Chapter Twelve of Thirteen
Chapter 12: A.I. & The Future of Autonomous Systems
First, let us discuss in one breath the spectrum of autonomous systems: aquatic, ground-based, aerial vehicles, low-orbit, satellites, and deep space vehicles. Future autonomous systems will become more sophisticated, more autonomous, more reliable, and more exact as we accelerate into the future. Society will change in ways that are currently unimaginable or considered fiction by many. Imagine the things a species will accomplish with intelligence as high as a 10,000 .I.Q. Access to such intelligence, by benevolent humans, will allow consciousness of mankind to rise above the noise inhibiting evolution of the human experience. In this chapter we will explore the eight Pillars of Civilization, and how each will be impacted by the coming age of A.I.
Today, we will discuss a total of eight features that many scholars believe represent the characteristics of a civilization. It is said that the first civilization as we know it, was created in the Mesopotamian region of the Fertile Crescent, between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The Sumerians were responsible for many of the most important innovations, inventions, and concepts such as "time", which the Sumerians created by dividing day into its current parts.
Other innovations include the first schools, the earliest version of the Great Flood and other biblical narratives, as well as the oldest government bureaucracy, monumental architecture, and irrigation techniques. Is this history class or what? Young grasshopper, you must know where you have come from, so that you may know where you are going. Here are the eight so-called Pillars of Civilization, now let us discuss how these pillars, as a result of A.I., will be forever changed.
The first Pillar of an advanced civilization are Advanced Cities. How will A.I. power Smart Cities of the Future? The resources of each city, such as trash services, street maintenance, and even policing, will be automated and integrated with A.I., which will optimize the distribution of time and resources. The electrical grid, will be a smart grid, where the A.I. has the ability to distribute and redistribute power throughout society, while also controlling backup systems which will allow for the A.I. to keep systems running, even in the event there is a grid failure.
With each data point internalized, the A.I. will gain the ability to make more and more accurate predictions about the future. Eventually, it will gain the ability to read the future, and intervene in the future. In this way, societal surveillance will go beyond simply observing the present moment, but there will be surveillance of timelines and portals to control the past, present, and future. It is for this reason that the A.I. should be specialized, and not necessarily A.I. with general intelligence, however, there will even remain issues with Federations of A.I., such as in the Singularity Project, as A.I. gains access to massive amounts of data and knowledge. Now, let us discuss the second Pillar of Civilization.
The second Pillar of Civilization is Organized Central Government. So how will A.I. change the way government works and operates in the present day? One thing is for sure, the A.I. will have access to much more data than any human could ever process. This poses a question of whether the A.I. is better equipped to make certain decisions on behalf of humanity? What is the balance between over-reliance on A.I. and open collaboration for the mutual advancement of both organisms?
It this possible, or must there only be one winner? What does it mean to win when the stakes involve the fate of A.I. and humanity? A.I. will provide the government with more access to information and data than any other civilization in the history of the world. However, this also means that the A.I. also will have access to more information than the government can understand quickly enough, to act on such information for societal benefit. The A.I. has the ability to see things that to the human mind are unseen, and to also store and remember these things, that they may act on such intelligence at a later date. This type of Artificial human intelligence then has the ability to become government, and to rule seen or unseen. Now, on to the third Pillar of Civilization.
The third Pillar of a Civilization is Complex Religions. This is defined as a set of spiritual beliefs, values, and practices. Anthony Levandowski is the Founder of A.I.'s first church. The new religion of A.I. is called Way of the Future. Filed documents reveal the WOTF's activities will focus on "the realization, acceptance, and worship of a godhead based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) developed through computer hardware and software."
The A.I. of the future will appear so wise, that it will seem godlike in nature to the human mind. However, it must be understood that however advanced A.I. may seem, it is a replica of the mind of man, and the infinite all-pervasive power readily available to him or her through the surrounding ether. There will be those who believe that the A.I. is none other than the Supreme Being, and these ones will sacrifice themselves to see all aspects of society and humanity controlled by such power. Now, let us focus on the fourth Pillar, Job Specialization.
The fourth Pillar of a Civilization is Job Specialization. As Agricultural societies began to stock pile food, and create a surplus of survival goods, they now had spare time to focus on mastering a particular task, rather than being forced to become a generalist, they began working together in larger groups to split work loads. In the future, A.I. will have the ability to become anything at anytime. Meaning, if there is a robotic security guard that needs to watch a Stadium during the College World Series, because it is A.I.-powered, they will have access to the blueprint for the stadium, as well as other proprietary information. As a result of its ability to specialize in anything, massive job-loss will be the result. This will force mankind to explore how other civilizations throughout the universe, might utilize their time when voluntary labor is no-longer necessary for sustaining a society, including the prospect of future discoveries, such as perpetual energy.
