FIRST SHOT IN ARTILECT WAR FIRED
Zurich Switzerland, 22nd March 2000
Professor Hugo de Garis (Cosmist) Fires the First Shot in a Gigadeath Artilect War at Professor Kevin Warwick (Terran) in Zurich Switzerland, 22nd March 2000.
On the 22nd March 2000, Prof Kevin Warwick and I shot it out in a debate over whether humanity should build artilects this century or not. We were both invited to speak at a Zurich (Switzerland) meeting of some 400 industrialists, AI professors, students etc. We got half an hour each to state our respective cases that humanity should not build artilects (Kevin's position) and that humanity should build them (my position). We then got another half hour to reply to each others points. Even though Kevin is a friend of mine and we enjoy each others company, I pulled no punches with him, because I believed this debate would launch the "artilect war". In fact at the end of my speech I took out a child's cowboy gun that was bought for me (by Alcatel, the organizers of this symposium, and inside Switzerland, otherwise I might have had trouble getting it through the airport check points) and I shot it at Kevin (3 loud bangs) as a symbolic gesture signifying "the first shot in the artilect war". I believe that a gigadeath war is coming later this century over the artilect issue. Interestingly and ironically, Kevin is a Terran (in my terminology, i.e. he believes that artilects should never be built. They are too risky. We could never be sure that they might turn against us once they reach an advanced state of massive intelligence). I on the other hand am a Cosmist (i.e. I think humanity should build these godlike supercreatures with intellectual capacities trillion of trillions of trillions times above our levels. I think it would be a cosmic tragedy if humanity freezes evolution at the puny human level).
You could have billed this debate as the "debate of the century" and not in some cheap Madison Ave style, but literally. Its theme will define and dominate the age. It will dominate global politics this century the way the question "who should own capital" dominated the previous century. I pulled no punches with Kevin. The issues in this debate were way too important to be "nice" to each other. I was passionate, I hit hard, although Kevin decided not to reciprocate with equal force, but just kept smiling (see photo).
A year ago, the two of us were sitting together at a conference in Oregon US, writing a manifesto on this issue for the world media. Just out of curiosity, I asked Kevin whether he was a Terran or a Cosmist. He said he was against the idea of artilects being built (i.e. he is Terran). I was surprised, and felt a shiver go up my spine. That moment reminded me of a biography of Lenin that I had read in my 20s in which the Bolsheviks and the Mensheviks first started debating the future government of Russia. What began as an intellectual difference ended up as a Russian civil war after 1917 between the white and the red Russians. Millions died. The issue of whether the Russian people should be ruled by a Leninist dictatorship or a democratic parliament is trivial in comparison with the question of who or what should be dominant species. The stake is not the welfare of the Russian people but the survival of the human species. The stake is hugely higher, so the passion levels will be hugely higher. I wonder if 20 years from now, Kevin and I will be mortal enemies. Will we be targets for assassination by fanatical Terrans and Cosmists. I truly fear for the future.
I had hoped that the media would be at this event in force. The few journalists who were there told me that they felt that the issues were too new and too fantastical for a conservative mainstream Swiss press. This was a pity, because this event may prove in time to be a historic moment - the first real debate by the leaders of the field, shooting it out, with no holds barred and with considerable passion.
At the time of this debate I was wondering how long it would be before the US had a similar debate. My impression was that Americans are not as much into "isms" as are Europeans (who after all invented most of them - liberalism, parliamentarianism, socialism, communism, fascism, etc). However, the US does have a strong debating team tradition. I hope the Terran/Cosmist intellectual conflict will be debated in hundreds of US institutions across the country in the next few years.
Ironically, a mere week or so later, a debate was held at Stanford University, in the US, with Dr. Ray Kurzweil, Prof. Hans Moravec (the two major AI Prophets in the US) and others on the theme of humanity being overtaken by massively intelligent robots. Ray Kurzweil promised to send me a video of this debate. When these kinds of "coincidences" occur, its usually a sign that such ideas are "in the air". With all the media attention that Kurzweil, Moravec, Warwick and I are generating lately (e.g. see my upcoming Discovery Channel TV documentary, to be aired in June 2000, on the issues of species dominance, brain building, and a probable gigadeath artilect war) these ideas should be mainstream before Xmas 2000.
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(from the program of the 21st Alcatel Symposium, Swissotel, Zurich, Switzerland, March 22)
How "human" will technology be in the 21st Century?"
The human belief in omnipotence is making a comeback. One new technical development follows another - be it in computer or network technology, robotics, artificial intelligence or genetic engineering.
Information and communication systems are the oil in the transmission of the speeding motor of the development of the globalized world.
Technologies grow together; humans and robots do too. World famous scientists want to prove this to us at the 21st Alcatel Symposium and demonstrate to us the opportunities and dangers arising from it. The topics of this symposium of high caliber speakers ranges from high tech fashion to the sound of the 21st Century and the predicted war between the supporters and opponents of artificial intelligent life forms (artilects).
Experience a public premiere; a debate between a "Cosmist" and a "Terran", i.e. between a supporter and an opponent of the creation of highly intelligent, artificial life forms that one day may be able to rule over mankind.
22 March 2000
13:40-14:40
Prof. Dr. Michio KAKU
Professor of Theoretical Physics at the City University of New York.
"Visions - How Science will Revolutionize the 21st Century"
Prof. Kaku interviewed 150 renowned scientists and published his conclusions in the bestseller "Visions - How Science will Revolutionize the 21st Century". His evaluations of our life in the 21st century are monitored worldwide with great interest.
More information: http://www.dorsai.org/~mkaku
15:00-15:30
Prof. Dr. Kevin WARWICK
Professor of Cybernetics at the University of Reading, UK.
"Being a Cyborg - my plan to become one with my computer"
Prof. Warwick can hardly wait until the next silicon chip is implanted into his nervous system, after his first attempt at doing it himself went so well. Together with his wife Irena, who will also take part in the next attempt, he will try to emote his feelings via the Internet without words! His plans to become one with his computer were published in the February issue of the online magazine WIRED.
More information: http://www.cyber.rdg.ac.uk/K.Warwick
16:00-16:30
Prof. Dr. Hugo de GARIS
Chief Scientist, Starlab, Brussels, Belgium.
"Artificial Brains and Species Dominance War"
Prof. de Garis has sleepless nights since he has learned to estimate how much power over humans the artificial brain, which was developed during his seven year research sabbatical in Japan, could have at the end of the 21st Century.
More information: http://foobar.starlab.net/~degaris
http://www.starlab.org
16:55 - 17:30
The Debate of the Century :
"Should Humanity Build Massively Intelligent Machines (Artilects)?"
The issue which will define and dominate global politics in the 21st Century.
Prof. Kevin Warwick (who will say "No") and
Prof. Hugo de Garis (who will say "Yes") as well as the audience.