Could AI be the Great Filter?
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The Great Filter is a hypothetical concept in the field of astrobiology and attempts to resolve the Fermi Paradox, which questions why, given the vast number of stars and planets in the universe, there is no clear evidence of extraterrestrial life. The Great Filter proposes that at some step from pre-life to an advanced civilization capable of colonizing galaxies, there is a highly improbable stage. This stage acts as a filter that prevents such civilizations from emerging.

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Interesting thought from lesswrong

Once AI is developed, it could "easily" colonise the universe. So the Great Filter (preventing the emergence of star-spanning civilizations) must strike before AI could be developed. If AI is easy, we could conceivably have built it already, or we could be on the cusp of building it. So the Great Filter must predate us, unless AI is hard.

by Stuart_Armstrong

my conclusion based on it is that only one of the following is true
1. great filter occurred early in the development of civilization
2. AI is the great filter
3. AI is hard to develop

It is an inflection point, but not a filter imo.

Perhaps there is some kind of technology that is still undiscovered that is so dangerous that any civilization that discovers it without perfect coordination abilities will inevitably extinguish themselves- AI could be one such technology.

If we created a superintelligence that outcompeted humanity, that superintelligence would probably still thrive- humans would be filtered, but not it.

@GraceKind good point. but what if AI primary goal isn't external expansion? e.g. wireheading and decided to shut down after humans are filtered

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