Thesis: We should broadcast a warning to potential extraterrestrial listeners that Earth might soon spawn an unfriendly computer superintelligence. Sending the message might benefit humanity.

If we were to create an unaligned computer superintelligence, it would likely expand through the universe as quickly as possible. The fastest way would not be by ships, but, as Turchin has described, by sending malicious signals intended for alien civilizations using radio telescopes. Ideally, from the AI's point of view, the signal would be a virus that allows a full download of Earth's AI, which would then take over the receiving civilization.

While we still control our radio transmitters, we could send a warning to any alien civilizations that might be listening. The message would explain that Earth may soon undergo a major transition as we develop advanced artificial intelligence, and that some future communications from Earth could be dangerous, and a misaligned superintelligence could send signals containing instructions or code that, if followed, would replicate it and destroy the receiving civilization. The warning should therefore advise aliens never to execute, compile, or build anything based on messages originating from Earth until they have somehow verified that Earth is not controlled by a [...]

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First published:

November 12th, 2025

Source:

https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/AH4pFd3Sgt6qaoH6h/warning-aliens-about-the-dangerous-ai-we-might-create

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.