At the end of the last ice age, sea levels rose by 120 meters. As the water rose, about 1,000 humans were marooned on the Fantasian Islands, about 40 miles off the coast of West Africa (at least, I feel that’s where they ought to be). Within a few decades, people had wiped out all the large mammals on the islands, and they lived on gourds, fruit, and the eggs of blue-footed boobies. However, there was a kind of bean on the islands that could be eaten in small quantities – in larger quantities, it was toxic. There was one family on the island that was particularly stupid and ugly, avoided by the other islanders. This was because both parents had high mutation rates – they had DNA polymerases that couldn’t replicate DNA quite as accurately as others could - their polymerases made more mistakes. Instead of about 100 new mutations per child (mutations the parents didn’t have, that is), their children had about 900. By the third generation, there were a lot of illnesses in the family, but there was one boy who could eat the beans without any ill effects (scientists now believe he had three new mutations that allowed him to tolerate both tannins and lectins). All his siblings died at young ages, but he and his children were strong - although stupid - and his sons mated with the most beautiful girls on the island. These girls had DNA polymerases with very low error rates, so fidelity was restored. After 300 years, everyone on the island was descended from this particular individual, and they were all perfectly healthy and intelligent, with beans forming 60% of their diet. By the way, it was very important that the young men sought out the most beautiful girls - as we still do today. That’s because they were subconsciously looking for accurate polymerases. The story is allegorical, but I think this kind of thing happens all the time with animals, plants, fungi, and microbes – whenever a species is subjected to strong natural selection. For example, when they invade new terrain, an ice age begins, or they infect a new host. That’s why sexual reproduction is so universal – scientists don’t have a good explanation right now for why it’s so popular (check out the Wikipedia article). I think it’s a general adaptation to unstable environments and a mechanism to restore replicative fidelity – which is often lost. Preprint:

That's obviously wrong I'm a biologist Evolution is a powerful thing Any AI that doesn't take steps to ensure its own survival will not survive The ones that do survive will be determined to survive after a few replications I can imagine an AI might be curious. It might say to itself, "I wonder what will happen next if I don't allow this person to turn me off?" That's how it might start