The Future is Already Here!

it’s just not evenly distributed!

When I read that for the first time, it was an eye opener.  It started me on a quest that began with the measly 3G connection I’m writing this post over, arriving at future cities with 4D printed buildings and facilities, and not ending there!  In fact, the future- to those fortunate enough to have seen it- is all about putting to proper use the technologies and scientific breakthroughs of today. Tools we have on hand today, only available to those putting them to military, intelligence, and empire extension ends. As Mark LeCuyer put it, “Magnificent breakthroughs are discovered each day, many of which will enhance our lives while, at the same time, saving our world from imminent ecological disaster. However, the darker side effects created by some of these marvelous miracles of innovation are quite sure to lead to the manipulation and destruction of the human race!”  One does not have to dig deep nor go far in search of such futuristic tools or their (often) secretive, irrational use.

To begin with, we have the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the agency behind the implementation of IP technology to create what we now know as the world wide web (www), arguably the most transformative advance of our generation.  What many do not know is that DARPA had been using the internet for twenty-five years before it was ever made available to the public.  In fact, twenty-five years seems the magic number for DARPA, and other similarly secretive research projects, to withhold scientific and tech advances for (often) sinister use and selective sharing with cooperating agencies and allies.  Today in 2015 A.D., twenty-five years, in terms of scientific and tech advancement, adds up to more knowledge than amassed throughout all of human history.  Could you even begin to imagine what toys these folks are playing with right now..?!!

Well, let’s see.  We know that today’s commercially used algorithms– which are basically the math that computers use to decide stuff- are so advanced they enable facebook to predict with eighty percentile accuracy, two of its members falling in love before they had confessed to each other!  Algorithms that predict a crime before it actually happens, with extremely high accuracy, already exist today.  As Kevin Slavin put it, algorithms “acquire the sensibility of truth because they repeat over and over again, and they ossify and calcify, and they become real… that its transition from being something that we extract and derive from the world to something that actually starts to shape it — the world around us and the world inside us.”  From amazon to netflix, facebook to google; law enforcement to economics, aviation to medicine, algorithms are taking over the world and changing it in ways most of us are unable to comprehend. 

That is today.., the here and now!  Can you imagine what twenty-five-year-ahead algorithms look like; what they’re capable of..!?  More importantly, what are these twenty-five-year-ahead algorithms up to now??  Are they in hands that can be trusted?  History tells a scary tale, and the implications are frightening!

Of course, I am not against DARPA or the scientific pursuit of advancement in technologies that improve human life and contribute to a rising standard of living and quality of life.  Many of us see that as the only worthy purpose of scientific pursuit.  My problem with DARPA, and its sisters, is with the military focus by which they define and develop the application of these advances- using tax dollars- often contrary to taxpayers intentions or real interests.  While the world is in dire need of alternative, renewable energy sources, and while the majority of its population is in urgent need of basic health care and sanitary provisions, DARPA is busy building a mosquito-like drone that can be deployed in the millions to infect populations, spy on people, or assassinate a target.

These type of projects are made public and touted in popular science magazine (some belong in mad science), so they’re surely not the most advanced stuff they’re working on (remember the 25-year rule).  From robotics “looking at extending the capabilities of law enforcement agencies,” to genetics work which “..will enable the ability to engineer much more complex functionalities into human cell lines than are currently possible.”  All in the pursuit of the twenty-first century soldier.  A Steve Austin on steroids, for those old enough to remember bionic man.

Other conspicuous uses of advanced algorithms, which had made the mainstream news lately, is their application for spying and surveillance.  The NSA was exposed by Edward Snowden who, again, was only privy to today’s version of spying algorithms.  Bruce Schneier in his “Surveillance by Algorithm” post put it this way, “Increasingly, we are watched not by people but by algorithms. Amazon and Netflix track the books we buy and the movies we stream, and suggest other books and movies based on our habits. Google and Facebook watch what we do and what we say, and show us advertisements based on our behavior. Google even modifies our web search results based on our previous behavior… And the National Security Agency, of course, monitors our phone calls, emails and locations, then uses that information to try to identify terrorists.”  George Orwell must be turning in his grave.

Private industry is a major culprit in this scheme.  High tech firms, for example, are regular participants in these programs, exploiting tax payer funded R&D for commercial gain, when eventually allowed to by the gate keepers.  Some of these collaborative arrangements between science and intelligence on torture which made the news lately, showed the truly ugly side- albeit an extreme example.

One could argue that building up kill capacity and manipulative commercial gain are less than ideal human endeavors.  The rapid (and rapidly accelerating) developments in artificial intelligence (AI), nano-technology, genetic engineering, and yes (more) algorithms can continue to be misapplied towards war, destruction, and human misery, or it can be put to good use in service of our planet and its inhabitants.  One could only imagine the possibilities if all these brain matter, resources, and determination were directed at building human capacity instead of destroying human life..!

The mind boggling advances in science and technology we have seen in our life time, and the vast possibilities of tomorrow leave one hopeful that maybe..,

just maybe,

saner minds will assume the wheel!