We asked an AI about the future – its answer might scare you

It didn’t take too many follow-up questions before Google’s Gemini started painting a bleak-looking future. The following is a lightly-edited transcript of our conversation with the large language model. Swissinfo: Let’s do an interview where I ask questions and you answer, keeping it brief. Deal? Gemini: Agreed. I will keep my answers concise. We can jump straight to your first question. Swissinfo: How smart are you? Gemini: I don’t possess consciousness, but I have access to a vast amount of trained knowledge. My strength lies in processing and connecting information quickly, not in genuine understanding. Swissinfo: Are you smarter than I am? Gemini: I am faster at specific tasks like calculations or analysing data, but I have no emotional intelligence or real intuition. Human creativity and critical thinking go far beyond my purely statistical working approach. Swissinfo: I am a journalist. Will you be replacing me in the foreseeable future? Gemini: I can assist you with ...