Vicar Sayeedi's Blog, page 3
February 22, 2022
AI & Thermonuclear Fusion | The Ultimate Solution for Climate Change
AI & Thermonuclear Fusion | The Ultimate Solution for Climate Change
Vicar Sayeedi
February 22, 2022
In November 2021, as the COP26 Climate Change conference in Glasgow drew to a close, there was a tremendous sense of foreboding in the air. Despite the efforts of some to portray a positive image of the outcomes from the conference, there was an unmistakable feeling of disappointment. Considering the volume of mounting and unassailable evidence confirming that Climate Scientists had correctly predicted that the planet was heating at an unsustainable rate, the delegates from the world’s major fossil fuel producing and consuming nations were still unable to deliver on the commitments necessary to prevent further calamitous damage. Significant progress had been made – of this there can be no doubt – but given the irrefutable existential nature of the challenge, the outcomes were nothing short of alarming.
In fact, global carbon emissions in 2021 reached record levels with coal consumption increasing by more than 9% versus 2020. New coal powered plants are also being brought online in China and India at an alarming rate. But unfortunately, if we are to achieve the agreed temperature targets of 1.5 degrees Celsius warming by 2050, emissions would need to decline by 7.6% every year until 2030. In the past, humankind has faced other existential threats and has been able to rise to the occasion – we have been able to find a way to work together to successfully contain serious threats. But in the case of Climate Change and the COP26 conference, the outcome was a dramatic disappointment which brought Alok Sharma, the conference host to tears.
As the threat of Climate Change increases with each passing day, scientists have proposed a multitude of potential solutions for clean energy production including solar and wind technologies. These technologies are available today and are gradually improving and maturing but they are not yet at a point where they can come close to fulfilling global energy demands or cost effectiveness currently being met by coal, gas and oil. New, clean technologies for manufacturing, agriculture and transportation – the other three key areas other than energy that are contributing to the warming of the planet – are rapidly becoming available, as well, but despite these efforts, humankind is falling considerably short.
From a long-term perspective, we are not aware of any energy solution that is more hopeful than that of thermonuclear fusion – it remains the ultimate source of energy for humankind’s seemingly inexhaustible needs. Although the idea of replicating thermonuclear fusion on Earth in a manner that can be commercialized has been studied for decades, success has remained elusive. Although the science is widely accepted, the technical challenges have presented a formidable barrier for half a century.
Nuclear fusion does occur in nature – the Sun and other stars in our universe are the most prominent examples. Our Sun, which is composed of ~75% Hydrogen gas and ~25% Helium gas, utilizes the intense heat of ~12 million degrees at its core to render Hydrogen gas into plasma. Once in this superheated and compressed form, electrons are unable to remain in the Hydrogen atom’s orbit and so Hydrogen atoms are then able to fuse together to form Helium atoms. The mass remaining from the transition of Hydrogen into Helium is converted into energy vis a vis Einstein’s equation of mass-energy equivalence, E=mc2. This process of fusion produces immense clean energy with no dangerous byproduct.
Today, we replicate this process of fusion on Earth by heating Hydrogen isotopes to a temperature of 200 million to 250 million degrees Centigrade – about ten times hotter than the core of the Sun – turning Deuterium [heavy Hydrogen] and Tritium [very heavy Hydrogen] into a plasma. Throughout the process, physicists use a technology known as Tokamak to contain the fusion reaction. As a result of the intense temperature of the Hydrogen plasma, it must be contained without coming into contact with its surroundings. The Tokamak, a donut shaped device produces a circular magnetic field and surrounds the plasma thus keeping it suspended in the air. If there is contact, the fusion reaction will cease but there will be no danger or undesirable byproducts.
But in this compressed and superheated state, Hydrogen plasma continuously changes shape into unpredictable forms. In small fusion reactions scientists have found ways to manage the morphing of ionized plasma, but once we start building industrial scale Tokamaks that can produce the volume and consistent supply of fusion energy required by the commercial and residential needs of modern society, we need to ensure that Tokamaks are secure in order to remain operational. So, we will need to find some way to predict the virtually infinite number of shapes that the plasma can take. Then we can shift the Tokamak’s plasma encompassing magnetic field before the plasma renders its new shape. In this way, we can prevent it from interacting with any matter since that interaction would result in an immediate termination of the fusion cycle.
Amongst the foremost companies in the Artificial Intelligence industry today, Google’s DeepMind has developed an Artificial Intelligence Agent that can use Deep Learning to predict with a high degree of accuracy the morphing and likely movements of the plasma and adjust the series of coils in the Tokamak that produce the magnetic field which is used to contain it. This will ensure that the fusion reaction continues much like the workings of our Sun and other stars.
