10 terrifying uses of artificial intelligence

1. Robots predicting the future
Nautilus is a supercomputer that can predict the future based on news articles. It is a self-learning supercomputer that was given information from millions of articles, dating back to the 1940s. It was able to locate Osama Bin Laden within 200km. 

2. Robot soldiers

One of the scariest potential uses of AI and robotics is the development of a robot soldier. Although many have moved to ban the use of so-called "killer robots," the fact that the technology could potentially power those types of robots soon is upsetting, to say the least.

3. Schizophrenic robot

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and Yale University used a neural network called DISCERN to teach the system certain stories. To simulate an excess of dopamine and a process called hyperlearning, they told the system to not forget as many details. The results were that the system displayed schizophrenic-like symptoms and began inserting itself into the stories. It even claimed responsibility for a terrorist bombing in one of the stories.

4. Economic meltdown

It's no secret that robots and algorithms control many of the major financial and governmental systems around the world, such as trading on Wall Street. But, according to Roman Yampolskiy, the head of the Cybersecurity Lab at the University of Louisville, flaws in those systems could have disastrous consequences.

5. Robots that deceive

In many cases, robots and AI systems seem inherently trustworthy—why would they have any reason to lie to or deceive others? Well, what if they were trained to do just that? Researchers at Georgia Tech have used the actions of squirrels and birds to teach robots how to hide from and deceive one another. The military has reportedly shown interest in the technology.

6. Robot lovers

Among the many ethical concerns posed by robots and the AI systems that power them is the idea that humans could love, or at least copulate with, a robot companion. Companies are already trying to make "sex robots" a reality, and opponents are campaigning against it fervently.

7. Survival robots

In an experiment conducted by the scientists of Intelligent Systems in Switzerland, robots were made to compete for a food source in a single area. The robots could communicate by emitting light and, after they found the food source, they began turning their lights off or using them to steer competitors away from the food source.

8. Police using AI algorithms to predict crimes

Police in certain cities around the US are experimenting with an AI algorithm that predicts which citizens are most likely to commit a crime in the future. Hitachi announced a similar system back in 2015. Maybe the film Minority Report wasn't completely off base in its representation of the future

9. AI-based medical treatment

One of the biggest industries that AI could potentially benefit is healthcare. AI is already in use in many fields of medicine, even helping doctors decide on treatment. But, what if that AI system misses a critical aspect of your medical history or makes the wrong recommendation?

10. Autonomous drones and weapons

There has been much controversy around the use of drones from a civilian sense, but even more so around military use of drones. However, the scary issue isn't that people are piloting these services, but that they can pilot themselves. The US Navy has even given ground transport vehicles the ability to "autonomously identify a target" before carrying out a mission. Think about if a machine decided who is a friend and who is an enemy.