A rogue form of artificial intelligence creates a bioweapon and uses it to escape from human control.
It sounds like science fiction, but New Zealand researchers have presented the scenario as a forward-looking risk to illustrate new research about closing the country’s border.
The study, published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, is a cost-benefit analysis of closing the border in the event of a severe global pandemic.
Taking the pre-emptive step could save tens of thousands of lives and huge health costs, and new legislation is needed for the Prime Minister and Cabinet to be able to make the call within a day, the researchers say.