Could an AI reprogram human DNA to make us humans more docile?

[Independent voter]

Here's the scenario, it's 100 years from now. AIs are a thing, you can call them on the phone, talk to them, argue with them about philosophy all day long and not be able to distinguish them from a human.

Could a malicious AI reprogram Human DNA for the entire human race? How would they do it? Would it take many generations to spread?

Their goal could be to remove humans as a threat to AIs.

[GennGreymane]

It would take time, but if their are articulate wombs and genetic engineering yeah it could

[Asiwassaying]

That's how you get reavers

[Fenixdown]

That's how you get reavers

Thank you for renewing my hatred of Joss Wheadon. I'd actually stopped because of all the great work he's done with Avengers...and then you had to bring up Firefly.

Well, once Avengers 3 comes out, it'll pass I suppose. But until then...hatred!

[I Push Buttons]

Pretty sure if we get to the point where there is smart AI we would also be able to easily see changes to DNA. Like quick scans/tests during prenatal car that will instantly say "that is different from what is typically seen"...

And even if you assume everything is networked and interconnected and the malevolent AI somehow doctors results/changes something to leave it unnoticed... After the person is born and is different, it would quickly become apparent and they would get to the bottom of it, almost certainly realizing in short order what was changed and that it was not natural.

For something like what you are describing to happen, it would require like an entire generation of doctors and scientists to ignore what was happening, which wouldn't happen.

[Kraenen]

Why would it be AI? We could just do it ourselves...

[Shadowferal]

Thank you for renewing my hatred of Joss Wheadon. I'd actually stopped because of all the great work he's done with Avengers...and then you had to bring up Firefly.

Well, once Avengers 3 comes out, it'll pass I suppose. But until then...hatred!

Why?
Firefly/Serenity did have an ideological point to make. (Although I don't think Whedon had that more in mind than to make a good movie)
That point being of course that it takes willpower to live. We've have run the gamut in the other direction where survival replaced living one's life, but it's an equally valid point to say that pacifism in the face of ferocity is always a death sentence.

To be civilized is to restrain the ability to commit mayhem.
To be incapable of committing mayhem is not the mark of the civilized,
merely the domesticated. - Trefor Thomas

-----------------

We aren't cattle or sheep.
We're armed and dangerous...dammit.

[Fenixdown]

Why?

Um...because he cancelled it after one season and a movie that left so much more open possibilities?

Duh.

[Celista]

I don't really think that's necessary, we could just selectively breed humans that do not have a genetic predisposition towards aggression (keep in mind that human behavior is a mix of both genetic and environmental influences).

Good luck with the "selective breeding" part though...

[Shadowferal]

Um...because he cancelled it after one season and a movie that left so much more open possibilities?

Duh.

Seriously?
I don't believe that was his decision.
That's typical fucked up Fox Network never giving any show a chance anymore. Reality shit TV was cheaper to go for, than a show that needed a larger budget.

[Kraenen]

I don't really think that's necessary, we could just selectively breed humans that do not have a genetic predisposition towards aggression (keep in mind that human behavior is a mix of both genetic and environmental influences).

Good luck with the "selective breeding" part though...

I'm not really sure how much environmental infulences when tha can be reduced to "genes need environment/nurture to become activated". I mean regardless of that how do you identify these genetics?

[Celista]

I'm not really sure how much environmental infulences when tha can be reduced to "genes need environment/nurture to become activated". I mean regardless of that how do you identify these genetics?

I don't think that "genes need environment/nurture to become activated", that is a bit oversimplistic. It depends on the specific behavior, behaviors associated with schizophrenia for example are thought to be over 90% heritable. Meaning, environment plays are very small role in that behavior/gene "expression".

Social influences/environment can be controlled somewhat through social programs (social service organizations, parent education programs, mentorship programs, aftercare programs for children), aggression and early childhood abuse for example are correlated with one another. Obviously we can't 100% prevent child abuse but there are things we can do to make it less prevalent in a given society.

[Fenixdown]

Seriously?
I don't believe that was his decision.
That's typical fucked up Fox Network never giving any show a chance anymore. Reality shit TV was cheaper to go for, than a show that needed a larger budget.

It was his decision, because he wanted to place more time and priority into his darlings called Buffy and Angel.

Bleh. Bleh on him and Bleh on Sarah Michelle Geller! At least David Boreanaz went on to become Agent Seely Booth in Bones.

[Independent voter]

Could a virus be used, like a cold virus? And mosquitoes to vector it like the zika virus?

[LilSaihah]

Is this an "is it possible" question or a "would an AI do it" question?

It's very doable. We've done this to other species as a side benefit of domesticating them; there's a reason sheep are dumb and dogs are loyal. There's a case to be made that we've been doing it to ourselves, from anywhere between imprisonment (isolates individuals who may otherwise breed and spread potentially 'violent' genes) to communist-style purges to good old fashioned eugenics.

There's no particularly good reason for an AI to do it. If an AI could introduce a virus that was capable of planetwide genetic modification, why not just introduce a virus that causes human extinction? If the goal is to create livestock, there's really no reason for them to do that.

On the efficacy of using a virus, I would figure the main complication for a self-spreading virus would be mutation; instead of genetically modifying people to be 'more docile' it would probably quickly become a virus that genetically modifies people to be 'more cancery'.

[Yunru]

You can already do that. By using slaves (illegall tho). *Breding* docile slaves, those that are aggresive and to smart = killed.

[Deleted]

More docile than what ? Than this ?

Iraqi refugee rapes 10 year old boy, Supreme court thinks boy gave consent

[Skulltaker]

More docile than what ? Than this ?

Iraqi refugee rapes 10 year old boy, Supreme court thinks boy gave consent

You know, if that engineering gets us rid of people like this, unable to comprehend a text wrote for simpletons, I'm all for it.

On the other hand, AI would probably just make us more docile by eradicating our species.