Expert: To avoid doom, humanity must build a prison for dangerous artificial intelligence

One starting solution might trap the AI inside a “virtual machine” running inside a computer’s typical operating system — an existing process that adds security by limiting the AI’s access to its host computer’s software and hardware. That stops a smart AI from doing things such as sending hidden Morse code messages to human sympathizers by manipulating a computer’s cooling fans.

Putting the AI on a computer without Internet access would also prevent any “Skynet” program from taking over the world’s defense grids in the style of the “Terminator” films. If all else fails, researchers could always slow down the AI’s “thinking” by throttling back computer processing speeds, regularly hit the “reset” button or shut down the computer’s power supply to keep an AI in check.

Such security measures treat the AI as an especially smart and dangerous computer virus or malware program, but without the sure knowledge that any of the steps would really work.

“The Catch-22 is that until we have fully developed superintelligent AI we can’t fully test our ideas, but in order to safely develop such AI we need to have working security measures,” Yampolskiy told InnovationNewsDaily.