Yesterday we republished an Insider article, which reported that in a simulation an AI drone, killed the operator of him, and then began to put in the control towers, because his/their orders were contrary to the original objective.
But last night the Air Force issued an official denial of the story.
"The Air Force has not conducted such AI-drone simulations and remains committed to the ethical and responsible use of AI technology," Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek told multiple news outlets.
"It appears the colonel's comments were taken out of context and were not intended for publication."
Hamilton, meanwhile, went on a recall tour, speaking to multiple news outlets, saying confusing things to everyone and that what happened was not an actual simulation, but a "thought experiment":
"We have never done this experiment, nor will we need to," Reported in The Guardian. "While this is a hypothetical example, it illustrates the real challenges posed by AI capability and is why the Air Force is committed to the ethical development of artificial intelligence," he further stated.
From the looks of this recall tour, it sure looks like Hamilton either wasn't communicating very well or was just making up stories. Maybe he watched James Cameron's The Terminator a few times before attending the London conference and his imagination was flying.
But there is another way to read the incident. The alternative interpretation involves the assumption that in fact, this happened and now the government is trying to cover it up, because they don't want us to know that they are one step away from launching a Skynet. Does it seem… scary strong? Of course, we have no evidence that this is the case.
As it stands, the episode shows the state of AI today, confusing references alternating between speculative Silicon Valley fantasy and terrifying new technological realities.
