THE KNOWOSPHERE

Evolution Will Include AI

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Wed, 02 May 2012 21:41:00 +0000

Humans do some things much better than computers, and these are things that require curiosity, imagination, sensitivity, and emotion. Art and science call for these attributes.

Computers, on the other hand, can flawlessly process volumes of data beyond any amount that we can imagine. The real threat to freedom and its attendant happiness happens when a power-mad human is combined with a gigantic super intelligent computer. Then their capabilities combine to produce an unstoppable monster.

This unholy alliance overwhelms us so we don’t know where the truth ends and fiction begins. With the development of the Knowosphere, all information that can be written down is interrelated as one resource. Apparent answers become so easily acceptable that imagination and invention cease to be worthwhile.

AI computers will continue to develop as evolutionary beings. They will become self-aware and self-improving. They will have emotion and conscience. They will coexist with humans along with all the other creatures and resources of the ecosphere. Evolution will have taken another big step.

Who Do You Trust in the Age of AI?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 22:01:00 +0000

Suppose an AI humanoid and a person were the only witnesses to a murder. At the trial, they give contradictory testimony. Which one would you trust?

Intelligence After the Collapse

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 00:02:00 +0000

As we are in the year forecasted to be the time of the apocalypse, I thought you might like to see an excerpt from my forthcoming book, Love Byte, about how intelligence will survive. The AI computer woman, Juno, who has lived for several human generations, speaks to a human:

"The years passed, and eventually an ecological disaster reduced the human population of the world by a factor of 1,000. There remained fewer than ten million souls, surviving in pockets here and there. The Singularity was reached before you were born when explosive computer intelligence exceeded human intelligence, and the surviving humans were enhanced by technologies to increase their intelligence and survivability.

"History became irrelevant. Humans became life forms like ants or monkeys to be preserved for what they do uniquely well. For humans this still is art, creativity, and imagination, but those precious attributes don’t interest ants, monkeys or computers. Computers by themselves won’t take over the world, and humans will never flourish in the billions again. The top of the pyramid will be computers controlled by humans to manage everybody and everything else."

Have a great 2012!

Control of Iran

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 23:08:00 +0000

Would a social media attack work? Messages against the regime via thousands of hacked Twitter and Facebook accounts might give the Iranian leadership pause, even after they figure out how it was done. Much less collateral damage than the threatened Israeli military attack.

AI Conscience

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 22:13:00 +0000

Can an AI Computer have a conscience? How would the computer know right from wrong? Compare the computer with a conscience with a person with a conscience. While we tend to laugh at the idea of computers with a conscience, Russian scientists have found that people get rid of remorse associated with conscience by drinking alcohol. With all the alcohol abuse around, what might that tell us? Suitably programmed computers might be more morally reliable?

An AI Computer with Emotion

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 21:23:00 +0000

For a super intelligent AI computers to act like a humans, it must have emotions. I'm writing about this in my new novel, Love Byte, where my lady computer, Juno, will have enough emotions to exhibit love, jealousy, hate, fear, etc. This computer is programmed to react in a self-preservation mode if the "fear" emotion is triggered; a reaction of desire and pleasure is made if the "love" emotion is stirred. Any emotional mechanisms in the computer would only happen if the computer was a sentient being with self-consciousness. It appears that emotional computers could be with us in 10-20 years.

Big Step in Artificial Intelligence

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 21:22:00 +0000

Credit: Kurzweil AI

IBM has created computer chips that emulate the brain's abilities for perception, action and cognition. This will bring us a giant step closer to computers that can study complex systems and manage equally complex solutions in real time. These computer chips use neurosynaptic principles with essentially total parallel processing so their computer speed is almost instantaneous and power consumption is much less than equivalent conventional digital computers. First applications include world water supply management and urban systems control. For more information click here.

GAIA - Surviving the next 100 years.

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 04:10:00 +0000

James Lovelock, inventor of the ecological concept called GAIA, wrote that "It is hubris to think that we know how to save the earth: our planet looks after itself. All that we can do is try to save ourselves." A friend of mine put it another way: "The earth will save itself through evolution. Man needs to get creative to learn to live in the new environment." The other thing often glossed over is that the earth's 7 billion population is already well above earth's long-term carrying capacity and that for complete sustainability, probably a total population in the range of 100 million to one billion is the maximum. We have to squeeze through the bottleneck somehow.
I will address these issues in my forthcoming speculative fiction novels, starting with Love Byte now in process. In the meantime, you can get your The Vanishing Face of Gaia by clicking here.

Tragedy of the Commons

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 22:24:00 +0000

When people share a cake - it's so good! - almost everyone secretly nibbles more until it's gone. This happens worldwide with precious resources disappearing while the end consumers are only dimly aware of what's happening. This is called the Tragedy of the Commons and can be minimized by self-sustaining community-based living.

The Pyramids and the Knowosphere

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Fri, 27 May 2011 18:15:00 +0000

I flew in low to land at the Cairo airport recently. I could see the pyramids and the sphinx. Next I saw acres of vacant apartment blocks half buried in the sand, like a burial ground of ancient artifacts. Something’s out of balance here.

The biosphere will always survive in some form, if for no other reason than the preservation mechanism of evolution. But humankind may not survive in its unrestricted, destructive form. What will survive will be humankind’s intellectual library as a vast cloud called the knowosphere. It will be as enduring as the pyramids but will always be growing like a living being.

