Facebook was forced to halt an artificial intelligence engine after developers discovered that the AI had begun communication in its own unique language that humans couldn’t understand.
Researchers at the Facebook AI Research Lab (FAIR) found that the chatbots had begun using a new language developed without human input. It is as concerning as it is amazing – simultaneously a glimpse of both the awesome and horrifying potential of AI.
Interpretations of the story have varied, with some sources claiming it was merely a case of the two robots developing a shorthand version of communication, with others suggesting that it signifies something more sinister.
Facebook had been experimenting with bots that negotiated with each other over the ownership of virtual items.
It was an attempt to understand how linguistics played a role in the way such discussions played out for negotiating parties. The bots were programmed to experiment with language in order to see how that affected their dominance in the discussion.
The BBC reports that in some cases, the exchanges had become seemingly nonsensical:
Bob: “I can can I I everything else”
Alice: “Balls have zero to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to me to”
Although some reports insinuate that the bots had invented a new language at this stage in order to elude their human masters, an another explanation is that the neural networks had modified human language for the purposes of more efficient interaction.
Scientists and tech luminaries, including Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Steve Wozniak have warned that AI could lead to tragic unforeseen consequences. Stephen Hawking warned in 2014 that AI could signal the end of the human race. “It would take off on its own and re-design itself at an ever increasing rate,” he said. “Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, couldn’t compete, and would be superseded.”
