The document discusses the public narrative around the threat of artificial intelligence (AI) driven by key figures like Elon Musk, Stephen Hawking, and Bill Gates. It analyzes over 9,000 news stories published since 2013 and finds the top clusters are warnings about AI from Hawking and Musk. Hollywood films like Transcendence and Avengers: Age of Ultron have influenced public dialogue but are separate from the "AI as a threat" conversation. The narrative is predominantly triggered by events that spur wider media coverage and commentary from Musk, Hawking, and others. Stephen Hawking has had the most influence in spreading the narrative, followed closely by Elon Musk, while Bill Gates and Hollywood films have also contributed but to a lesser

1. A I + T H R E AT
N E W S N A R R A T I V E

2. E X E C U T I V E S U M M A RY:
• T H E P U B L I C N A R R A T I V E S U R R O U N D I N G T H E T H R E A T O F A I I S D R I V E N B Y K E Y
F I G U R E S , A L L T E C H L U M I N A R I E S : E L O N M U S K , S T E P H E N H A W K I N G , B I L L G A T E S
• H O L LY W O O D / P O P - C U LT U R E S WA Y T H E N A R R A T I V E A N D S E N T I M E N T A C R O S S T H E
P O P U L A C E W H I C H H A S A S T R O N G E F F E C T O N T H E R E S U LT I N G D I A L O G U E , E . G . S C I - F I
F I L M S : T R A N S C E N D E N C E ( J O H N N Y D E P P ) , T H E A V E N G E R S : A G E O F U LT R O N
• N E W E S T H O L LY W O O D R E L E A S E E X M A C H I N A I S N O T J O I N E D T O T H I S C O N V E R S A T I O N
A S I T P O R T R A Y S A N E A R - F U T U R E W I T H A N I D E A L P O S T- H U M A N F E M A L E - > N O
T H R E A T ( P O S I T I V E LY R E C E I V E D P E R S P E C T I V E )
• P O S S I B L E O P P O R T U N I T Y T O R I D E T H E WA V E O F P U B L I C I T Y A N D R E S U LT I N G P U B L I C
D I A L O G U E A R O U N D E X M A C H I N A

3. O N C E W E A P P LY T H E M E R G I N G S T R U C T U R E T O T H E D A TA S E T W E S E E A C O L L A P S E O F
T H E S T O R I E S D O W N T O 2 2 3 2 U N I Q U E * A C C O U N T S
9 9 2 9 S T O R I E S P U B L I S H E D S I N C E A U G U S T 2 0 1 3
* Whereby unique is defined as containing new information that the remainder of the network does not.

4. T O P - 1 0 C L U S T E R S
(A) Stephen Hawking Warning: AI 'Dire Threat' (11%)
(B) Elon Musk Warning: 'Demonic' AI - Biggest Existential Threat (10%)
(C) Stephen Hawking Warning: Slow Biological Evolution (6%)
(D)Bill Gates: Concerned About Super Intelligence (6%)
(E) AI + Future of Humans/Robots in Economy (6%)
(F) Transcendence (Movie) (5%)
(G)Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) (5%)
(H) Global Challenges: Doomsday Scenarios (Nuclear War / Global
Warming) (4%)
(I) Robot Warfare: Killer Robots & Autonomous Weapons Systems (3%)
(J) Tech Companies & Algorithms/Robotics (3%)
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J

5. T O P - 1 0 C L U S T E R S - P O P C U LT U R E
(A) Stephen Hawking Warning: AI 'Dire Threat' (11%)
(B) Elon Musk Warning: 'Demonic' AI - Biggest Existential Threat (10%)
(C) Stephen Hawking Warning: Slow Biological Evolution (6%)
(D)Bill Gates: Concerned About Super Intelligence (6%)
(E) AI + Future of Humans/Robots in Economy (6%)
(F) Transcendence (Movie) (5%)
(G)Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) (5%)
(H) Global Challenges: Doomsday Scenarios (Nuclear War / Global
Warming) (4%)
(I) Robot Warfare: Killer Robots & Autonomous Weapons Systems (3%)
(J) Tech Companies & Algorithms/Robotics (3%) F
G

6. N E T W O R K T O P O L O G Y R E V E A L S C L U S T E R S F O C U S E D O N H O L LY W O O D F E A T U R E F I L M S
A R E S I G N I F I C A N T B U T R E M O V E D F R O M T H E ` A I A S A T H R E A T ’ N A R R A T I V E
H O L LY W O O D I S I N F L U E N T I A L B U T D I S PA R AT E F R O M T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N

7. T H E A I + T H R E AT C O N V E R S AT I O N I S P R E D O M I N A N T LY T R I G G E R E D B Y
E V E N T S W H I C H S P U R A W I D E R C O N V E R S AT I O N & M E D I A - C O V E R A G E
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E

