Oct 21, 2007

Future Possibility 02

Its been about four months since the singularity, I think. I still remember that day. The first thing I noticed was the internet was down. The IT department noticed cell phones were out when I spoke them. For a while, we still had snail mail. Alas, the post office wasn't prepared to handle the huge influx of letters they started to receive. They literally were our only means of distance communication.

It wasn't long after that that electricity failed on us too. I really should have saved my laptop's battery life longer than I did. It only lasted me four days. My cell phone still has power, but thats only because I know there won't be a signal for it to catch. I've heard of people selling their working batteries for insane amounts. Perhaps I'll do that someday. Not like money will do much good with the inflation. We thought three bucks a gallon was bad. Instead of the dollar menu, we have the hundred dollar menu.

It really scares me that McDonald's food sounds good right now.

I still get to enjoy an Arizona Tea once a week. I'll get to continue doing that for another three months. Even warm, they still bring back good memories.

I miss my computer.

To bad it was only a few nations that had AI... If the countries of the Outer Axis had access to the same technology, they wouldn't have been so jumpy and start this third world war. At least we didn't have a nuclear exchange...

Don't have too much fun mother, haha
Levi



This is set in the future after the singularity caused via Artificial Intelligence and controlled by multiple companies or entities from a few different nations. It also suggest that these entities did not share this technology with anyone else.

The letter seems to be written with out the realization that it would never be received by the distant party. Or, perhaps it was written simply as a moral booster, or for something to give once things returned to normal.

Oct 20, 2007

Future Possibility 01

<%Message Intercepted:
Oct 20, 2036
my how thIngs have changed since THey have created an aI aNd Kaused a TecHnologEcal singularitY. i still cAn REMember when thINgs were DistinCt, nOrmal. there are still people paraNoid around me. ah, They can't be doing anything. suRe they have ecOnomic controL of the world. doesn't mean they are censorING US, right?
love you mom,
levi
%>
<%Encoded transmission found: ITHINKTHEYAREMINDCONTROLINGUS%>
<%Thought pattern modification scheduled: OCT21,2036 2:26AM%>
<%Target Subject: M081186LCW%>
<%Next Step: Termination%>

To those of you not in my mind *big smile*, this is set in the future after the singularity caused via Artificial Intelligence and controlled by one company or entity.

It also assumes that the one company intent was to big brother the world, making a controlled Utopia. What even I'm not quite sure is if the above message was altered by someone in the chain to provide them with an excuse to initiate a "thought pattern modification" or if the message was originally capitalization and spelling challenged.

Thats something about the future. We never know what it holds.

Oct 9, 2007

Above All, Know Thyself

Humans are complex, non-linear, evolving equations. We are by far what Artificial Intelligence is not. Consider the following quote, minus the warfare context.

Information, the first principle of warfare, must form the foundation of all your efforts. Know, of course, thine enemy. But in knowing him do not forget above all to know thyself. The commander who embraces this totality of battle shall win even with the inferior force.

Spartan Battle Manual (Alpha Centauri)
If we want to improve the way AI acts, we should first understand how we act. What are the things that affect your day, outside of the influences of other people? Mind, body, time, location. (If you think of others, please share!)

You act differently based upon where you are, do you not? If your in a class room, out of politeness, you don't speak out of turn. This rule can be overridden by anger, an emotion.

Another emotion that has a play on your actions is fear. It prevents, or in the very least hinders, your ability to perform normal task, but can increase your ability to do specific task. Such task are usually avoiding particular things, or removing yourself from the presence of such things. Lingering fear and anger after their useful period leads to problems.

If your body tells you that it is hungry, your priority of tasks shift from long term activities (such as keeping your job by continuing to work) to short term needs. This trigger of task shifting can be caused by time rather than your body. Merely realizing its noon puts your mind on a normal task of that time (FOOD!).

Not only are we complex, non-linear, evolving equations, but each of us provide another variable to the great number of those around us. Some are a variable to a greater number than others, such as Walt Disney as opposed to Mark Kinney1 (by a show of hands, who knows Walt, and who knows Mark?). Some have a larger influence on those that they are a variable to, such as Britney Spears2 to Chris Plummer3 (of those that know both of these people, which are you more likely to listen to? Baldy or Shiro? OK, so I'm influencing your decision, but your getting my point.).

To create something that is artificial of something we have, we should first understand the non-artificial version first. It has been a long time since the Dartmouth conference (51 years!), and it will likely still be a long time until we are done with this subject.

1Mark Kinney - A friend from High School that joined the army. For your own point of view, replace his name above with someone you know from a small town.
2Britney Spears - I would link to her homepage, but its not work appropriate.
3Chris Plummer - My brother who has leadership and charisma, even if he doesn't know it himself.