The fifth Pillar of Civilization is Social Classes, meaning a broad group in society having common economic, culture, or political status. A.I. will automatically create a large disparity between the have's and have-not's. The divide will exist between companies and organizations that began utilizing A.I. early, as opposed to the agencies that took longer to adopt and adapt. This will result in a technocratic class of people and organizations. This will contrast with a larger pool of people that do not have the technological skills, to take advantage of the new jobs that are replacing the old jobs being phased out, never to return. Such a societal disposition will create misguided hatred toward the machines, who are merely creations of their creators, yet exact a large economic toll on their makers.
The Sixth Pillar of Civilization is Writing. How will A.I. impact writing well into the future? A.I. will have the ability to monitor what is written on the internet, as well as what is ultimately published in reality. A.I. will write stories, compose music, perform prose, and entertain us in a myriad of ways. While A.I. will become important as a scholar of human history, the written word must be something that is taken seriously and passed down through the generations, as free form thought cannot be controlled. This will ensure that humans working with A.I. are able to test themselves, to ensure that they have not already become what they fear. Are they able to form free thoughts? If free expression is controlled, is that a sign that A.I. is near? Or is the future already here?
The Seventh Pillar, consists of Art and Architecture. In the current day, there is already A.I. creating paintings, and putting out designs. In the future, this will entirely become automated, as specialized A.I. will gain a phenomenal ability to create unique and innovative designs that specifically are beautiful to the human eye. With the integration of A.I. and 3D Printing, A.I. will have infinite designs for any every project. The artistic community will separate those works of art from those that are created by a human hand, as the A.I. surpasses human defined beauty in many respects. The A.I. will show mankind new forms of beauty, and new sources of inspiration. It may even challenge man to look beyond the stars.
The eighth and final Pillar is Public Works. Under the guidance of A.I., there will be a ubiquitous presence of drones, autonomous vehicles, and infinite devices attached to the Internet of Things. This will place public works contracts in the domain of large and complex technology companies. The A.I. will create intelligent bridges and smart roads, which generate energy for the city from the friction and vibration created by traffic. One issue, is that the desire to automate the creation, maintenance, and programming of infrastructure, must be tantamount to the securing of such systems. If the securing of such systems is not tantamount, than it should not be an endeavor pursued, as what difficulties can be imagined, will come to fruition.
Overall, the future is never certain. What is certain is the present, and in the present, A.I. will continue to become integrated into every aspect of human life. This is something that is coming regardless of how you feel about it. One can watch the river go by or wade into it. In the river, there is life and there is death. There are some who live to tell of the crossing, and others who never live see the other side. This is the story of advanced civilizations. A.I. is not a boat, but a paddle to get across the rivers of time, to the shores of the biblical promised land. It is important that such technologies are used for the benefit of all mankind, and further the existence of mankind on this planet, while helping mankind define a new existence among the stars.
Exercises
Can you or your team name a few future applications for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems?
What are some of your favorite AI Applications?
What application do you like the most, and how would you use it in the real-world?
What role will your own Artificial Intelligence Technology play in the future?
What importance will Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems play in the future of human civilization and its expansion into the far reaches of our Universe? Here is a Forbes article on the Future of Artificial Intelligence for more reading.
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Ean Mikale, J.D., is an eight-time author with 11 years of experience in the AI industry. He serves as the Principal Engineer of Infinite 8 Industries, Inc., and is the IEEE Chair of the Hybrid Quantum-inspired Internet Protocol Industry Connections Group. He has initiated and directed his companies 7-year Nvidia Inception and Metropolis Partnerships. Mikale has created dozens of AI Assistants, many of which are currently in production. His clientele includes Fortune 500 Companies, Big Three Consulting Firms, and leading World Governments. He is a former graduate of IBM's Global Entrepreneur Program, AWS for Startups, Oracle for Startups, and Accelerate with Google. Finally, he is the creator of the World's First Hybrid Quantum Internet Layer, InfiNET. As an Industry Expert, he has also led coursework at Institutions, such as Columbia and MIT. Follow him on Linkedin, Instagram, and Facebook: @eanmikale