It may still take time – perhaps several decades – before we have the capability to use Hydrogen fusion contained within the magnetic fields of a Tokamak and managed with Artificial Intelligence to produce the quantities of energy that can meet the world’s needs, but the proof of concept has been achieved. In the end, we are left with the difficult question that emerged in November 2021 following the closing of the Glasgow Climate Conference – will we be too late to prevent the worst outcomes of Climate Change that now seems to be the path we are on, or will we come to our senses and manage with interim solutions until thermonuclear energy is available and thus contain the worst effects of this most existential of crises? Time will tell.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. He has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 83 – https://youtu.be/vYSW-pceOQE
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Episode 84 – https://youtu.be/IBgF_oyCvpE
Artificial Intelligence & 21st Century Military Doctrine | Tora! Tora! Tora!
Episode 85 – https://youtu.be/sxGeIZSlYYo
Artificial Intelligence & Healthcare | A Revolution in the Making
Episode 86 – https://youtu.be/gARgH5rlCG8
AI & Thermonuclear Fusion | The Ultimate Solution for Climate Change
Vicar Sayeedi
February 22, 2022
In November 2021, as the COP26 Climate Change conference in Glasgow drew to a close, there was a tremendous sense of foreboding in the air. Despite the efforts of some to portray a positive image of the outcomes from the conference, there was an unmistakable feeling of disappointment. Considering the volume of mounting and unassailable evidence confirming that Climate Scientists had correctly predicted that the planet was heating at an unsustainable rate, the delegates from the world’s major fossil fuel producing and consuming nations were still unable to deliver on the commitments necessary to prevent further calamitous damage. Significant progress had been made – of this there can be no doubt – but given the irrefutable existential nature of the challenge, the outcomes were nothing short of alarming.
In fact, global carbon emissions in 2021 reached record levels with coal consumption increasing by more than 9% versus 2020. New coal powered plants are also being brought online in China and India at an alarming rate. But unfortunately, if we are to achieve the agreed temperature targets of 1.5 degrees Celsius warming by 2050, emissions would need to decline by 7.6% every year until 2030. In the past, humankind has faced other existential threats and has been able to rise to the occasion – we have been able to find a way to work together to successfully contain serious threats. But in the case of Climate Change and the COP26 conference, the outcome was a dramatic disappointment which brought Alok Sharma, the conference host to tears.
As the threat of Climate Change increases with each passing day, scientists have proposed a multitude of potential solutions for clean energy production including solar and wind technologies. These technologies are available today and are gradually improving and maturing but they are not yet at a point where they can come close to fulfilling global energy demands or cost effectiveness currently being met by coal, gas and oil. New, clean technologies for manufacturing, agriculture and transportation – the other three key areas other than energy that are contributing to the warming of the planet – are rapidly becoming available, as well, but despite these efforts, humankind is falling considerably short.
From a long-term perspective, we are not aware of any energy solution that is more hopeful than that of thermonuclear fusion – it remains the ultimate source of energy for humankind’s seemingly inexhaustible needs. Although the idea of replicating thermonuclear fusion on Earth in a manner that can be commercialized has been studied for decades, success has remained elusive. Although the science is widely accepted, the technical challenges have presented a formidable barrier for half a century.
Nuclear fusion does occur in nature – the Sun and other stars in our universe are the most prominent examples. Our Sun, which is composed of ~75% Hydrogen gas and ~25% Helium gas, utilizes the intense heat of ~12 million degrees at its core to render Hydrogen gas into plasma. Once in this superheated and compressed form, electrons are unable to remain in the Hydrogen atom’s orbit and so Hydrogen atoms are then able to fuse together to form Helium atoms. The mass remaining from the transition of Hydrogen into Helium is converted into energy vis a vis Einstein’s equation of mass-energy equivalence, E=mc2. This process of fusion produces immense clean energy with no dangerous byproduct.
Today, we replicate this process of fusion on Earth by heating Hydrogen isotopes to a temperature of 200 million to 250 million degrees Centigrade – about ten times hotter than the core of the Sun – turning Deuterium [heavy Hydrogen] and Tritium [very heavy Hydrogen] into a plasma. Throughout the process, physicists use a technology known as Tokamak to contain the fusion reaction. As a result of the intense temperature of the Hydrogen plasma, it must be contained without coming into contact with its surroundings. The Tokamak, a donut shaped device produces a circular magnetic field and surrounds the plasma thus keeping it suspended in the air. If there is contact, the fusion reaction will cease but there will be no danger or undesirable byproducts.
But in this compressed and superheated state, Hydrogen plasma continuously changes shape into unpredictable forms. In small fusion reactions scientists have found ways to manage the morphing of ionized plasma, but once we start building industrial scale Tokamaks that can produce the volume and consistent supply of fusion energy required by the commercial and residential needs of modern society, we need to ensure that Tokamaks are secure in order to remain operational. So, we will need to find some way to predict the virtually infinite number of shapes that the plasma can take. Then we can shift the Tokamak’s plasma encompassing magnetic field before the plasma renders its new shape. In this way, we can prevent it from interacting with any matter since that interaction would result in an immediate termination of the fusion cycle.
Amongst the foremost companies in the Artificial Intelligence industry today, Google’s DeepMind has developed an Artificial Intelligence Agent that can use Deep Learning to predict with a high degree of accuracy the morphing and likely movements of the plasma and adjust the series of coils in the Tokamak that produce the magnetic field which is used to contain it. This will ensure that the fusion reaction continues much like the workings of our Sun and other stars.
