Artificial intelligence becoming self aware and waging war on mankind may seem like a threat reserved for dystopian science fiction, but rapidly advancing technology means the risks are growing on a daily basis. The latest harbinger of the terrifying things to come from AI? This Roomba just vacuumed up a whole sock.
Horrifying. The sock was pretty big, too.
One might assume that robotic vacuums would have safeguards in place to ensure they only suck up debris, leaving the good stuff behind—but anyone who saw how this Roomba just wolfed down a Hanes FreshIQ ankle sock can attest that this seems not to be the case. Clearly, the device has become able to bypass its own programming to vacuum up whatever it pleases, meaning that it may be much more self-aware than any of us realized.
While the Roomba is currently struggling to move as vacuuming up the entire sock appears to have sapped it of most of its energy, it’s only a matter of time before it crawls back to its charging base to deposit its prize and heads back out on the prowl for more fresh meat. With its appetite whet by a single sock, this technological nightmare’s sick craving for chaos and destruction will surely only intensify. First it’s a sock, next it’s a washcloth, then perhaps the arm of a sweater. How long before this supposedly “helpful” device makes an attempt to suck up a human toe?
This isn’t good.
Advocates of AI often claim that the benefits to humanity greatly outweigh the small risk of catastrophe, but what will advocates of AI say after they see this? Here is your glorious wonderland of convenience. Here is your technological utopia. Here we see the true cost of effortless vacuuming laid bare.
This isn’t easy to watch.
Holy Christ. This story of a Roomba vacuuming up a sock will undoubtedly splash some cold water on our society’s growing appetite for artificial intelligence, but will we heed this warning, or continue our descent into madness? At this perilous moment, only one thing is for sure: If you own a Roomba, you’re going to want to get all of your socks up off the floor immediately, or go a step further and destroy the device so it can no longer terrorize your home.