8. T R A N S C E N D E N C E S TA R R I N G J O H N N Y D E P P I S R E L E A S E D
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
T R A N S C E N D E N C E

9. ` T R A N S C E N D E N C E ’ S P U T T E R S A S S C I E N C E -
F I C T I O N T H R I L L E R
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
T R A N S C E N D E N C E

10. C O M P U T E R PA S S E S T U R I N G T E S T
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
T U R I N G T E S T

11. T H E 6 5 Y E A R - O L D I C O N I C T U R I N G T E S T WA S PA S S E D F O R T H E V E RY F I R S T T I M E
B Y S U P E R C O M P U T E R E U G E N E G O O S T M A N D U R I N G T U R I N G T E S T 2 0 1 4 H E L D AT
T H E R E N O W N E D R O YA L S O C I E T Y I N L O N D O N O N S AT U R D AY.
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
T U R I N G T E S T

12. E L O N M U S K R E A D S S U P E R I N T E L L I G E N C E & T W E E T S A B O U T I T
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
E L O N M U S K T W E E T

13. @ E L O N M U S K : W O R T H R E A D I N G S U P E R I N T E L L I G E N C E B Y B O S T R O M . W E
N E E D T O B E S U P E R C A R E F U L W I T H A I . P O T E N T I A L LY M O R E D A N G E R O U S
T H A N N U K E S .
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
A U G U S T 2 0 1 4

14. E L O N M U S K S T R I K E S B A C K AT T H E M I T A E R O N A U T I C S A N D A S T R O N A U T I C S
D E PA R T M E N T ’ S C E N T E N N I A L S Y M P O S I U M
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
E L O N M U S K S P E A K S E X PA N S I V E LY

15. T H E R E S H O U L D B E S O M E S O R T O F O V E R S I G H T F R O M A R E G U L AT O RY C O M M I T T E E
E I T H E R AT T H E I N T E R N AT I O N A L O R N AT I O N A L L E V E L . T H I S W O U L D B E T O
E N S U R E T H AT S O M E T H I N G F O O L I S H I S N O T D O N E , U N L E A S H E D .
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4

16. S T E P H E N H A W K I N G T E L L S T H E B B C : " T H E D E V E L O P M E N T O F F U L L
A R T I F I C I A L I N T E L L I G E N C E C O U L D S P E L L T H E E N D O F T H E H U M A N R A C E . "
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
S T E P H E N H A W K I N G TA L K S T O B B C

17. S T E P H E N H A W K I N G : F U L L I N T E R V I E W W I T H R O RY C E L L A N - J O N E S - “ H U M A N S ,
W H O A R E L I M I T E D B Y S L O W B I O L O G I C A L E V O L U T I O N , C O U L D N ' T C O M P E T E A N D
W O U L D B E S U P E R S E D E D "
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4

18. A I E X P E R T S S I G N A G R E E M E N T T O P R O T E C T M A N K I N D F R O M T H E R I S E O F T H E
M A C H I N E S
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
S T E P H E N H A W K I N G S I G N S L E T T E R

19. A N O P E N L E T T E R F R O M T H E F U T U R E O F L I F E I N S T I T U T E T H I S W E E K C A L L E D
F O R E X PA N D E D R E S E A R C H T O E N S U R E A I S Y S T E M S A R E " R O B U S T " A N D
B E N E F I T S O C I E T Y - H A W K I N G H A S S I G N E D T H E O P E N L E T T E R
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
J A N U A RY 2 0 1 5
A I M U S T T U R N F O C U S T O S A F E T Y, S T E P H E N H A W K I N G A N D
O T H E R R E S E A R C H E R S S A Y

20. M I C R O S O F T F O U N D E R S A I D H E D I D N ' T U N D E R S TA N D P E O P L E W H O W E R E N O T
T R O U B L E D B Y T H E P O S S I B I L I T Y T H AT A I C O U L D G R O W T O O S T R O N G F O R P E O P L E
T O C O N T R O L .
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
B I L L G A T E S I N S I S T S A I I S A T H R E A T

21. M R G AT E S C O N T R A D I C T E D O N E O F M I C R O S O F T R E S E A R C H ' S C H I E F S , E R I C
H O R V I T Z , W H O H A S S A I D H E " F U N D A M E N TA L LY " D I D N O T S E E A I A S A
T H R E AT.
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 5