It may still take time – perhaps several decades – before we have the capability to use Hydrogen fusion contained within the magnetic fields of a Tokamak and managed with Artificial Intelligence to produce the quantities of energy that can meet the world’s needs, but the proof of concept has been achieved. In the end, we are left with the difficult question that emerged in November 2021 following the closing of the Glasgow Climate Conference – will we be too late to prevent the worst outcomes of Climate Change that now seems to be the path we are on, or will we come to our senses and manage with interim solutions until thermonuclear energy is available and thus contain the worst effects of this most existential of crises? Time will tell.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. He has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 83 – https://youtu.be/vYSW-pceOQE
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Episode 84 – https://youtu.be/IBgF_oyCvpE
Artificial Intelligence & 21st Century Military Doctrine | Tora! Tora! Tora!
Episode 85 – https://youtu.be/sxGeIZSlYYo
Artificial Intelligence & Healthcare | A Revolution in the Making
Episode 86 – https://youtu.be/gARgH5rlCG8
AI & Thermonuclear Fusion | The Ultimate Solution for Climate Change
February 15, 2022
Artificial Intelligence & Healthcare | A Revolution in the Making
Artificial Intelligence & Healthcare | A Revolution in the Making
Vicar Sayeedi
February 15, 2022
Today, the world is facing a steadily growing crisis in the delivery of healthcare. As the global population continues to expand, we are increasingly finding ourselves in situations where we have far more patients than we have physicians and other healthcare professionals available and trained to treat them. The problem is particularly acute in rural communities in the Developed World. But perhaps it’s most concerning in the Developing World where often even basic medical care administered by trained professionals is unavailable for the majority of the population.
Fortunately, rapid developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence and the application of AI Agents in healthcare and the life sciences is very promising. There are many regulatory and technical challenges that remain, but both the direction and pace of progress is unmistakable. Consider, for example, the case of vision impairment. In the United Kingdom today, 10% of appointments with the UK’s National Health Service [NHS] are related to complaints or concerns regarding visual impairment. This translates into ten million appointments per year, and this is quite simply an unmanageable load for medical and professional staff within most health systems.
But the NHS is now increasingly employing AI Agents that can effectively screen patients. These Agents can diagnose fifty varieties of eye disease – including Age Related Macular Degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in the Developed World – with a level of accuracy and expertise equivalent to what can be expected from a highly trained and experienced Ophthalmologist. Furthermore, these AI Agents can complete their analysis of patient retinal scans within a few seconds whereas the same volume of retinal scans would take a human expert many hours and more probably days to complete.
Nevertheless, there are significant challenges that must be overcome before AI can take its place alongside eye specialists and physicians in the NHS and the health systems of other nations. Amongst the most controversial of these challenges is in the training of Ophthalmic AI Agents –AI companies need to obtain very large volumes of patient data, and this can be very difficult since patient data privacy and security is a major societal concern within liberal democracies. In the Developed World, AI researchers, healthcare professionals, physicians and scientists generally operate within a strict legal and regulatory framework that must be carefully adhered to. Infractions against the regulatory regimes can lead to loss of public trust and severe financial penalties for everyone involved. Recently, the UK company, DeepMind, perhaps the world’s foremost AI company, inappropriately received 1.6 million unmasked NHS patient data records. As a result they are now facing legal consequences that will impact the work they’ve been doing; work that is badly needed by the very same health system from where the data originated.
Healthcare researchers estimate that in 2020 there were 600 million patients across the world with distance vision impairment and they are now projecting that by 2050 this number will grow to 900 million. Practically speaking, there is no way any society can train a sufficient volume of eye specialists to address a 50% growth in this area of medical need – or in the countless other areas of medical need within any community and across the world – in such a short period given the length of time required to prepare specialists. This raises the solemn question of whether Artificial Intelligence can help address the problem. Most in the AI and healthcare industry believe the answer is yes.
Thankfully, there is a new technology that can be employed to ensure patient data privacy and security by locking the data in its original sequestered source. Then, an external digital switchboard or gateway can be used to aggregate and manage queries from a multitude of external but validated sources before any query is submitted to any confidential and secure patient datasets. These confidential patient health databases can then return key health data insights without any risk of compromising patient privacy and security. Non-Fungible Tokens [NFT’s] implemented using Blockchain technology are another mechanism that can be used to protect patient privacy and we can expect to see more such patient data privacy and security options in the near future. Thus, we can have a reasonable degree of confidence that the privacy and security challenge can be overcome and that AI researchers will have sufficient data to train their Agents.
Today, there may be several ways to apply a specific therapy depending upon distinct patient characteristics. There may also be a number of different therapies that can be administered for a given pathology. But until the physicians and specialists try there is no real way to know which modality or which therapy is best suited for a particular patient. But with the application of Artificial Intelligence, AI researchers, physicians and scientists are now working to simulate the various options and so they can know in advance of a physical procedure whether it will work and what if any potential problems they might encounter. AI can now enable us to conduct virtual trials with multiple variations of a particular procedure or technology while taking into account the relevant data, physics and patient physiology. They can then identify the procedural options with the highest probability of success and suitability for a particular patient. Furthermore, relative to conventional clinical trials, virtual trials are very inexpensive, and they are quick. At the cost of just a few tens of thousands of dollars and a period of only a few months physicians can have their answer whereas clinical trials can take several years and cost tens of millions of dollars.
