Re: Skynet is Here: AI is Now Self-Replicating

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/tech/ai-can-now-replicate-itself-a-milestone-that-has-experts-terrified

Scientists say artificial intelligence (AI) has crossed a critical "red line"
and has replicated itself. In a new study, researchers from China showed that
two popular large language models (LLMs) could clone themselves.

"Successful self-replication under no human assistance is the essential step
for AI to outsmart [humans], and is an early signal for rogue AIs," the
researchers wrote in the study, published Dec. 9, 2024 to the preprint
database arXiv.

In the study, researchers from Fudan University used LLMs from Meta and
Alibaba to determine whether a self-replicating AI could multiply beyond
control. Across 10 trials, the two AI models created separate and functioning
replicas of themselves in 50% and 90% of cases, respectively-- suggesting AI
may already have the capacity to go rogue. However, the study has not yet been
peer-reviewed, so it's not clear if the disturbing results can be replicated
by other researchers.