With the latest Terminator movie out (Terminator Salvation), we are reminded of a classic sci-fi scenario – that machines could one day become so intelligent that they become self-aware and try to take over the world. As far-fetched as this may sound, I do think there is some reality to this possibility. From a cognitive science perspective, as we understand more about biological intelligence, we come closer to the possibility of building our own “intelligent” machines.
In addition to the “intelligent machines becoming self-aware” scenario however, there is another related scenario. As technology improves, and our understanding of cognition (both natural and artificial) increases, it may become possible to create relatively “dumb” machines which could go out into the “real world” and cause problems. Such machines could be “insect-like” in that they might not have any kind of higher “intelligence”, and yet still able to get around quite well in the world.
The type of people who write computer viruses could then potentially escape the confines of existing computers and computer networks, and build self-contained, embodied “virus” machines that could survive out in the “real world”. Such viruses could, say, take pictures or recordings, be physically destructive (as some computer viruses are), or even potentially create copies of themselves. Not the happiest thought, but not out of the realm of possibility if technology continues to improve at its current pace.
Follow on Twitter
Visit on Facebook
Subscribe to RSS Feed
I have long wondered how long it will take to endow computer viruses with the ability to self modify in meaningful ways. However, like organic viruses, they will be bounded by evolutionary principles, only able to change given their coded possibility (mirroring epigentics) or through random errors. As such, they really probably would not become too dangerous as the core, the destructive bit, would probably remain fairly constant as once they lose that core bit, they become unable to function within computers.
What it sounds more like to me would be like the replicators in stargate sg1 and stargate atlantis, very nasty little things.
Hi Chris, interesting points. A few thoughts:
1) I agree that in most current cases computer viruses are fundamentally “only able to change given their coded possibility or through random errors”. However, couldn’t their “coded possibility” eventually include the possibility of radically changing their “genetic structure” based on sophisticated models gained through learning? Similarly to how humans are on the brink of being able to radically alter their genetic makeup directly, outside of the normal parent-child-genetic mutation mechanism. My point wasn’t so much about computer viruses but about “embodied viruses” outside of computers, but I think your point applies either way.
2) It seems like viruses (or “replicators”, etc.) could potentially be pretty destructive even if they didn’t have much ability to evolve?