Checklist of worst-case scenarios could help prepare for evil AI

Artificial intelligence – what's the worst that can happen? Working with hacktivist and entrepreneur Federico Pistono, he has come up with a set of worst-case scenarios for a potential malevolent AI, from "enslaving mankind" to "destroying the universe". Yampolskiy argues that anticipating as many negative outcomes as possible – just as cybersecurity researchers do when looking for vulnerabilities – will help us guard against disaster. "The standard framework in AI thinking has always been to propose new safety mechanisms," he says. But looking at the issue with a cybersecurity mindset puts a different spin on things: starting with a list of all the things that could go wrong will make it easier to test any safeguards we may eventually want to put in place.