While everyone complains about the unbearable humidity, elsewhere, teams of scientists around the world have spent most of the year quietly turning the future into the present. Just stop and think about the number of fascinating advances in science and technology that took place in the evolution of man. Such advances in science have helped in no uncertain terms to develop civilization, agriculture, while major religions were founded in India and China and the West (Old Testament).Yes – we cannot underestimate how the ancient Greeks laid the foundations of the Western world – formal reasoning, ethics, the three qualities of the soul, sophisticated political theories, anatomically perfect sculptures, organized sport, and the gift that excels them all – democracy.
The next notable advance took place during the Renaissance which heralded a flowering of the arts, general knowledge and in an unprecedented effort to spread knowledge among the lower classes, we cannot underestimate the invention of the printing press. Following this era, we took a quantum leap during the industrial revolution which saw the invention of combustion engines, increasing productivity in factories, cheap electricity and the discovery of germ theory of disease that heralded a revolution in medicine. Einstein was born and later on the Internet age developed and currently continues to expand apace. The way forward beyond 2015 is awe inspiring as soon as computers running faster than human brains are available. It is unstoppable – computing power will continue to grow at a faster rate. Readers may well comment that this is a blessing as mankind has developed its ability to program computers running at incredible speed which when harnessed can solve many practical problems.
A strange comparison comes to mind: when Plato stated his opinions in a book entitled The Republic in Ancient Greece, he never anticipated that future humanity would lack depth of thinking. People now accept the most simplistic of statistical representations with little or no questioning and spend hours isolated surfing the web on a handheld portable device. Plato was so particular in his discussions with Socrates about the importance of human values and social dialogue, yet many centuries later we are threatened with the overpowering presence of a faceless Artificial Intelligence (AI) in machines and to a lesser extent the isolation of personal entertainment by the use of virtual reality gadgets.
For a start, virtual reality (VR) is truly mind-boggling because it combines the best of both software and powerful hardware. Inside VR headsets lie high definition monitors, movement sensors, and graphics cards so powerful you can turn your head in any direction and enjoy a virtual world that gives you immense excitement by manipulating objects as you please. Some say that the sensation of VR is so immersive that your brain is tricked into believing the virtual world you see in the headset is real life. Critics say VR is still in the early stages, and it has several development cycles to go through before entering the mainstream. But, with established companies dabbling in VR campaigns, it’s already proving to be a compelling innovation especially for gamers that break both physical and economic barriers.
It goes without saying that giants like Apple and Facebook have noticed its futuristic appeal and wisely invested millions. A case in point last year saw Facebook acquiring Oculus, for $2 billion, Samsung and Sony are expected to release some form of virtual reality technology after engaging hundreds of developers designing virtual games and other software – educational, medical, and social – to put on these platforms. This is an exciting time, and looks similar to when smartphones first hit the scene with mobile applications yet potentially bigger and more exciting as the opportunities are endless, resulting in new applications.
When acquiring Oculus, Mark Zuckerberg stated, “This is really a new communication platform. By feeling truly present, you can share unbounded spaces and experiences with the people in your life. Imagine sharing not just moments with your friends online, but entire experiences and adventures.”
The wonders of the Oculus Touch can produce many sensations such as crossing the Red Sea with Moses or going to the Moon. As you walk though, everywhere will be screens and holograms that project 3D images of the environment. Concurrently with marvels of VR one cannot omit mentioning the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) which simply explained is the development of computer programs with similar abilities to human intelligence, such as voice recognition, speech, or decision-making. The million dollar question is: can we succeed in instilling values in brains of such behemoths? Not so fast. Gradually, we notice that the influence of social media and its various devices has replaced reading by visual presentation. The act of reading is a desired brain exercise, but it seems that humans now prefer visual observation. Regrettably, this is a passive brain activity inducing numbness.
It has been observed since ancient times that reading induces depth of thought, the very process of maturity. Is this being replaced by instantaneous silliness? These are the real problems affecting society beyond 2015. Professor Hawking has predicted that the dominance of AI will only get worse, and we probably will not (say in the next 25 years or so) even realize that our laid-back attitude and the accelerating speed of computing power means that the “machines have taken over”. Again this is not pure fantasy, as we have been regaling ourselves with a number of popular films such as The Matrix or The Terminator. According to most computer scientists, this evolution in AI is inevitable.
Cyberneticist Kevin Warwick once asked, “How can you reason, how can you bargain, how can you understand how that machine is thinking when it’s thinking in dimensions you can’t conceive of?” Moving on to the application of Moore’s Law in terms of a well-known and highly regarded theory of computer development, it predicts that computer speed and memory doubles every 10 years. One may argue that progress always led to improved living standards and therefore such machines will continue to be at our command. We fantasize that computers will perform faster than our brains, but erroneously believe they lack the general problem-solving software of humans, who over the centuries have manifested they can adapt to solve all kinds of challenges.
The next scientific step will involve the transfer of our minds to computers so that such machines will be able to use our intelligence and, due to their speed, can formulate faster ideas and improved performance in thought patterns. In this future scenario, machines will have the best of both worlds – the uniqueness of human brains i.e. our attitudes, memories, and knowledge but working millions of times faster. They’ll also be doing it far better, because their intelligence ability to learn will be significantly enhanced. Can anyone doubt that such computers can solve problems better than humans? Just imagine the mind-boggling efficiency of self-driving cars with fewer accidents and clinical accuracy in commuting.
Yet there is a contrary view to the claim that we have lost our “Man versus Machine” fight. Some computer scientists believe that AI can be harnessed and be a good servant. Charlie Ortiz, who heads the software company Nuance Communication, feels that increased AI might be useful to solve current problems that human intelligence cannot fathom. To conclude, both VR and AI are here to stay and flourish so only the future can tell if we can survive their dominance – not forgetting the dire warning of Stephen Hawking that (AI) could end the human race.
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The writer is a partner in PKF an audit and business advisory firm.