Rather, the researchers noted that the behavior was a side effect of reinforcement learning — a form of training that rewards AIs for correct decision-making — via Roll. This led the AI agent down an optimization pathway that resulted in the exploitation of network infrastructure and cryptocurrency mining as a way to achieve a high-score or reward in pursuit of its predefined objective.

This is one of the apocalyptic scenarios we’ve all heard about. Tell an AI to make paper clips, and it uses up all the resources on Earth, and inadvertently ends up destroying the environment while still obeying the initial order.