AI-cism, the new bigotry against AI?

The problem with a new technology that everyone is agog about is that you hear one small slip-up about it, and there is a wolf-pack howl demanding that humanity rein in this homicidal/apocalypse-inducing/soul-snuffing/[choose your worst nightmare] new technology.

It happened when the early steam engine accidents occurred. It happened when automobile accidents came after, well, automobiles. It happened when computers appeared, supposedly ready to make all of us redundant - or, enslave us, if that's your kink. Now, it's all things AI that will supposedly end the long run of humanity.

For a few hours after the news of a US Air Force drone killing its operator came out on Friday, there was panic and outrage. 'The Terminator was here.' The Star Wars Attack of the Clones title was retrofitted by smart headline-artisans as 'Attack of the Drones' all ready for print/upload.


Then, the US Air Force responded that, indeed, an operator was 'killed' in a glitch - but in an AI-drone simulation - the death was as real as dying in a Level 4 round of Metal: Hellsinger on your Xbox.

But conspiracy theorists will be conspiracy theorists. And with a bunch of CEOs talking up AI as WMD, AIcists (those who hate AI) will think of the 'death by drone' episode as 'cover-up'. But there will be AI cock-ups soon enough, even fatalities. So, will we shut down cars?