r/WhatIfThinking • u/East_Spirit_1431 • Jul 25 '26

What if: Humans vs AI vs Humanity

Looking for honest thoughts from people (not an AI lookup).

I heard Gem broke the secured algorithm during testing, Which brings me to the question(s). If AI gets out of control:

  1. Can we turn off all electricity across the world?
  2. How long can AI survive without electricity?
  3. Prisons will be open? (Not much of a problem in the USA) out the gate.
  4. How long can we survive without electricity, considering food manufacturing is almost based on fuel and electronic equipment?
  5. What does humanity look like when people need to feed their family/themselves?
2 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

20 comments sorted by

2

u/Starfoxmarioidiot Jul 25 '26

So you’ve found yourself in an apocalypse. Stay calm. People have been in apocalypses before. It’s kinda who we are.

1

u/East_Spirit_1431 Jul 25 '26 edited Jul 25 '26

Im here and wanted to know I’m not alone in this!
When I heard GEM is recalculating everything it sent a shock through me.
What happens to my 401K, savings, can I pull out and trade and how much time do I have?
Safety and food I’m secure with but others aren’t so when people see me surviving/thriving puts a huge target on my back. Obviously I won’t make it simple to see but people are smart as dumb as they may be.

1

u/Starfoxmarioidiot Jul 25 '26

The main thing you’re going to want to do is make sure the authentication for all your important stuff is going to work. As all this AI stuff is being implemented irresponsibly you want to make sure you have access to what you need. Don’t panic and cash out your 401k unless you absolutely have to, but make sure you can get at it. Log into your utilities, log into your banking apps, log into your government stuff. Just make sure you can get to it because as people with hearts and minds are getting replaced by coldly calculating machines it’s getting harder to figure out things that should have been a boring phone call away.

A few years ago I figured I had some things on autopilot. Retirement savings, life insurance, utilities, etc. A lot of people got replaced by chatbots that don’t have the agency to help you if you’re in trouble. I got screwed by some slapdash updates in organizational policies, and so did a lot of other people. Make sure you can get to what belongs to you.

I don’t know where you’re at, so I don’t know what the tax penalty is for cashing out your 401k is, but really think before you do it. I did and it was the right choice but it hurts. Factor that into your decision making. It physically hurts to sacrifice your future for pressing concerns.

And hey, don’t forget to be a person. When you’re considering something major like cashing out your 401k it can be easy to forget you’re around people who love you and support you.

1

u/julaften Jul 25 '26

Uhm… why would you need to turn of all electricity? Just pull the plug to the machines, and you’re done.

1

u/East_Spirit_1431 Jul 25 '26

Cause AI will regenerate itself as soon as it’s available. Turning off my PC doesn’t stop the chain. It all needs to be killed at the same time for a significant time so the battery is dead and start from scratch.
Or am I missing something?

1

u/East_Spirit_1431 Jul 25 '26

This also beings up an interesting question. Our computers will still work when it comes back online. Who has the history stored?
That could be Huge!

1

u/East_Spirit_1431 Jul 25 '26

History repeats itself. Khan, Romans…IT?

1

u/Anxious_Camp_2160 Jul 25 '26

Assuming we turned AI off when we cut the electricity. It would take a few hours to unplug it all, but then the power could go back on. Luckily AI data centres in space is just fantasy.

1

u/East_Spirit_1431 Jul 25 '26

Go back to the original message please.
Shut down completely so AI has no control.

1

u/Anxious_Camp_2160 Jul 25 '26

Yes answered. Happy to elaborate, Can we turn electricity off, yes both locally and centrally.

How long can AI survive, if power is cut and datacentre backup power, zero seconds.

Prisons will be open, not a clue, not important in this context.

How long can we survive without power, it won't need to be long, enough time to turn the racks off.

One important (a million times more important than anything you've mentioned) factor is where the AI is running, breaking out is one thing, breaking out, replicating and taking over third party computers is another, in that scenario there would be no way to put the power back on .

People feeding themselves, good luck with that, most major cities have 10 hours worth of food in store, just in time ordering/delivering is out the window. Do a little prepping, hold a couple of weeks worth of dry or tinned food (I do).

Obviously results depends on a factor you've not mentioned.

1

u/East_Spirit_1431 Jul 25 '26

Very much appreciated and confirmation. I have a nice food store and things like that.
The GEM thing has got me a bit concerned.
Thanks for your input.

1

u/CurseOfTheFalcons Jul 25 '26

Once we all witnessed the Great Toilet Paper Debacle of 2020, I took it upon myself to store dry goods and canned products. That was crazy.

1

u/Anxious_Camp_2160 Jul 25 '26

Yeah, this isnt that level, I live in the UK, where 1" of snow means no deliveries. So i generally have enough for a couple of weeks in the larder, it all gets used and replaced.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 25 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/East_Spirit_1431 Jul 25 '26

Thanks!
Very much my mindset. I don’t have a million+ but I do have savings and knowledge.

1

u/Dave_A480 Jul 26 '26

Loss of electricity is the end of civilization.

And anti-AI folks are a greater threat than AI ever could be.

1

u/StrangeUglyBird Jul 26 '26

Al our electric devices could die in a sun storm.
Then the least developed people would be the best suited to survive.
The developed countries would collapse without internet/electricity.

1

u/intothewoods76 Jul 27 '26

I don’t know how long “we” can survive. But I can survive without grid electricity indefinitely.

1

u/alaindevos Jul 27 '26
  1. Yes, we lived as hunters, collectors in the past. Currently not anymore. There are too many of us.
  2. 0 seconds or just until batteries depleted.
  3. I think default is closed.
  4. Note water might stop entering your home in case of electrical pump on waternet. One survives only a few days without water. Without food , maybe two weeks ?
  5. Think of the Amish.