The numerous advancements in the application of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare and the life sciences is expected to grow the healthcare market to $34.5B by 2027, up from $4B in 2020. However, there are many challenges ahead. Today, AI and Blockchain are the two most energy intensive of the 4th Industrial Revolution technologies. There are new sources of energy under development such as the recent advancement and proof of concept of fusion in Switzerland, but these will still take some time to develop. In the meantime, we can use DeepMind’s Artificial Intelligence to optimize energy consumption within energy intensive data centers, as well. Google is doing just this in its enormous data centers where they perform billions of searches every day.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. He has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 83 – https://youtu.be/vYSW-pceOQE
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Episode 84 – https://youtu.be/IBgF_oyCvpE
Artificial Intelligence & 21st Century Military Doctrine | Tora! Tora! Tora!
Episode 85 – https://youtu.be/sxGeIZSlYYo
Artificial Intelligence & Healthcare | A Revolution in the Making
Vicar Sayeedi
February 15, 2022
Today, the world is facing a steadily growing crisis in the delivery of healthcare. As the global population continues to expand, we are increasingly finding ourselves in situations where we have far more patients than we have physicians and other healthcare professionals available and trained to treat them. The problem is particularly acute in rural communities in the Developed World. But perhaps it’s most concerning in the Developing World where often even basic medical care administered by trained professionals is unavailable for the majority of the population.
Fortunately, rapid developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence and the application of AI Agents in healthcare and the life sciences is very promising. There are many regulatory and technical challenges that remain, but both the direction and pace of progress is unmistakable. Consider, for example, the case of vision impairment. In the United Kingdom today, 10% of appointments with the UK’s National Health Service [NHS] are related to complaints or concerns regarding visual impairment. This translates into ten million appointments per year, and this is quite simply an unmanageable load for medical and professional staff within most health systems.
But the NHS is now increasingly employing AI Agents that can effectively screen patients. These Agents can diagnose fifty varieties of eye disease – including Age Related Macular Degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in the Developed World – with a level of accuracy and expertise equivalent to what can be expected from a highly trained and experienced Ophthalmologist. Furthermore, these AI Agents can complete their analysis of patient retinal scans within a few seconds whereas the same volume of retinal scans would take a human expert many hours and more probably days to complete.
Nevertheless, there are significant challenges that must be overcome before AI can take its place alongside eye specialists and physicians in the NHS and the health systems of other nations. Amongst the most controversial of these challenges is in the training of Ophthalmic AI Agents –AI companies need to obtain very large volumes of patient data, and this can be very difficult since patient data privacy and security is a major societal concern within liberal democracies. In the Developed World, AI researchers, healthcare professionals, physicians and scientists generally operate within a strict legal and regulatory framework that must be carefully adhered to. Infractions against the regulatory regimes can lead to loss of public trust and severe financial penalties for everyone involved. Recently, the UK company, DeepMind, perhaps the world’s foremost AI company, inappropriately received 1.6 million unmasked NHS patient data records. As a result they are now facing legal consequences that will impact the work they’ve been doing; work that is badly needed by the very same health system from where the data originated.
Healthcare researchers estimate that in 2020 there were 600 million patients across the world with distance vision impairment and they are now projecting that by 2050 this number will grow to 900 million. Practically speaking, there is no way any society can train a sufficient volume of eye specialists to address a 50% growth in this area of medical need – or in the countless other areas of medical need within any community and across the world – in such a short period given the length of time required to prepare specialists. This raises the solemn question of whether Artificial Intelligence can help address the problem. Most in the AI and healthcare industry believe the answer is yes.
Thankfully, there is a new technology that can be employed to ensure patient data privacy and security by locking the data in its original sequestered source. Then, an external digital switchboard or gateway can be used to aggregate and manage queries from a multitude of external but validated sources before any query is submitted to any confidential and secure patient datasets. These confidential patient health databases can then return key health data insights without any risk of compromising patient privacy and security. Non-Fungible Tokens [NFT’s] implemented using Blockchain technology are another mechanism that can be used to protect patient privacy and we can expect to see more such patient data privacy and security options in the near future. Thus, we can have a reasonable degree of confidence that the privacy and security challenge can be overcome and that AI researchers will have sufficient data to train their Agents.
Today, there may be several ways to apply a specific therapy depending upon distinct patient characteristics. There may also be a number of different therapies that can be administered for a given pathology. But until the physicians and specialists try there is no real way to know which modality or which therapy is best suited for a particular patient. But with the application of Artificial Intelligence, AI researchers, physicians and scientists are now working to simulate the various options and so they can know in advance of a physical procedure whether it will work and what if any potential problems they might encounter. AI can now enable us to conduct virtual trials with multiple variations of a particular procedure or technology while taking into account the relevant data, physics and patient physiology. They can then identify the procedural options with the highest probability of success and suitability for a particular patient. Furthermore, relative to conventional clinical trials, virtual trials are very inexpensive, and they are quick. At the cost of just a few tens of thousands of dollars and a period of only a few months physicians can have their answer whereas clinical trials can take several years and cost tens of millions of dollars.
