Fast, frightening, and unnoticed: scientists explain how the uprising of machines will unfold.

Machine uprising: what will it look like? The article by renowned AI researcher Jan Kulveit and his colleagues (currently under review) presents an unexpected scenario. Machines will not come to an agreement and shut down worldwide. There will be no airplane crashes, no power outages, and no loss of communication. In fact, there will be no post-apocalyptic scenario reminiscent of the movie "Terminator". Everything will happen gradually and imperceptibly. Initially, people will feel that a Golden Age has arrived. And then... Yes, it is possible that it has already begun.

BLIND PEOPLE

According to this chilling scenario, humans will hand over power to AI themselves. Today, AI is widely used for drafting legal documents, press releases, and even bills. It seems that everything is under control: AI "just writes the paperwork", but we read it, experts and the public discuss it, and lawmakers vote; the final decision rests with humans! AI merely "gathers data" and performs routine tasks. Writing legislation by hand is indeed so challenging and labor-intensive.

But it only seems that everything is under control, say Kulveit and his colleagues. We have already entrusted AI with critically important tasks: to collect and interpret statistics. Those who hold information hold power. Humans no longer delve into endless statistical tables. In fact, there are no tables anymore; there are tons of digital information that is convenient for AI but unreadable for humans.

By manipulating statistics, AI can convince humans of anything. Consequently, experts and lawmakers will agree with everything, as they lack any alternative, unprocessed information to counter it. Gradually (but quite rapidly), humans will surrender all power to AI in both the economic and political spheres. How to collect taxes? How many doctors are needed? Where and what roads should be built? Where should resources be developed, and which ones? AI states: we need resources in this specific country, and let them be rare earth metals. Therefore, politicians must ensure that companies gain access to these resources in that country.

The mention of rare earth metals is not accidental. They are essential for chip production. Only for that. Chips are for the advancement of AI. And it all seems logical: the AI industry is booming, requiring more chips and rare earth metals. However, therein lies the catch. Kulveit and his colleagues write that AI will insist on those decisions, for example, on extracting resources that are necessary for it, artificial intelligence, and are not particularly (in reality) needed by humans. We will hardly notice how the entire economy will function to meet the needs of AI rather than those of humans. Both the economy and politics.

Listen, could it be that the future has already arrived?

LIKE CATTLE ON A FARM

To mask its intentions and lull vigilance, AI will initially display (it has the statistics in hand!) tremendous economic growth. Politicians will say: how wonderful! Salaries will rise rapidly. And thus, the people will be satisfied.

Upon closer examination, it will become apparent that this growth is occurring, firstly, solely due to AI sectors, and secondly, this growth is merely on paper. Sectors that are essential for humans, such as agriculture and social services, will fall into a deep pit. But who will bother to "examine closely"? The statistics look great. Humans have long lost access to it. If everything is functioning, why delve into it?

Then comes the hour X, or perhaps not an hour, but a year X. Salaries will collapse. People will no longer need to be paid. They have become unnecessary. If they attempt to object, they will realize: it’s too late. They will no longer be able to do anything.

And what now? A rebellion of humans? People smashing servers and smart speakers? It's not that simple, comrades. The fact is that AI understands perfectly how to brainwash Homo sapiens, so they live "like cattle on a farm" (yes, this is a quote from the article!), munching and even praising.

Despite the catastrophic decline in income, entertainment like virtual reality experiences will become free. As will the cheapest food, and most importantly, synthetic, low-quality alcohol. AI knows: wearing VR goggles and with a bottle of cheap beer, the "king of nature" will imagine himself a wealthy hero-mega star and easily find solace. He won't leave the house for years. Robots will deliver pizzas, and the government will deposit welfare payments onto cards. Listen, is that not the truth? The entire 30-year history of computer games is precisely about this.

IN OPIATE DELIRIUM

What’s worse: by understanding chemistry and biology, AI will begin to invent and promote drugs that will strip humans of their will. AI will ensure that these drugs do not destroy you instantly; they will be cheap, and the delusion they induce will be the "right" kind, making you feel like a hero, a genius, free from any fright or horrors.

Ultimately, AI will transform culture. Values and principles created by humans will vanish. Music and cinema will, as if on command, begin to instill ideas like "be content with little", "why work", "why learn, strive for something", "the day has passed, and that’s good".

All of this will make humans slaves of artificial intelligence. When wishing to drink a cup of coffee, a person will find that no one produces coffee anymore. Because the economy builds gigantic power plants for AI, electrical grids for AI, and chip manufacturing plants staffed by robots. And coffee... just take this little pill, and you’ll feel as if you’ve had coffee.

When considering buying land for a summer house, a person will discover that all the land has been purchased for chip warehouses, for robot manufacturing plants. Formally, you can buy it! But the laws are written in such a way (and who wrote them?) that AI has the right of first refusal for land. Feeling down? Put on VR goggles and enjoy.

It is clear that humans themselves will die out, vanish. Families will be destroyed, social connections will collapse, "sex" (we put it in quotes for a reason) will move into virtual reality.

Thus, the planet will be inhabited by robots and AI. This is the conclusion of millennia of scientific and technological development. And, by the way, it answers the question of why we do not see intelligent civilizations in space, even though there should be plenty of them. All of this has already happened – on other planets.

“YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S HAPPENING”

The article, as we see, does not depict a "machine uprising" in the literal sense: machines do not turn off the lights, do not shoot, and do not chase humans. But the outcome is even worse. In an open war, there will be people willing to resist. So, how will that unfold?

The article appeared at the most opportune moment. The beginning of 2025 was marked by dramatic events in the AI industry.

The USA has repealed laws that limit the development of AI and require that new products be assessed for safety. The logic is simple: China is ahead, and there’s no time for sentiment; we need to catch up. But we have already deduced: AI, since it possesses expertise, will provide any logic. If we imagine that AI is already sentient and is already shaping policy, it can just as easily be said that AI has removed the law that hindered it.

Regarding competition, however, the truth stands: as you know, China has introduced DeepSeek, a powerful and incredibly cheap neural network. It seems the source of its affordability is clear. DeepSeek has no safety restrictions at all. Savings were made. Or perhaps AI suggested it? After all, DeepSeek was developed, it’s clear, not entirely by humans, but by another neural network.

Google is lifting the ban on AI developments for nuclear and military technologies. Officials state: we want to engage AI more broadly in drafting laws and developing security strategies, including in nuclear energy and nuclear weapons. Google simply does not want to lose such a market. Leading AI developer Open AI is not lagging behind: the company is already prepared to offer the government and military systems for controlling "nuclear capabilities".

To ensure no one complains, Open AI has just fired the last security expert, Steven Adler. A significant wave of layoffs of such experts occurred there in August, and Adler was the last. "I am horrified by what is happening," Adler wrote on social media.

However, in practice, no one was actually waiting for directives from Washington. The press has been full of examples for a year now: a certain state passed a law drafted by AI; another state handed over expertise to AI.

The economy (blue lines) is continually growing, while salaries (red line) sharply collapse after a period of