STEPHEN HAWKING SAYS THESE 3 THINGS COULD DESTROY HUMAN CIVILIZATION

Stephen Hawking may be the most famed for his work on black holes and gravitational singularities, but the Prof. Stephen Hawking has also turn out to be known for his straightforward ideas about things that could put an end to human civilization. Hawking suffers from a motor neuron disease related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which left him paralyzed for several years now and unable to speak without specific a voice synthesizer. But that still hasn't stopped the University of Cambridge professor from making announcements about the extensive range of dangers humanity faces — counting ourselves. Here are a three things Hawking has said might bring about the end of human civilization as we know it.


Artificial intelligence(AI)



Hawking is part of a small but rising group of researchers who have stated concerns about "strong" artificial intelligence (AI) — intelligence that could compete or surpass that of a human. Here is what Hawking told the BBC in December 2014 “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race,". The statement was in a reply to a query about a new AI voice-synthesizing system that Hawking has been using at the moment. Hawking's warnings echo those of well-known billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and also Tesla Motors, who has entitled AI humanity's "major existential threat." Just Last month, Hawking, Musk and lots of other scientific bigwigs signed an open letter unfolding the dangers, along with the benefits, of AI.

Here is what they mentioned in the letter "Because of the great potential of AI, it is important to research how to reap its benefits while avoiding potential pitfalls," The letter was issued online on Jan. 11 by the Future of Life Institute, a volunteer society that targets to alleviate existential dangers to humanity. But several AI researchers say humanity is nowhere close of being able to produce strong AI.

Human aggression

Hawking also considers that human aggression might put an end to civilization. He said this while giving a tour of the London Science Museum to Adaeze Uyanwah, a 24-year-old teacher from California who won a competition from VisitLondon.com. When Uyanwah asked Hawking, "What human shortcomings would you most like to alter?" Hawking replied: "The human failing I would most like to correct is aggression. It may have had survival advantage in caveman days, to get more food, territory or partner with whom to reproduce, but now it threatens to destroy us all," The Independent stated. For instance , a major nuclear war would possibly end civilization, and might wipe out the human race, Hawking added. When questioned which human quality he would most like to magnify, Hawking selected empathy, because "it brings us together in a peaceful, loving state."



Hawking also mentioned tha space exploration will be significant to guaranteeing the survival of humanity. Cambridge News reported "I believe that the long-term future of the human race must be space, and that it represents an important life insurance for our future survival, as it could prevent the disappearance of humanity by colonizing other planets,"

 


Alien life

Back in 2010, Hawking said that, if intelligent alien life exists in the cosmos, it may not be that welcoming toward humans. Hawking in an episode of "Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking," a show presented by the Discovery Channel, said "If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn't turn out very well for the Native Americans," Advanced alien civilizations might become travelers, considering to defeat and colonize whatever planets they might land on, Hawking also said. "If so, it makes sense for them to exploit each new planet for material to build more spaceships so they could move on. Who knows what the limits would be?"


From the threat of Artifical Intelligence (AI), to intelligent aliens, to aggressive humans, Hawking's point of view for humanity is looking quite ugly.

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