The numerous advancements in the application of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare and the life sciences is expected to grow the healthcare market to $34.5B by 2027, up from $4B in 2020. However, there are many challenges ahead. Today, AI and Blockchain are the two most energy intensive of the 4th Industrial Revolution technologies. There are new sources of energy under development such as the recent advancement and proof of concept of fusion in Switzerland, but these will still take some time to develop. In the meantime, we can use DeepMind’s Artificial Intelligence to optimize energy consumption within energy intensive data centers, as well. Google is doing just this in its enormous data centers where they perform billions of searches every day.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. He has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 83 – https://youtu.be/vYSW-pceOQE
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Episode 84 – https://youtu.be/IBgF_oyCvpE
Artificial Intelligence & 21st Century Military Doctrine | Tora! Tora! Tora!
Episode 85 – https://youtu.be/sxGeIZSlYYo
Artificial Intelligence & Healthcare | A Revolution in the Making
February 6, 2022
Artificial Intelligence & 21st Century Military Doctrine | Tora! Tora! Tora!
Artificial Intelligence & 21st Century Military Doctrine | Tora! Tora! Tora!
Vicar Sayeedi
February 6, 2022
As Russia firms its plans for what now appears to be an imminent invasion in the Ukraine – perhaps as early as mid-February – it’s insightful to examine how this situation might compare to the situation some decades ago on the eve of the Japanese surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet, then stationed at Pearl Harbor. On that Sunday morning, in just under two hours, a Japanese formation of thirty ships, 12,000 men and 300 aircraft had managed the meticulous execution of an improbable mission that rendered the US Pacific Fleet essentially incapacitated, if only temporarily. In the words of some Japanese military officials soon after the attack, “it was a tactical success but a strategic failure.” But how might have things been different if either or both sides had the benefit of military grade AI as may now be the case in the pending Russia-Ukraine conflict?
Prior to the opening of imminent hostilities in various Ukrainian theatres of war, the Russian military will know how many troops are present on the battlefield, the accuracy, lethality, location, quantity and type of military hardware arrayed against them, the signaling and communications protocols and systems employed by Ukrainian troops and a detailed, dynamic mapping and surveillance of defensive and offensive strategies, tactics, terrain and troop movements. With help from Western allies, the Ukrainians may have similar intelligence capabilities. Significant portions of these capabilities will be enabled by Artificial Intelligence Agents capable of processing seemingly infinite volumes of data at near instantaneous speed and with a high degree of accuracy. Such battlefield military capability is a new chapter in a rapidly evolving 21st century doctrine of war and validating these capabilities is an important if not key objective of Russia’s pending invasion into Ukraine.
On December 7th, 2021, we commemorated the 80th anniversary of the surprise Japanese attack on the US Pacific Fleet then stationed at Pearl Harbor, on the southern coast of the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian archipelago. The anniversary offers a unique opportunity for reflection upon that day and the months and years leading up to it – what happened, why and how today’s technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, might have altered the outcome of what President Roosevelt had appropriately termed, “a day that will live in infamy.”
As a proxy for human intelligence, Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being employed in the theatre of war. With each passing day, AI’s capabilities to improve and increase the analysis, precision, quality and volume of intelligence gathering of the activities and planning of one’s enemies in advance of expected military conflict – as well as battlefield intelligence and knowledge once hostilities have begun – is unprecedented. As was the case with the technologies of the 1st Industrial Revolution and every Industrial Revolution thereafter, the technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution are being effectively employed in a destructive, dystopian manner.
In the period leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan had been at war with China and had claimed sovereignty over Manchuria in the far northeast of the country. The US Government was willing to recognize Japanese sovereignty over Manchuria if the Japanese would withdraw from other parts of China, but with a million Japanese soldiers already deployed to the Chinese mainland and having been at war there since 1937, the Japanese were not willing to abandon their investment or hard-won gains. They wanted to conquer even more of the country.
As a series of islands off the east coast of Asia, Japan was not self-sufficient in its domestic need for resources let alone the resources needed to prosecute war in theatres as large as China or Southeast Asia. So, with Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party’s conquest unfolding in Western Europe, Japan realized that the British colonies in Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore, the Dutch colonies in the East Indies [Indonesia], the French colonies in Indochina [Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam] and the American colony in the Philippines were all vulnerable. For all intents and purposes, these lands were defenseless – the American and European colonial territories were now essentially orphan nations as their colonial masters were busy with Nazi occupation of their own homeland or with naval conflict in the Atlantic.
