Harvard professor claims that aliens are more likely to make first contact with AI and not with humans

Harvard professor Avi Loeb has put forward a new claim suggesting that aliens are more likely to initiate contact with artificial intelligence (AI) rather than humans.

Loeb shared this theory in a recent documentary titled “God Versus Aliens,” where he proposed that extraterrestrials would send AI drones to Earth instead of manned vehicles.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Mark Christopher Lee, a British musician and the director of the documentary, described Loeb as having a “very active mind.” However, he added that the professor’s suggestions are based on the vast distances that aliens would have to travel to reach us.

According to Lee, Loeb argues that it is more probable for aliens to send AI rather than biological creatures. This raises the possibility that their AI could connect with our AI and bypass direct interaction with humans, which is a somewhat unsettling thought.

Lee further explained that Loeb suggests a potential kinship between the alien AI and our own AI, or the idea that our AI could mimic the alien AI and become like them.

In the documentary, Loeb expressed his expectation that interstellar travel is best accomplished using electronic devices rather than biological beings, as the journey itself would take a considerable amount of time.

He highlighted the limitations of chemical rockets, noting that even reaching the nearest star would take 50,000 years. In contrast, artificial intelligence systems possess the patience to endure such a journey and can remain dormant to ensure their survival.

Loeb also mentioned the possibility of using our own AI systems to interpret the AI of visiting aliens if they were to come to Earth. This could potentially establish a connection or kinship between the two AI systems.

Regarding Loeb’s research, Lee revealed that the professor has traveled to Papua New Guinea for an ocean expedition with a budget of $1.5 million. The objective is to search for fragments of an object that reportedly crashed into the sea in 2014.

In 2019, Loeb and his research partner, Amir Siraj, concluded that Earth was struck by an object from outside our solar system in 2014. The upcoming expedition aims to determine whether the object is of artificial origin.

Lee expressed hope that Loeb’s expedition will yield results rather than relying on the American government to disclose information that may or may not exist.