It would be quite reasonable to conclude that from the title of today’s blog-post, what follows will be critical of those who made this agreement: https://www.computerweekly.com/news/366577639/US-and-UK-agree-AI-safety-collaboration
Quite the contrary in fact!
It just happens to be the case that when history is written, the development of what is known as “AI” (Artificial Intelligence) and presumably “AGI” (Artificial General Intelligence) and then “AGSI” (Artificial General Superintelligence Intelligence).
The above video which runs for just under 15 minutes presents a disturbing prediction.
It is interesting that the agreement was signed on April Fool’s Day – when the mainstream media’s attention was helpfully diverted by the Free Speech Abolition (Scotland) Act (2 [Scot] Cha 3)!
I’ve chosen this particular YouTube video as it broaches a subject that clearly has an “adult content”.
The video postulates a scenario where the man (and this will mostly be something predominately of a male interest) forms a strong emotional relationship with a virtual girlfriend/romantic partner. The nature of any such “intimacies” need not be described here. Clearly however many men will seek to have a physical consummation with their virtual girlfriend/romantic partner. This will of course require an artificial physical body. There are already such devices (https://www.sexysexdoll.com/sexysexdoll-the-1-online-adult-doll-store-in-the-world/) that could be adapted to act as a link to the AI via a 5G network. Doubtless these devices will become more capable as technology progresses. Of course, a highly sophisticated (electro-mechanically) doll that has independent mobility will cost at least as much as the domestic humanoid robots produced by such as Mr Musk’s company. Such devices will cost as much as a car.
A doughty campaigner against sex robots is Kathleen Richardson, the Professor of Ethics and Culture of Robots and AI at De Montfort University in Leicester (https://campaignagainstsexrobots.org/).
With the change of government coming sooner or later this year it is a racing certainty that the incoming Labour administration will legislate along the lines Professor Richardson wishes.
It is widely thought that it was Barbara Castle as Minister of Transport in Wilson’s government that banned drinking and driving (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Castle). However it has been banned much earlier (https://www.drinkdriving.org/drink_driving_information_uklawhistory.php) by the 1925 Criminal Justice Act.
In 1925 it became an offence to be found drunk in charge of ANY mechanically propelled vehicle on any highway or other public place. The maximum penalty for which was a fine not exceeding £50 and/or imprisonment for a period not exceeding 4 months as well as a disqualification from holding a driving licence for a minimum period of 12 months.
We all know that people will still drive to the pub, drink to over the limit and drive afterwards. They did this in 1925 and in a year’s time and a full century later in 2025 they will still be doing it!
Professor Richardson must surely know that when the next Labour government bans the possession of sex robots, it will not stop large numbers of men from travelling to Thailand to meet their virtual romantic partner in a tryst within the curtilage of a brothel in Bangkok or Pattaya Beach!
The problem with this is that the NHS (and by extension, the hard pressed UK taxpayer) will be reliant upon the criminals running these brothels taking the time and the expense of sterilising the internal workings of their robots between customers! Failure to diligently perform this essential task will result in a continuation to Thailand’s unfortunate reputation in being one of the world’s centres for the transmission of STDs!
A sensible approach would be to require those men desirous of conducting themselves in this manner to register with the Sexual Health Centre nearest them and for such activities to be licensed and heavily regulated. But this would require this behaviour to be tolerated and this is something the vast majority of Labour MPs will not be prepared to do.
NB: I do not approve of and am NOT an advocate of sexual encounters between men and machines. It is an acceptance of the FACT that certain men will act in this manner regardless of whether the next Labour government will criminalise such and as a result a number of unfortunate and entirely innocent women will be infected with STDs due to the activities of their philandering male partners.