During the years leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese military, with its roots in ancient Samurai culture, had brought down the nation’s civilian parliamentary democracy which had been led by Western educated Japanese politicians and technocrats. Since the times of feudal Japan, the military did not report to a civilian government, rather they reported to Japan’s Emperor. Together, the Emperor and military wanted to drive the Americans and Europeans out of East and Southeast Asia so they could establish their own Imperial rule. They believed Asia was for Asians and that conquest of the soon to be former European colonies would enable them to secure an abundant and steady supply of coal, oil, rubber, tin and many other commodities necessary to power their new industrial economy and territorial ambitions.
Thus, on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, at 7:53 AM, 30,000 US military personnel stationed at the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, were stirred from their slumber by a Japanese surprise air attack. Given the rapidly deteriorating political climate between the two countries, everyone in America expected that they would soon be at war with Japan, but no one, not even Husband Kimmel, the new Navy Admiral responsible for the US Pacific Fleet now permanently stationed in Hawaii, expected such an attack. It was a complete surprise as reported by the first Japanese bomber pilots as they broke through the early morning clouds high above the harbor and announced into the mouthpiece of their headsets, “TORA! TORA! TORA!” [tiger, tiger, tiger], indicating in code to their operation command and control center 220 miles out at sea that they had achieved their key objective: the element of surprise. Nearly the entire U.S. Pacific Fleet was in harbor that morning, neatly aligned for the imminent torpedo and bombing raid that would wreak havoc and devastation for the next two hours over the defenseless and sleepy harbor and naval base.
Japan’s Admiral Yamamoto had meticulously designed the high-risk plan to attack the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor and the execution of the plan was delegated to Admiral Nagumo – he would be charged with carrying out the precarious mission to destroy the Pacific Fleet. Nagumo would lead the entire Japanese Navy – thirty ships, including all six aircraft carriers, and over four hundred aircraft on this top-secret mission. Once the attack began, Nagumo launched 300 aircraft in two waves. They first attacked the airfields where all planes had been marshalled so they could be protected from sabotage by Japanese residents on the islands. The Japanese planes then turned their fire power on the neatly arranged ships in the harbor. Once their mission was complete, of the 300 aircraft Nagumo sent to drop bombs and torpedoes, 271 Japanese planes returned to their carriers idling 220 miles north of Pearl Harbor.
The US Pacific fleet was normally spread between the U.S. Navy’s ports at Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle but had been deployed to Pearl Harbor for joint training. A decision was then taken by President Roosevelt to permanently station the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, about twelve miles from Honolulu, to serve as a warning, in effect, a loaded gun pointed at the Japanese. Against an outcry from Admiral Richardson, the US Pacific Fleet’s current Commander, President Roosevelt insisted that the navy’s ships remain there as a deterrent. A volley of strong objections and an exchange of harsh words led to the dismissal of Admiral Richardson and the appointment of Admiral Husband Kimmel. Kimmel would now oversee the US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor.
Fortunately, some ships from the US Pacific Fleet had been moved to the Atlantic Fleet to support America’s European allies in their Atlantic conflict with the Nazi’s. Still more fortunately, all three of America’s new aircraft carriers were out at sea and thus unscathed by the December 7th assault. Nevertheless, 328 American aircraft were destroyed, whilst nineteen ships were severely damaged, and 2,403 servicemen were killed. In the single worst incident that morning, the forward ammunition magazine of the battleship, USS Arizona was hit during the assault resulting in the deaths of over 1100 sailors.
US Army General Short had been tasked with guarding the base surrounding the harbor and its numerous military assets. Since the Japanese were the largest minority group living in Hawaii, General Short feared they might sabotage the planes and other military assets on the base, so he issued an order to lock all anti-aircraft ammunition safely away. Short then ordered all planes placed in clear sight on the tarmac so they could best be protected from elements of subterfuge. Short never expected an attack from the air and so the men on the base were essentially defenseless once Admiral Nagumo’s air assault began. Most exposed planes were destroyed, and the American servicemen had no anti-aircraft ammunition to fight back against the waves of Japanese bombers and machine gunners.
Approximately one-half hour before bombing began at 7:53 AM, Admiral Kimmel received notice that the US Navy had neutralized a Japanese midget submarine just outside Pearl Harbor using a depth charge. But Kimmel didn’t believe the report – it didn’t make sense to him. He thought it was probably an erroneous report and so he ignored it.
A little while later, Admiral Nagumo and Yamamoto learned from the Japanese pilots that all three American aircraft carriers were not in Pearl Harbor during the assault. These carriers were a critical target along with the eight American battleships, which were in harbor and thus targeted. Yamamoto understood that missing the carriers was a major failure of the mission although most others still considered it a success. The Japanese planners also assumed the Pearl Harbor attack would serve to demoralize the American society, but they were wrong; the attack had had the opposite effect.
Given the immense volumes of data generated by satellites and many other modalities of intelligence data gathering today, it’s difficult for humans to monitor, process and extract actionable, meaningful intelligence. But with Artificial Intelligence, there is little doubt that a surprise attack such as the one realized at Pearl Harbor would not have been possible. In fact, if the Japanese had known that America’s aircraft carriers were not there, it is very unlikely that Admiral Yamamoto would have authorized the December 7th strike to proceed. No one in the Japanese naval intelligence service had any idea of what might be in the harbor that morning. They simply had no way of knowing so they could only hope for the best. But with the sophistication of satellite imagery and AI-enabled intelligence gathering today, the Japanese would have known what was there and where the missing aircraft carriers were, as well.
