be artificial, but also organic, AI is usually associated with inorganic machines.

[Harith]

What about biological engineering something with intelligence: that'd be AI too, right?

Depends on what you mean by that. We can already engineer/ reassemble organic structures and proteins to function.

Also, there's elementary research going into symbiotic AI, that is we somehow integrate automation and robotics with ourselves. It's very elementary and basic, mostly stemming from lab experiments with optogenetics (using light to control behavior).

Spoiler for Click for Cool Image :): 

[Magister Militum Flavius Aetius]

In other words, the government is funding research into mind control.

[Harith]

In other words, the government is funding research into mind control.

JA!

I do, however, have to disclose that the overwhelming majority of funding, at least to my knowledge, comes from the National Health Institute and is for therapeutic purposes (cancer mostly). However, it CAN pave the way for AI integration especially since many Bioinformatic specialists (folks who are trained in multiple scientific disciplines and computer science) work on these projects.

In fact, Facebook has recently disclosed that they are working on translating brain impulses to text using DARPA funds (Defense Department). Although this was not news to me, since many tech companies have several employees with top security clearance embedded with different government departments, it is definitely more troubling.....

Either way, we are not prepared for the next economic revolution. AI and automation trumps anything a human can do. Most financial services use algorithms to invest or at the very least assist in investing and has caused massive lay offs as a result of automation (digital banking, especially mobile) and AI (BMO, Toronto Dominion, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley).

This is not to mention that the US military uses algorithms to determine civilian causality (minute 8:07, Allan Narin) whenever they conduct any military operation.