In the section "Dogs are to Humans," he presents two projections concerning
the fusion of artificial and human intelligence. Kroker forsees the
"exterminism of human memory, the exterminism of human sensibility, the
exterminism of individuated human intelligence, the exterminism of human
morality"; Shannon "visualizes a time in the future when we will be to
computers as dogs are to humans." At first, I scoffed at both of these
suppositions, but as I read further about works in progress to teach machines
aesthetics, fear began to replace my skepticism. Personally, I don't want a
computer to function autonomously and/or spontaneously. We've all seen 2001,
have we not? Computers are for communication and collaboration of human
impulses; I see no true value in a machine that can simulate human
originality and spontaneity. *Simulate* is the operative term here, but what
if Marvin Minsky is right? He supposes that "when a machine with the average
intelligence of a human being comes into existence, it will begin to educate
itself... in a few months it will be at genius level... a few months after
that its power will be incalculable." And Plato thought *writing* threatened
humanity! I don't anticipate that it will happen in my lifetime, but if
there does come a day when computers no longer simulate, but create, humans
could potentially be subordinated to machines. Will our Macs force us to
wear choke collars, roll over for snacks, and sleep on the floor? I'm tempted
to unplug my computer just thinking about this stuff. Hockenhull sites
Charles Needham, who seems to have pinpointed the threat: "...cultural
adaptations, like all adaptations can and perhaps usually eventually do,
become maladaptive, diminishing rather than enhancing the survival chances of
organisms bearing them." May the programmer beware.
Moving on...
The Culture Of War link presents some issues of democratization in technology
that we have touched on already in our discussions, but presents the
apocalyptic potential of the merging of "the state war machine" and
technology. "Citizens of sovereign states are really only of use if they can
be of use to the global economy; read this to mean the technological
imperatives of ever increasing speed and dislocation." Our culture, in which
lap tops, video entertainment systems, and delusions of grandeur abound, is
in a prime position to be used by the "state war machine." I like how
Hockenhull puts it: "The joy stick of the western democracies has become
encrusted with the blood of its wonderful freedom from responsibilities.
Everyone, everyone plays and someone else pays."