Welcoming our Wiggly AI Innovations: The Emergence of Artificial Intelligent Worms!

“Here Come the AI Worms”

“In the science-fictional Star Trek universe, there are numerous examples of artificial intelligence and non-biological life forms, from the malevolent ‘Landru’ in the Original Series, to the beloved ‘Data’ in The Next Generation. There’s also the ‘Doctor,’ an artificial intelligence that becomes a fully sentient holograph in Voyager. But one form of AI that hasn’t gotten much play in Trek lore is that of AI-powered bacteria.”

Rest assured, the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) taking over the world isn’t purely science fiction nonsense anymore; it seems to be inching closer to reality than most people would arguably find comfortable. Just think about AI worms! Sounds pleasantly delightful, or maybe not.

Unlike the usual versions of AI, the likes of which grace hit sci-fi series like Star Trek, AI has taken a new and arguably more sinister turn. Don’t be mistaken, we’re not discussing a malevolent entity bent on world domination. Instead, we’re exploring a fascinating (and slightly unnerving) field of AI-powered bacteria, acting more like collective organisms rather than solitary ones.

These aren’t your usual ‘divide and conquer’ worms. Oh no, these are far more advanced! Picture worm-like robots, like writhing electronic noodles with a sense of unity that’s eerily reminiscent of ants at a picnic. They can bond physically, form shapes, move in unison, and separate when their job is done. Rather anticlimactic, isn’t that? Having a whack at a game of “guess the depiction,” your best bet would probably be the cult sci-fi film, Transformers.

These AI worms, however, aren’t driven by nefarious intentions or primed for world domination. Instead, their main goal is slightly more mundane but equally impressive: solving computational problems. With the ability to connect and disconnect on a whim, they remake themselves into an assortment of geometric shapes to tackle complex tasks. Quite the team players, aren’t they?

In all probability, you may never come across these computationally dexterous worms, and in all honesty, you probably wouldn’t want to. But wouldn’t it be a thrill to simply know they exist? To marvel at the magnificence of their capabilities, their promise, the pure, incomprehensible genius of it all… that is, just as long as they don’t start musing about world domination!

So, as we gallop headfirst into a future fraught with AI worms and their nimble capabilities, we’ll continue to do what we do best; celebrate advances in technological innovation and continue wondering what’s next.

Read the original article here: https://www.wired.com/story/here-come-the-ai-worms/