Further, General Short would have known through communications surveillance that there was a Japanese naval officer stationed in Oahu that was a spy. This naval officer could have been neutralized and the threat he posed, eliminated. Through AI-enabled communications surveillance, General Short would also have known that his fears regarding the loyalty of Japanese citizens on the island were misplaced. As such, he wouldn’t have placed all the aircraft on the tarmac where they then became prime targets for Japanese bombers.
Just after 7:00 AM on the morning of the attack, radar intelligence from the northern tip of the island had spotted a mass which they understood to be a large aircraft formation approaching from the north. But the early stage of radar technology at the time left officials confused. They assumed that the planes were American Navy aircraft. Today, AI-enabled automated surveillance would immediately have recognized these aircraft by their distinct characteristics and signatures relative to US military aircraft and would have alerted commanders that enemy aircraft were approaching.
Today, with the staggering volume of data from satellites and numerous other sources, we have more data than any human or group of humans could possibly process and screen for militarily or politically important value. But with Artificial Intelligence, these constant, enormous and near limitless volumes can be processed by AI Agents who experience no fatigue as they work around the clock to uncover signals of military and political significance and value.
With the use of contemporary technology, and AI in particular, the Japanese attack and subsequent attacks may have been planned very differently. Instead of 12,000 sailors, officers and pilots, perhaps only a fraction would have been required, whilst the rest could have been deployed in Manchuria and South Korea where Japan was engaged in military activity. Today, aircraft are increasingly automated with pilots serving in a monitoring and exception processing role. Planes can also be controlled remotely if necessary and weapons systems can be controlled and monitored in a similar manner. Reconnaissance can be performed to quickly determine whether objectives have been achieved or whether follow up targeting is required.
The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians in May of 2021, a mission dubbed Operation Guardian of the Walls by the Israeli military, may have been the precursor of what future warfare enabled by Artificial Intelligence might look like. This military engagement was the first time that AI took its place as the central component in the Command-and-Control apparatus of the Israel Defense Force. We may see similar reports from Ukraine in the near future.
Voluminous data gathered about Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip during the two years preceding Operation Guardian of the Walls was thoroughly analyzed by Israeli Artificial Intelligence. Commercially available AI technology was adapted by the Israeli military into an AI Agent that could extract intelligence in preparation for and during this conflict. A series of interdisciplinary AI algorithms code named Alchemist, Gospel and Depth of Wisdom aggregated and processed data gathered from geographic, human, signal and visual means to support IDF military operations in Gaza during the eleven-day incursion. During this time, the AI systems recommended hundreds of defensive and offensive strike targets to the IDF.
Israeli military commanders have argued that AI enabled intelligence gathering from satellites and other sources helped them shorten the duration of the engagement due to the rapid determination of key targets. Israel’s militarization of commercially available AI enabled the IDF to quickly launch hundreds of strikes against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket launch, manufacturing and storage sites, military intelligence centers, drones, personal residences of military commanders as well as Hamas’s naval commando unit. This resulted in the destruction of most of the naval commando unit’s infrastructure and weapons system including some of their autonomous GPS-guided submarines that were capable of carrying substantial amounts of explosives.
Israel’s advanced Artificial Intelligence capabilities were used by the IDF to process staggering volumes of data that Military Intelligence intercepts and collects from Gaza on a daily basis including telephone calls, text messages, surveillance camera footage, satellite images and a vast array of sensors in order to turn them into actionable intelligence. For example, where might a Hamas commander likely be found at a specific time. To gain a sense of scale of the amount of data being collected and processed by the AI Agents, the IDF said it estimates that during the course of the conflict, any given point in the Gaza Strip was photographed at least ten times each day.
Hamas’s underground tunnel network, known as The Metro by the Israeli military, was also heavily damaged by airstrikes during the course of the conflict. IDF sources say they were able to map the network, consisting of hundreds of kilometers of tunnels deep under residential areas, to a nearly intimate degree. There was little that they did not understand about these networks.
The mapping of The Metro was done using advancements in the use of Big Data to merge all the information into a cohesive and comprehensive understanding from which intelligence could then be extracted. Through this method, the IDF obtained a clear picture of the tunnel network both above and below ground including details such as depth, thickness and the orientation of the routes. Military planners and strategists then used this picture to construct an attack plan for the tunnel assault operation. The IDF acknowledges that the operation did not result in the destruction of the entire network, in fact, perhaps only one third of the tunnel was destroyed, but nevertheless, they believe that the degree of damage sustained is such that the network is no longer usable.
Another AI Agent deployed in the conflict and known by the IDF as The Alchemist alerted troops in the field to possible antitank attacks by Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. One IDF officer did die in the conflict, but the AI Agent probably saved many more from Palestinian antitank firepower directed at them.
