Two astrophysicists warn that passive SETI could be dangerous due to malicious code, blueprints, or ultimatums sent to Earth by aliens or alien AIs:
With all the news stories these days about computer hacking, it probably comes as no surprise that someone is worried about hackers from outer space. Yes, there are now scientists who fret that space aliens might send messages that worm their way into human society — not to steal our passwords but to bring down our culture.
How exactly would they do that? Astrophysicists Michael Hippke and John Learned argue in a recent paper that our telescopes might pick up hazardous messages sent our way — a virus that shuts down our computers, for example, or something a bit like cosmic blackmail: "Do this for us, or we'll make your sun go supernova and destroy Earth." Or perhaps the cosmic hackers could trick us into building self-replicating nanobots, and then arrange for them to be let loose to chew up our planet or its inhabitants.
Although it may be rational for us to engage trade with this alien AI, the researchers ponder the consequences if the cure for cancer involves, say, building an army of nanobots from blueprints provided by the AI. In a sort of reverse-Contact scenario, the researchers imagine a scenario in which the machine blueprints turn out to be malicious. Perhaps humans build these cancer-curing nanobots and they are actually programmed to deplete Earth of certain vital resources.
The scenarios offered by the researchers are pretty far out, but are worth taking seriously in the event we ever establish contact with an extraterrestrial intelligence. Still, that's not necessarily a reason to refrain from opening the message. "Our main argument is that a message from ETI cannot be decontaminated with certainty," Hippke and Learned conclude in their paper. "Overall, we believe that the risk is very small (but not zero), and the potential benefit very large, so that we strongly encourage to read an incoming message."
(Score: 4, Funny) by stretch611 on Tuesday February 27 2018, @02:13AM (2 children)
The King of Proxima Centauri has died. His son, the prince cannot afford to take the throne. Please send 10,000 star credits via Western Union to help and we will reward you with 10,000,000 star credits after he ascends to the throne. Its a no risk proposition.
--OR--
YOU WON!!!
We are pleased to announce that you have one the Milky Way Lottery!!! We have a check of 10million galactic duckets waiting to be sent to you. Just forward us $5,000 in processing fees an we will send your check out. Don't want to wait? for an extra $1,000, we will process your check immediately and send it out first class... guaranteed to save you a month in intergalactic travel time.
Now with 5 covid vaccine shots/boosters altering my DNA :P
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 27 2018, @11:21AM (1 child)
I'm a bit suspicious of this one. The Milky Way is this galaxy, it should be intragalactic travel time
(Score: 2, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 27 2018, @04:07PM
But their financial department is in the Andromeda galaxy. For tax reasons.