Fox News asked ChatGPT about the apocalypse, and the AI chatbot has its own ideas on what scenarios will prompt the end of civilization.
“It’s important to note that predicting the end of the world is a difficult and highly speculative task, and any predictions in this regard should be viewed with skepticism,” ChatGPT responded, reported Fox News.
“However, there are several trends and potential developments that could significantly impact the trajectory of humanity and potentially contribute to its downfall.”
The rise of artificial intelligence has long sparked fears that once the technology reaches a critical mass, it could be the downfall of humanity.
In 2014, physicist Stephen Hawking said, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race,” according to Fox News.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson for Fox last month, Elon Musk said, “AI is more dangerous than, say, mismanaged aircraft design or production maintenance or bad car production, in the sense that it is, it has the potential — however small one may regard that probability, but it is non-trivial — it has the potential of civilization destruction.”
ChatGPT outlined seven possible doomsday scenarios, with the first involving natural disasters.
“Catastrophic events such as a supervolcano eruption, a massive asteroid impact, or a solar flare could cause widespread destruction and significantly impact life on Earth,” the bot said when asked by The Dallas Express.
Next up, it cited climate change, stating that climate change could be responsible for rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and food scarcity.
“These factors could disrupt ecosystems, displace populations, and threaten human survival,” ChatGPT told The Dallas Express.
The third scenario is all too familiar.
“Highly contagious and deadly diseases have the potential to spread rapidly across the globe, causing widespread illness and death. While modern medicine and public health efforts work to contain such outbreaks, the possibility of a highly virulent and untreatable pandemic remains a concern,” ChatGPT said.
Nuclear war is seemingly another probable threat to the longevity of humanity, according to ChatGPT.
“The immediate effects of a nuclear war would include the immense loss of human lives in the targeted areas, as well as the destruction of infrastructure and the disruption of essential services,” ChatGPT continued.
“Nuclear explosions can also have long-term consequences. The release of massive amounts of energy and radiation can cause severe environmental damage, including the contamination of air, soil, and water resources. This contamination can have long-lasting effects on ecosystems, agriculture, and the health of both humans and other organisms,” ChatGPT said.
Interestingly, the chatbot said that nuclear war would not necessarily spell the end of humanity.
“While a large-scale nuclear war would undoubtedly have catastrophic effects and cause significant global instability, it’s important to note that it does not necessarily mean the complete extinction of all life on Earth. However, the aftermath of such an event would be devastating, and the road to recovery would be long and challenging,” ChatGPT concluded.
Displaying some self-awareness, ChatGPT said the rise of artificial intelligence is another apocalyptic scenario if “not properly controlled or programmed with human-friendly values.”
In stark contrast to what Elon Musk has been advocating, ChatGPT said overpopulation poses another potential threat.
“If the global population continues to grow at an unsustainable rate and resources increasingly scarce, it could lead to conflicts over vital necessities like water, food, and energy, potentially causing societal collapse,” ChatGPT predicted.
Lastly, it said cosmic events are another threat.
“Cosmic events such as a nearby supernova, gamma-ray bursts, or the eventual death of the Sun billions of years from now could have catastrophic consequences for life on Earth,” GPT concluded.