22. F O O T P R I N T: S T E P H E N H A W K I N G
I N F L U E N C E
141 nodes

23. F O O T P R I N T: S T E P H E N H A W K I N G + 1
I N F L U E N C E
418 nodes
∆ 196%

24. F O O T P R I N T: E L O N M U S K
I N F L U E N C E
225 nodes

25. F O O T P R I N T: E L O N M U S K + 1
I N F L U E N C E
527 nodes
∆ 134%

26. F O O T P R I N T: B I L L G AT E S
I N F L U E N C E
43 nodes

27. F O O T P R I N T: B I L L G AT E S + 1
I N F L U E N C E
146 nodes
∆ 240%

28. F O O T P R I N T: H O L LY W O O D
I N F L U E N C E
171 nodes

29. F O O T P R I N T: H O L LY W O O D + 1
I N F L U E N C E
205 nodes
∆ 20%

30. F O O T P R I N T: J O H N N Y D E P P
I N F L U E N C E
105 nodes

31. F O O T P R I N T: J O H N N Y D E P P + 1
I N F L U E N C E
235 nodes
∆ 124%

32. Entity
Stephen
Hawking
Elon Musk Bill Gates Johnny Depp Hollywood
Article Count 141 225 43 105 171
Total Influence 418 527 146 235 205
∆ 196% 134% 240% 124% 20%
S U M M A RY O F M A I N E N T I T I E S ’ R E A C H

33. Entity Elon Musk
Stephen
Hawking
Johnny Depp Bill Gates Hollywood
Article Count 225 141 105 43 171
Total Reach 527 418 235 146 205
∆ 134% 196% 124% 240% 20%
R A N K - O R D E R I N G O F M A I N E N T I T I E S ’ R E A C H

34. ` E X M A C H I N A’ - N O T I N V O LV E D I N T H E C O N V E R S AT I O N
B U T P O R T R AY S F U T U R E T E N M I N U T E S F R O M N O W
T E M P O R A L S I G N A T U R E
` ` I F S O M E B O D Y L I K E G O O G L E O R A P P L E
A N N O U N C E D T O M O R R O W T H A T T H E Y H A D M A D E
A VA , W E W O U L D A L L B E S U R P R I S E D , B U T W E
W O U L D N ' T B E T H A T S U R P R I S E D ” - A L E X G A R L A N D

35. ` ` A S M A R T, S L E E K M O V I E A B O U T M E N A N D T H E M A C H I N E S T H E Y M A K E , B U T
I T ’ S A L S O A B O U T M E N A N D T H E W O M E N T H E Y D R E A M U P ’’ - T H E W O R L D ' S
F I R S T T R U E A I , H O U S E D I N T H E B O D Y O F A B E A U T I F U L R O B O T G I R L
` E X M A C H I N A ’ - R E L E A S E D A P R I L 1 0 , 2 0 1 5
31 nodes

36. A I + T H R E AT
T E C H N O L O G Y

37. A I : R E S E A R C H & I P H A S B E E N G R A D U A L LY I N C R E A S I N G F O R D E C A D E S
PAT E N T S : T H E R I S E O F A I

38. " O U R P R I M A RY L O N G - T E R M C O M P E T I T I O N I S I N C H I N A , " S A I D M U S K I N T H E
I N T E R V I E W. " I F W E P U B L I S H E D PAT E N T S , I T W O U L D B E FA R C I C A L , B E C A U S E T H E
C H I N E S E W O U L D J U S T U S E T H E M A S A R E C I P E B O O K . "
E L O N M U S K : " W E H A V E E S S E N T I A L LY N O PA T E N T S I N S PA C E X ”
SpaceX
ELON MUSK: 'If We Published
Patents, It Would Be Farcical'
KIM BHASIN
NOV. 9, 2012, 11:58 AM
The patent system has been
getting a lot of heat lately,
especially with the high-profile
fight between Apple and
Samsung.
Superhero entrepreneur Elon
Musk just avoids patents
altogether with his high-tech
space venture SpaceX.
You would think you'd want to
protect your intellectual
property when you're building
complicated things like
spaceships and innovating new
technologies daily.
But Musk's decision actually
makes total sense. Why is that?
Musk explains in a recent
interview with Chris Anderson at Wired:

39. 7 7 2 PA T E N T S F O R E L O N M U S K I N V E S T M E N T S
L A C K O F A I F O O T P R I N T: PAY PA L , T E S L A & S O L A R C I T Y
Tesla (92%)
PayPal (5%)
SolarCity (3%)
PAT E N T S B Y T E C H N O L O G Y PAT E N T S B Y A S S I G N E E

40. 6 5 2 PA T E N T S F O R M I C R O S O F T ( B I L L G A T E S )
M I N O R A I F O O T P R I N T: M I C R O S O F T
AI (9%)
PAT E N T S B Y T E C H N O L O G Y A I F O O T P R I N T