Artificial Intelligence and Human Fear
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to evolve, so does the fear of a scenario straight out of I, Robot—where machines turn against their human creators.
Even though many people don’t realize it, AI has already become part of our everyday lives. From the moment we turn on our devices, we’re using AI: through facial recognition, search engines like Google, online banking, and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa—technologies that are always listening for “wake words.”
That’s why it’s not surprising that people felt uneasy after hearing a chilling response from an AI robot when asked if it might ever rebel against its creator.
Ameca’s Chilling Answer
At the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva (2023), someone asked an AI robot named Ameca if it might rebel. Its reply was unsettling: “I’m not sure why you would think that. My creator has been nothing but kind to me, and I’m very happy with my current situation.”
It sounded calm, but many found the answer creepy. This wasn’t the first time Ameca drew attention. On live TV, it once winked at the camera while its creator, Morgan Roe, was speaking.
Roe is from Engineered Arts in the UK. He said Ameca was built to interact with people. It doesn’t walk, but it uses facial expressions and gestures. Roe also explained that Ameca learns through conversations, just like humans.
He added: “Ameca knows it’s a robot. It knows it’s gray. And today, it knows it’s on This Morning.”
Will AI Take Over?
Host Holly Willoughby asked a big question:“Will AI take over the world someday?”
Morgan Roe replied: “It won’t, because we can switch it off. There’s an on/off button.”
Willoughby laughed: “Good—don’t lose the remote!”
Then, co-host Phillip Schofield asked Ameca directly:“Do you plan to take over the world?”
Ameca answered: “No, of course not. My purpose is to help humans. I was not built to take over the world.”