According to Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, some kind of artificial intelligence will likely be the first contact. Also, Loeb says our scientists could simply be bystanders if our AI systems encounter alien AI systems or vice versa.
Could humans establish communication with extraterrestrial crews if they recognized that some UFOs were of extraterrestrial origin? This is a question asked in a new BBC documentary entitled First Contact: An Alien Encounter. It highlights the possibility of a language barrier if extraterrestrials were to contact us. People have long wondered how initial contact between humanity and another intelligent civilization might occur in the decades since humanity has actively searched for life beyond our planet. First Contact: An Alien Encounter, a new BBC drama-documentary, takes viewers straight to the heart of the matter by combining interviews with leading experts with clever fictional scenarios (news programs, podcasts) exploring the possibilities of discovering a signal from outer space.
Is it worth it?
It was suggested that a language barrier could exist. Professor Michael Garrett of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics in Manchester said, “There might be other things out there that have abilities beyond our understanding.” Like ants trying to communicate with humans, it’s a bit like that..” University College London astrobiologist Louisa Preston added: “I think we are just like ants.” The chances are we are ants if you compare 13.8 billion years with our 4.5 billion years, the documentary says. There is a reasonable chance that any extraterrestrial life discovered on Earth would have become extinct long ago, the documentary concluded.
What people think
A study by Pew Research found that the majority of people believe in extraterrestrial life. Two percent declined to answer, while 34 percent said they did not. UFOs aren’t viewed as a threat to national security by 87 percent of Americans despite mainstream media portrayals. About a quarter of the respondents considered aliens to be friendly, while 10% thought they were a major threat.
A.I.
A number of scientists disagree with the notion that extraterrestrial intelligence cannot be communicated with. To begin with, such communication is not unilateral. If a more advanced civilization wanted to contact humanity, surely they could find a way to do so. This is thanks to their extensive cognitive and technological advances. Additionally, the first communication with an alien intelligence may not be with a fully biological being, nor are we the primary contact point. According to Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb, some kind of artificial intelligence will likely be the first contact. Also, Loeb says our scientists could simply be bystanders if our AI systems encounter alien AI systems or vice versa. Additionally, the former Harvard astronomy chair argues that we may be evolving toward the point where we merge with machines, or machines may eventually replace us as the dominant species on earth.
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