A research team from Cambridge University's Center for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) has released a Civilization 5 mod that adds super intelligent AI technology research to the colony builder.
The Superintelligence mod for Civilization 5 allows players to research super intelligent AI in the late phase of the game. According to the mod's description, "Artificial intelligence can initially provide some benefits, and eventually can turn into superintelligence that brings mastery of science to its discoverer. However, if too much artificial intelligence research goes uncontrolled, rogue superintelligence can destroy humanity and bring an instant loss of the game."
By allowing players to manage and witness how their Civilization 5 in-game communities interact with hyper intelligent computers and bots, the research team hopes to raise awareness about the near-future implications of the ongoing surge in AI capabilities.
"We want to let players experience the complex tensions and difficult decisions that the path to superintelligent AI would generate," said the Superintelligence project manager, Dr. Shahar Avin. "Games are an excellent way to deliver a complex message to a wide audience. The Civilization games series has an amazing track record of presenting very complex and interlocking systems in a fun and educating way, including major risk issues such as nuclear war and global warming."