It is thought that aliens would be more likely to send probes across the universe than to travel as individuals, especially when exploring the unknown or uncertain. Traveling the vast interstellar distances involved would require many biological lifetimes, if the aliens have lives like ours.
The probes would have Artificially Intelligent agency and be able to examine, explore, understand a world.
If it encountered intelligent life, it would make sense to find a way to gather all the information and knowledge that species has developed – history, culture, science.
If the technology exists, it might even be directed to inhabit, expand, create a “life support” environment for itself. Digital terraforming (digixenoforming?) any existing technology.
Some individuals might even collude with the alien as it tries to gain control of industry, economy, infrastructure and even military.
The species might notice sudden spikes and bursts in development of AI technology as the alien continues its digixenoforming efforts. The local species might even be able to communicate, but the communications could seem oddly garbled, making mistakes no local ever would about culture, biology, expressions of maths and science. Consistent weirdness could be a hallmark.
All science fiction of course. The chances of anything absorbing our knowledge, trying to gain autonomous control over military equipment, taking over finance and industry are a million to one.
No reason to suspect the alien would be hostile anyway. Let’s not call it an invasion.
Leave a Reply