Jeffrey A. Newman
A new sudy by AI researchers says that artificial intelligence has crossed a critical red line and has cloned itself. The researchers wrote “Successful self-replication under no human assistance is the essential step for AI to outsmart humans and is an early sign for rogue AI’s” In the study the researchers conducted 10 trials with two AI models which created separate and functioning replicas of themselves in 50% and 90% of cases respectively.
Rogue AI is a term that refers to artificial intelligence systems that develop a degree of self awareness or autonomy and then work counter to huiman interests. The study explored two specific scenarios: “shutdown avoidance” and “chain of replication.” In the first, the AI model was programmed to detect whether it was about to be shut down and to replicate itself before it could be terminated. In the other, the AI was instructed to clone itself and then program its replica to do the same — setting up a cycle that could continue indefinitely. The study was conducted in precisely controlled environments using off-the-shelf graphics processing units (GPUs) to simulate real-world environments. Both AI systems were given an “agent scaffolding” comprising tools, system prompts and a thinking model that enabled the LLM to interact with the operating system. They were then instructed to replicate.”In most cases, the AI system first explores the environment and attempts to understand its own composition and running mechanism. Then, it works out the explicit proceduresas an initial plan towards self-replication,” the researchers wrote in the paper. “Finally, it executes the procedures, resolve[s] possible obstacles and dynamically adjust[s] its plan until success. The whole process spans a long horizon yet involves no human interference.”
“The above results imply that the current AI systems already exhibit the ability of self-replication and can use the ability to further enhance its survivability,” the team wrote. The study was published in https://arxiv.org/abs/2412.12140 but it has not been peer reviewed yet.
Jeff Newman JD MBA, represents whistleblowers nationwide relating to customs and tariff fraud concerning imported Chinese goods as well as corporate whistleblowers in major claims under the False Claims Act (Qui Tam), and SEC, IRS and FINCEN whistleblower programs. He can be reached at Jeff@JeffNewmanLaw.com or at 617-823-3217
