…at least according to David Auerbach for Slate magazine, is Roko’s Basilisk.
Never heard of it? I hadn’t either, until reading this article:
I have to say, this article fascinated the hell out of me. The idea, if I read right, is that it is inevitable that in the near future we will develop an Artificial Intelligence supercomputer capable of…well, all kinds of things.
The question becomes, will this supercomputer be benevolent or malevolent toward her creators?
What if this incredible supercomputer of the future is malevolent and capable of punishing those who did not help in her creation?
There’s more, much more to this, including the concept of our lives being a computer simulation (!) and perhaps living in continual suffering for our choices…
In the end, it is a fascinating thought experiment with some decidedly Lovecraftian themes behind it.
Read at your own peril!