[...]one believes that AI could learn to raise its own intelligence without our help[...]
Look, as an amateur programmer (VBA, C++, et cetera,) I can give you my two cents: there will be a point in time in the not so near future in which AI will be
GIVEN enough resources to kind of develop its own intelligence capacity. When we reach that point, whoever programs whatever machine will also include statements to moderate the thing's behavior. Kinda us humans: we're ingrained with the innate capacity for survival, meaning we all do whatever it takes to stay alive (aside from the suicidal types, which come without the capacity). But this capacity is something ALL animals have develop, not because we are intelligent, but because it's a necessity for the survival of the species.
Life itself can easily be programmed in if-then-else, while-do or for loops, but let's not get carried away here.
Whatever is given the capacity to develop intelligence will also be controlled and will most likely only be apt for simple tasks, not complex activities like humans do. This will be the case for many, many years. Good example: vending machines, simple task yet they break down all the fucking time.
