Cesspool
The Cesspool, or globally-connected collection of virus- or worm-infected, networked computers creates a risk for UnfriendlyAI, which will use them as a ubiquitous, omnibenevolent resource. Computing Power is not the only ExploitableResource, but StorageSpace, software and other information, and likely even sensors and effectors could be available thru any insecure web-facing service.
Think of the cesspool as the collection of already-compromised machines rather than those simply vulnerable; this we can use to estimate the footprint of a hypothetical already-existing-but-Hiding Unfriendly AI; and while it is true that with some expenditure of work, the AI could compromise the others, this footprint tells us the size of the ImmediateThreat (today), if the AI can employ CoercionTactics or SeductionTactics with any of these resources.
comments
- It seems the more general risk is the globally-connected collection of networked computers. Human security isn't so fantastic. -- Nick Hay
- To expand on this: any machine with an Interweb-facing service that can be exploited is vulnerable (as well as any machine that 'trusts' it). Assuming that all hardware/software were perfect, the only thing left would be remote login mechanisms. The solution is to use encryption/hashing/throttling so that it would take till the Heat Death of the Universe to crack it; and assuming everybody does that, the AI would just look for computing power elsewhere. --Josh Yotty
- note this practicality: that computing power is not the only Exploitable Resource, but Storage Space, information, software and likely even sensors and effectors could be available thru any insecure web-facing service. and it's all very nice to say just do this encryption/hashing/throttling and we won't have to worry, but has anyone measured the size of the cesspool as it exists today?
- The size of the Cesspool is the number of computers with internet-facing services. Also, I was referring to the impossibility of securing our Internets against a hostile AI; there's no way in hell you're going to get everybody to do that. And of course we don't have perfect hardware and software. ;) --Josh Yotty
- My computer thinks for me. It tells me what and when to act, or just takes control more appropriately --Kathryn.
