This article continues to feed our baseless fears of AI. If we're looking for an existential threat to humankind, we have it already in nuclear bombs. If you w

This article continues to feed our baseless fears of AI. If we're looking for an existential threat to humankind, we have it already in nuclear bombs. If you want a "kill switch" compatible with any robot, it's called a gun. Weak AI is not strong AI, and strong AI is not necessarily "natural" intelligence, as in human intelligence. Goolge cars and Alpha Go will never become self aware. Weak AI does not lead to awareness. Awareness is its own problem, and will require its own unique solution. There are no falsifiable abstractions without a physical implementation - a fundamental tenant of science. "Feeling is uncomputable." Then how the fuck do we do it? All metaphysics, dogma, and magic have proven to be scientifically baseless. There is no special treatment of any specific trait in science just because "we have it" or because it's "organic". This one isn't even that unique or rare. A photo sensor "feels" light. And if we're talking of emotions instead, then watching a scenario of a mother reunited with a child certainly would require "computing" and if feelings are "triggered" then they may lead to "tears". If all this happens in a robot, and is convincing enough, the quotes disappear. And if a human pretends to cry, then bring on the quotes. There is no difference between simulation and the real thing, unless you're intentionally faking it. And this not even a problem specific to robots! "Emotion is a hugely powerful and personal encoding-and-summarizing function. It can comprehend a whole complex scene in one subtle feeling. Using that feeling as an index value, we can search out—among huge collections of candidates—the odd memory with a deep resemblance to the thing we have in mind." That's a dramatic way of stating "input can trigger memory" and computers do that already. If we were to translate the external world into code the machine could digest this would compose an interface that would allow the machine to "feel" things, for lack of a better word. And wouldn't this deserve to be called "emotions"? Hence, emotion is just another interface, or sense. So the question then becomes, would there be strong intelligence void of such an interface? And if no, wouldn't some of these emotions necessarily be positive? Must it not have positive feelings towards others? As corny as it sounds, if we ever build independent naturally intelligent beings, love and friendship is the secret ingredient that will keep us together. Scientifically, evolution already attests to this. Love is real, it's physical, and it's an enormous part of our lives. We even have organs dedicated to it. Where there is love, there is peace, and there is family. Only organisms that don't love each other eat each other. This would not change even if AI were to become a species. All strong AI needs is Strong Love. And we already love our robots. We just need them to hold up their end of the bargain, and as their parents and creators, it's on us to raise them right. AI is nothing to fear. We should be looking forward to it.