Jonathan, Putin warn on artificial humans, soldiers

Sources: Mailonline; Premium Times
Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Saturday warned Nigerian students to stay away from conducting research into embryonic stem cells, saying the sanctity of humanity must be preserved.
In the same vein, Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, has warned that genetically-modified superhuman soldiers of the future will feel no pain or fear and be more ‘destructive than nuclear bombs.”
At the graduation ceremony of the first set of graduating students at Baze University, Abuja, Mr. Jonathan said scholars can make human activities become more efficient without necessarily altering the essence of man.
“It appears our classrooms have started creating individuals who function like robots, which is not good for humanity,” Mr. Jonathan said. “Training should not be about efficiency and precision alone; it should also be about character and human dignity.”
About 244 students participated at the first convocation ceremony of the university, which was established in 2011 when Mr. Jonathan was president.
The former president said the school had come a long way from the 17 students that were admitted at its opening that year.
While reading from a prepared speech, Mr. Jonathan was lighthearted, yet, serious in urging the younger generation to channel their energy into resolving Nigeria’s multi-faceted challenges.
“The kind and quality of education we offer today will determine how our country will be governed, and how prosperous it will become tomorrow,” Mr. Jonathan said. “This is because as young people, many of you sitting in the classrooms today, will sit in various Government offices and boardrooms tomorrow, to govern our country.”
He warned the students to refrain from scientific endeavours that could put their moral or religious strength into question.
“We are in an age when the talk of artificial intelligence evokes boundless passions, to the extent that our scientists are already tinkering with the idea of modifying human genes to create super humans.
“I honestly believe that as humans we can improve efficiency in the way we conduct our affairs, but I also strongly believe that the classroom must never lose its humanity,” Mr. Jonathan, a zoologist, said.
* Putin was speaking at a youth festival when he made the claims last week
* He said if scientists play with man’s genetic code, killer soldier could be made
* He suggested that world leaders should agree on strict regulation to prevent the creation of mass-killing soldiers
Genetically-modified superhuman soldiers ‘worse than a nuclear bomb’ could soon become a reality, according to Russian President, Vladimir Putin. 
Speaking at a youth festival last week, Putin claimed that an army of trained killers could be created if scientists play with man’s genetic code.
Putin suggested that world leaders should agree on strict regulation to prevent the creation of mass-killing soldiers who feel no pain or fear. 
Putin warned that messing with the genetic code could have serious consequences.
He said: ‘One may imagine that a man can create a man not only theoretically but also practically.
‘He can be a genius mathematician, a brilliant musician or a soldier, a man who can fight without fear, compassion, regret or pain.
‘As you understand, humanity can enter, and most likely it will in the near future, a very difficult and very responsible period of its existence.
‘What I have just described might be worse than a nuclear bomb.’
Putin suggested that world leaders should agree on strict regulation to prevent the creation of mass-killing soldiers. 
Putin was speaking at a youth festival in Sochi, Russia when he warned that messing with the genetic code could have serious consequences.
He said: ‘A man has the opportunity to get into the genetic code created by either nature, or as religious people would say, by the God.
‘All kinds of practical consequences may follow. 
‘One may imagine that a man can create a man not only theoretically but also practically.
‘He can be a genius mathematician, a brilliant musician or a soldier, a man who can fight without fear, compassion, regret or pain.
‘As you understand, humanity can enter, and most likely it will in the near future, a very difficult and very responsible period of its existence.
‘What I have just described might be worse than a nuclear bomb.’
Putin suggested that world leaders should agree on strict regulation to prevent the creation of mass-killing soldiers.
He said: ‘When we do something, whatever we do, I want to reiterate it again – we must never forget about the ethical foundations of our work.’
GOOGLE’S AI ETHICS BOARD 
Google has set up an ethics board to oversee its work in artificial intelligence.
The search giant has several robotics companies, as well as Deep Mind, a British firm creating software that tries to help computers think like humans.
One of its founders warned artificial intelligence is ‘number one risk for this century,’ and believes it could play a part in human extinction.
‘Eventually, I think human extinction will probably occur, and technology will likely play a part in this,’ DeepMind’s Shane Legg said in a recent interview.
Among all forms of technology that could wipe out the human species, he singled out artificial intelligence, or AI, as the ‘number 1 risk for this century.’
The ethics board is to ensure the projects are not abused.
His warning comes just a month after he revealed fears that AI robots will one day ‘eat us.’ 
The Russian president was speaking to Arkady Volozh, chief of internet firm Yandex, during a tour of the company’s Moscow headquarters. 
Volozh was discussing the potential of AI when Putin caused surprise by asking when the technology will ‘eat us’. 
According to state-funded Russian broadcaster RT, the question baffled Volozh. 
He replied: ‘I hope never.’ 
After a pause, he then explained that other machines are ‘better than humans’ in certain areas, giving the example of an excavator being better at digging than a person with a shovel. 
He added: ‘But we don’t get eaten by excavators.’ 
Putin, however, was unimpressed. He interjected, saying simply: ‘They don’t think.’
At the beginning of September, Putin also said that AI is ‘the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind’.
But he also said that alongside its ‘colossal opportunities’ are ‘threats that are difficult to predict’. 
He added: ‘Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.’
The president also promised to share any ‘know-how’ that Russia acquires in the field to avoid conflict over the technology. 
Elon Musk calls for regulation of AI before ‘it’s too late’