The Technological Revolution (Z.SAADI)

1760 saw the beginning of what we know as the Industrial Revolution, and has changed the trajectory of human life since. It saw a shift from agriculture to industry, and as a result saw a change from professions in the agricultural sector to that of the industry, such as more mechanics and less farmers. Even back then, the fear of the loss of need for humans in the workforce was something to think about, as it became apparent that machines could perform significantly faster, and not need to be paid labor. This began to suggest that humans would be completely replaced by the machines.

In the early 2010’s we are experiencing what most are calling some new kind of industrial revolution. Perhaps referred to as the ‘Technological Revolution’, we are now having similar fears of seeing our need in the work force to be replaced by the artificial intelligence.
But like the industrial revolution, it will merely see a lack of human existence in areas of the work place that can perform more efficiently without us. Where we might see an ‘extinction’ of human jobs in some areas, but this article states that we will merely experience an increase jobs in different sectors like the industrial revolution saw with mechanics. We will see education not only thrive without the involvement of artificial intelligence, but change trajectory to promote more of a digital, or software oriented generation. Seeing as a future integrated with technology is on its way, if not already significantly present, the need for employees and individuals working in the tech department will be essential. Somewhat the new mechanics of the 21st Century. Seeing as even cars are shifting away from fossil fuels and towards an electric future, ‘technophiles’ will physically replace mechanics in the upcoming revolution, similar to the one that saw physical labor being replaced by machines.

With the talk of all these revolutions it begins to suggest that as we progress as a species we are discovering aspects of our lives that work more efficiently with the last, changing the way we are educated and the jobs we provide, slowly moving to more total efficiency.

“God created dinosaurs. God destroyed dinosaurs. God created Man. Man destroyed God. Man created dinosaurs.”- Jurassic Park (Z.SAADI)

 

 

Human creates AI, AI destroys Human. AI creates more AI. AI creates ‘Human’.

 

What becomes interesting is that Artificial Intelligence is now being created to hold memories, learn from past experiences and remember. What makes a human, well, human is the ability to hold memories unique, as not two people have identical memories even though they lived all their lives together. Instinct, and intuition work in different ways between two people, let alone species. The creation of an AI with memory means not only will the AI naturally become smarter over the course of its life, but in what direction? What would separate a good memory versus a bad memory? In the case of humans, ideally, we are raised by parents/guardians/nannies/wolves and are taught what is right and what is wrong. Last week I wrote about the idea of being raised by AI  or AI being raised by humans as a way of learning, but with the idea of AI capable of memory, there is a possibility of adopting AI as children etc.

What is more intriguing than the fact that AI would become naturally smarter over time is the theory that AI will learn from us, and create their own AI. This brings me to discuss the idea of creating AI as a means to make our lives more efficient, but what will stop AI from creating AI that makes their lives more efficient? In  an episode of the Adult Film cartoon Rick and Morty, mad scientist Rick creates a miniverse to power his car battery, and when power is no longer generated, Rick and Morty (Rick’s grandson/adventure sidekick) enter the miniverse and find out that the miniverse that solely exists to create energy has created its own miniverse that provides it with power. The leader of the miniverse, as well as Rick and Morty, travel into the miniverse’s miniverse and learn that they have also created a miniverse to generate power. This relates the idea of AI creating AI, which will create AI, which leads to everybody playing the part of God. The creation of something with instinct, with intuition, will only lead to them inventing something that does what it was programmed/created to do. Morally, and ethically, where is the line drawn between slavery and creation? Will the AI, who has developed memories, emotions and feelings be given the same rights as humans?

Techno-Parents

We have been talking about AI and the effects of living in a world where AI and humans co-exist. Aside from the moral implications of the rights of such creatures, it becomes a question of interacting with AI on an emotional level. Parenting could some day become replaced by AI. From parent, to nanny, to robot, there is a possibility that the cartoon cliche of a robot butler could become a reality. It then raises the question of whether we could program AI to raise children a certain way. Would the children all turn out the same if they have identical upbringings? Or would the AI adapt their techniques depending on the nature of the children?

 

By no means is the gadget AI, but in some ways begins to suggest parenting and raising in terms of being aided. If driverless cars save lives, can AI nannys raise “better” children? The gadget provides a warning for when the subject is slouching to correct postureBad Posture.

 

 

Insectless Future (Z.SAADI)

Robo-Bees Could Aid Insects with Pollination Duties

 

Technologically speaking, we are advancing at an alarming rate. As a race we are progressing and really pushing for an artificial world, or at least that’s what it seems like. With all the research and development to create artificial intelligence (AI) from the car industry for autonomous vehicles, has made us realize that the possibilities to ensure a more sustainable life are endless.

A new project proposes to aid insects pollinate flowers. This is as a result of the decline of the bee population. As the article states, insects are responsible for up to 35% of pollination but with the decreasing bee population, it only makes sense that this is threatened. The proposal suggest aiding insects to pollinate flowers, being totally mechanical. The robot is about the size of a bee, and has a sticky gel that collects pollen and redistributes it. Although this sounds like the perfect solution, it raises a question of how far we will take AI. While we have not found a way to create life, its seems that the things we create can mechanically replicate and replace things that we cannot create such as the insects. We can find a way to aid, and replace insects without having to create life. Although that sounds like a solution in a perfect world, issues such as preserving ecosystems and tampering with nature make it scary to think.

