Researchers from the University of Cambridge's Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) have released a mod for Civilization V that introduces superintelligent AI into the game.

The project was managed by CSER's Dr. Shahar Avin, who specifically chose Civilization V to draw attention to the impact and risks AI can have if they become smarter than humans, because of the educational benefits games provide.

“We want to let players experience the complex tensions and difficult decisions that the path to superintelligent AI would generate,” explains Avin. "Games are an excellent way to deliver a complex message to a wide audience. The Civilization games series has an amazing track record of presenting very complex and interlocking systems in a fun and educating way."

As Rock Paper Shotgun notes, the Superintelligence mod adds AI technology to the tech tree, which includes players interacting with concepts like machine learning and constructing AI research labs in order to compete and be the first to develop artificial superintelliegence.

If players don't manage their resources carefully, then an unaligned superintelligent AI will be created and all civilizations will be destroyed. CSER developed this mod to explore future risks derived from AI, and it can be downloaded on Steam.