[Exenith]

As someone with a major in Artificial Intelligence, and who seriously just got back from watching Transcendence...

The movie was well-researched, and surely enjoyable for anyone contemplative. But they had to be farfetched to push the story along. There is likely nothing that occurred in the movie that would reflect any potential real-life issue.

I can't believe I'm disputing Hawking, someone who has accomplished more in a year than I will in my life, with what amounts to an appeal to authority. But I have to say this: his concerns are akin to me being worried about the large hadron collider destroying the universe.

[StuffMaster]

He also said we should be afraid of intelligent aliens because they will want to steal the earth's resources, like in the movies.

There's no reason to believe that aliens would most likely be malevolent. That's Hollywood logic.

[ericb]

> his concerns are akin to me being worried about the large hadron collider destroying the universe.

You don't provide any reasons why.

[ericb]

Thanks for the downvote, but you made an argument from authority and didn't back it up. Not only that, but there are others "authorities" with the opposite opinion.

[sampo]

Hacker News doesn't allow downvoting direct replies to one's comments. He could not have downvoted you (unless he has several user accounts).

[ericb]

Thanks, good point. I'm trying to fathom someone downvoting someone asking for an explanation without a sock puppet being involved.

I'm disappointed though--if he or she really is an expert, I wanted to know why they thought that.