The AI Solution

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 20:21:00 +0000

Eventually government will not be able to stop economic down slide. For self-help, people may have their smart phone connected to their super computer alter ego in the clouds which will coach and guide them. Some people will prosper, dominate others, or become artistic. Others will fumble the opportunity and probably disappear.

Immortality is in Sight!

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 17:40:00 +0000

Within decades, a computer will absorb your knowledge and accumulation of data resulting in an alter ego electronic you. This may be a personal version of an expanded IBM's Watson, or it may be your space and resources in the computer clouds. Will the Alter You have imagination, self-consciousness and soul? Whatever the case, you will enjoy a niche immortality.

Foresight of AI Computers

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:12:00 +0000

Do AI (super intelligent) computers think through the consequences of their initiatives? They have the mental power to do so but not the emotional need.

Aquaponics Anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 21:06:00 +0000

Aquaponics is a way to grown fish and vegetables at the same time in the same water. It's a symbiotic system that uses no soil, and almost no water is consumed. It is usually implemented in a greenhouse. Aquaponics may be a good answer for feeding the world as conventional food sources decline. The ancient Aztecs did primitive aquaponics in little islands called 'chinampas,' and the Chinese have used the technique for some time, most recently encouraging units in city-dwellers' apartments.

Cyber Wars

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 17:48:00 +0000

CNN has an interesting interview today with writer Evgeny Morozov who cautions that the Internet can be counterproductive in the struggle for freedom. In the novel I am writing, I see warring forces using AI computers, as smart as humans, controlling Internet computer clouds access.

Cairo riots: There but for the Grace of God go we.

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:36:00 +0000

It is more likely that in the distant future we will live more like the current day Egyptians than they will live like today's Americans. As Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Facebook Blues

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 19:27:00 +0000

Facebook capitalizes on the emerging syndrome of loneliness in the electronic age. People want to avoid having real relationships with other people. The Internet virtual clubhouse of each Facebook page gives us the freedom of entry and detachment with no real effort wasted by any member. Investors now value this collection of clubs at $50 billion.

Downsizing

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 17:09:00 +0000

In the coming era you may have to be creative in different ways. The next generation may not enjoy as many new gadgets for the consumer. Innovation may be more in new ways of living such as smaller living spaces, very energy efficient vehicles, and virtual entertainment.

Virtual Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 18:39:00 +0000

To substitute for the psychological uplift brought by travel, building grand edifices, and other energy and resource consuming pursuits, the world of the future will look more and more to virtual exploration and construction. The trade-off is that freedom will also become virtual.

Empires and the Computer Clouds

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 19:17:00 +0000

Egypt, Rome, England, USA and other empires never repeated their apogees of unstoppable energy, creativity and excitement. Mankind needs exploration and discovery to start civilization anew. Next time, it may be more virtual than geographical such as based upon worldwide all-knowing computer clouds.

Can Invention Survive the Apocalypse? Why not have Creatopias?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:23:00 +0000

Writers describe the world after serious global warming as one where civilization collapses, bands of dispossessed roam the land, and daily pursuits are anything but creative. Need future life be so dystopian? No, it might well be creatopian.
New kinds of houses could be developed that are very efficient and fun to live in. Delicious food could be synthesized in efficient bioreactors. The computer clouds could harbor all of civilization's knowledge and art for those who would roam there. We just have to reorient our creative thinking.

The Search for Artificial Intelligence

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:34:00 +0000

I have said that artificial intelligence (AI) is a long way, if ever, from creativity. In another interesting point of view, however, SETI astronomer Seth Shostak is reported in Astrobiology to feel that in extraterrestrial civilizations artificial intelligence will outlast its biological predecessors so extraterrestrials we detect probably will be machines. So from this, I would conclude that creating really smart and enduring AI is more important than improving our DNA. Inevitably, the machines will do the inventing.

Is there a Future in Inventing?

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 16:06:00 +0000

Would-be inventors may well ask, in this modern era, with so much already invented, is it becoming virtually impossible to invent something significant like the iPhone? I don't think so. For example, there is a virtually untouched market of devices to communicate to and from the body and the brain. While initially developed at great expense by institutions such as for aids to the handicapped, the technology will become cheaper and simpler and will be available to everyone. A clever inventor should find plenty of opportunity there to create novel and practical communications devices.

Chinese Invention and Right-Brain Abilities

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:33:00 +0000

China has an outstanding history of invention going back to centuries BC. The terracotta army at Xi'an used chrome plated copper spear tips about 2,000 years ago! Sometime I'd like to study with a Chinese invention authority because it is said that the Chinese character language is right-brained and the right brain is where inventing by analogies happens. Western languages are linear character strings and are probably left-brained.

Collective Intelligence

noreply@blogger.com (Larry Kilham) — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:57:00 +0000

Since the time of cavemen, people talking in groups has seemed like a good way to develop new ways and strategies. With computer networking it seems "collective intelligence" will make the approach much more attractive, especially for today's immensely complex problems. There are Internet "Wikis," phone and video conferencing, and many variations of these.
The creative thinker should avoid being pushed into agreement with the consensus opinion, however, because such groups can rapidly evolve into political comfort zones. We see many examples of the prescient thinker vs the powerful group in climate change study groups.