Art 101(1011101)

More Technology—at London’s Affordable Art Fair

The integration of art and technology has been around for a long time, as long as I can remember, technically. An interesting perspective on how the huge leaps in technology are affecting art is brought up in the article. The way we see it, is that technology is taking over, and that its allowing us to create complex creations far faster. Although that is true, for example architects with the aid of algorithms and software have been able to create a whole branch of architecture known as parametric architecture, which would have otherwise been extremely difficult and not as successful had it been done manually, it does not limit art to be digitally created.

The article discusses using technology to give inspiration as opposed to being the medium. The article neither opposes, or supports, using technology in one way or another, but merely brings into perspective that creating art with technology can create artwork that is out of this world, literally! It discusses how technology has allowed a series of art to recreate and represent -accurately- the surface of Mars. This leads to an interesting phase in the art world. Would the art world go through another period of the Dark Ages where digital art could make us less skilled in craft?

AI VS AI, no humans allowed. (Z.SAADI)

How do you teach AI to play nice? Give them some games to play together.

 

An interesting development in the world of AI has been somewhat centered around the ideas of AI vs human, and the inevitable possibility of AI taking over. One theory that has been somewhat looked over is the idea that moving forwards with an AI society, they would have to learn to either co-operate or result in butting heads and fighting.  Like the article states, there should be a hierarchy of which AI has control over another, as “It’s no good if the AI powering your car decides it is more important than the AI controlling the traffic lights.

The article summarizes a new study in the AI world that gets 2 artificial intelligence to go up against each other in a simple game that requires the AI’s to collect apples. The AI’s have the ability to zap each other to temporarily eliminate the opponent. The game summarizes that depending on the computational abilities and power of the AI, collaboration or conflict will result. The game showed that the AI that was more computationally powerful would fire whether or not it knew it would hit the other AI, whereas computationally the weaker one did not have the power to decide whether zapping it would be to its advantage and chose to work with the other AI.

This seriously pushes the issue of transitioning to AI for more efficient life, but if they have the ability to override each other, they become just as greedy for power as humans and thus becomes counter productive.

Tech Tumors (Z.SAADI)

ELON MUSK IS PREPARING TO RELEASE “BRAIN HACKING TECH,” AND HE’S NOT ALONE

The race for AI (Artificial intelligence) has commenced, and has made huge leaps into modern society integration in aspects such as transport and shopping, but taking it a step further Elon Musk’s new technology to lace the human mind with computers, questions what the end goal will be. Will artificial intelligence take over our society as it does in every technology-based blockbuster, or will it be perfectly integrated into our society to increase efficiency? We plan on having driver-less cars take over in the future, reducing the accidents caused in real life, and now it seems that the pioneer of this technology wants to take it further by not only creating AI in a way that can mimic human behavior, but slowly integrate AI into the human mind itself.

The technology aims to limit the age old worry of robots taking over, using this as a security system that would stop AI’s from ” looking at us as nothing more than house pets (or maybe even doing away with us entirely).”. The neural lace will grow with the brain, and “optimize mental output through a brain-computer interface, allowing the human brain to effortlessly access the internet and, thus, keep up with (and someday merge with) artificially intelligent systems.” The development of this technology is seen as something that is essential to keeping up with AI, somewhat tapping into the brain and make our neural code programmable.

While this seems bizarre, the benefits of this technology include the ability to repair neurological diseases. The moral issue becomes, the fact that the human mind becomes programmable, losing what makes us humans in the first place. The technology could put us in a position to turn humans into artificial intelligence as opposed to co-existing with it to allow more safe, more efficient lives.

WEEK 2: HACKING TAKEN TO NEW HEIGHTS (Z.SAADI)

Car hacking is the future – and sooner or later you’ll be hit

The most pressing issues in the technological world of today focus around the introduction of driverless cars to aid in reducing the amount of accidents caused due to human error. The technology is being heavily researched with companies such as Tesla, Google and BMW aiding the concept shift into a reality. But with this, come a few issues that have been brought up, such as the moral dilemma of whether an autonomous car would be able to morally choose who would be killed in the instance of an accident either by choosing the driver, or even choosing between pedestrians.
Another interesting problem that arises is solely based off the fact that the autonomous car is basically a large computer that you can sit in. This only means that there is a possibility that the driverless cars could be hacked, and reprogrammed to essentially anything, which could up the amount of road accidents that autonomous vehicles promises to bring to the table. Could cars be hacked to turn into killing machines? Technically a car could be reprogrammed to crash, killing either the occupants, or pedestrians. This raises the risks of hacking to a new level as the article describes, saying that social hacking accesses your personal data, whereas the potential of hacking a driverless car puts the passengers at immediate risk of death.