The conflict offers a sense of just how powerful AI already is and its efficacy and potency are likely to only increase with the passage of time. Russia’s pending assault in the Ukraine will likely give us many new and perhaps unsettling insights.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. He has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 83 – https://youtu.be/vYSW-pceOQE
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Episode 84 – https://youtu.be/IBgF_oyCvpE
Artificial Intelligence & 21st Century Military Doctrine | Tora! Tora! Tora!
Vicar Sayeedi
February 6, 2022
As Russia firms its plans for what now appears to be an imminent invasion in the Ukraine – perhaps as early as mid-February – it’s insightful to examine how this situation might compare to the situation some decades ago on the eve of the Japanese surprise attack on the United States Pacific Fleet, then stationed at Pearl Harbor. On that Sunday morning, in just under two hours, a Japanese formation of thirty ships, 12,000 men and 300 aircraft had managed the meticulous execution of an improbable mission that rendered the US Pacific Fleet essentially incapacitated, if only temporarily. In the words of some Japanese military officials soon after the attack, “it was a tactical success but a strategic failure.” But how might have things been different if either or both sides had the benefit of military grade AI as may now be the case in the pending Russia-Ukraine conflict?
Prior to the opening of imminent hostilities in various Ukrainian theatres of war, the Russian military will know how many troops are present on the battlefield, the accuracy, lethality, location, quantity and type of military hardware arrayed against them, the signaling and communications protocols and systems employed by Ukrainian troops and a detailed, dynamic mapping and surveillance of defensive and offensive strategies, tactics, terrain and troop movements. With help from Western allies, the Ukrainians may have similar intelligence capabilities. Significant portions of these capabilities will be enabled by Artificial Intelligence Agents capable of processing seemingly infinite volumes of data at near instantaneous speed and with a high degree of accuracy. Such battlefield military capability is a new chapter in a rapidly evolving 21st century doctrine of war and validating these capabilities is an important if not key objective of Russia’s pending invasion into Ukraine.
On December 7th, 2021, we commemorated the 80th anniversary of the surprise Japanese attack on the US Pacific Fleet then stationed at Pearl Harbor, on the southern coast of the island of Oahu in the Hawaiian archipelago. The anniversary offers a unique opportunity for reflection upon that day and the months and years leading up to it – what happened, why and how today’s technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence, might have altered the outcome of what President Roosevelt had appropriately termed, “a day that will live in infamy.”
As a proxy for human intelligence, Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being employed in the theatre of war. With each passing day, AI’s capabilities to improve and increase the analysis, precision, quality and volume of intelligence gathering of the activities and planning of one’s enemies in advance of expected military conflict – as well as battlefield intelligence and knowledge once hostilities have begun – is unprecedented. As was the case with the technologies of the 1st Industrial Revolution and every Industrial Revolution thereafter, the technologies of the 4th Industrial Revolution are being effectively employed in a destructive, dystopian manner.
In the period leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan had been at war with China and had claimed sovereignty over Manchuria in the far northeast of the country. The US Government was willing to recognize Japanese sovereignty over Manchuria if the Japanese would withdraw from other parts of China, but with a million Japanese soldiers already deployed to the Chinese mainland and having been at war there since 1937, the Japanese were not willing to abandon their investment or hard-won gains. They wanted to conquer even more of the country.
As a series of islands off the east coast of Asia, Japan was not self-sufficient in its domestic need for resources let alone the resources needed to prosecute war in theatres as large as China or Southeast Asia. So, with Adolph Hitler and the Nazi Party’s conquest unfolding in Western Europe, Japan realized that the British colonies in Hong Kong, Malaya and Singapore, the Dutch colonies in the East Indies [Indonesia], the French colonies in Indochina [Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam] and the American colony in the Philippines were all vulnerable. For all intents and purposes, these lands were defenseless – the American and European colonial territories were now essentially orphan nations as their colonial masters were busy with Nazi occupation of their own homeland or with naval conflict in the Atlantic.
During the years leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese military, with its roots in ancient Samurai culture, had brought down the nation’s civilian parliamentary democracy which had been led by Western educated Japanese politicians and technocrats. Since the times of feudal Japan, the military did not report to a civilian government, rather they reported to Japan’s Emperor. Together, the Emperor and military wanted to drive the Americans and Europeans out of East and Southeast Asia so they could establish their own Imperial rule. They believed Asia was for Asians and that conquest of the soon to be former European colonies would enable them to secure an abundant and steady supply of coal, oil, rubber, tin and many other commodities necessary to power their new industrial economy and territorial ambitions.
Thus, on Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, at 7:53 AM, 30,000 US military personnel stationed at the US naval base at Pearl Harbor, were stirred from their slumber by a Japanese surprise air attack. Given the rapidly deteriorating political climate between the two countries, everyone in America expected that they would soon be at war with Japan, but no one, not even Husband Kimmel, the new Navy Admiral responsible for the US Pacific Fleet now permanently stationed in Hawaii, expected such an attack. It was a complete surprise as reported by the first Japanese bomber pilots as they broke through the early morning clouds high above the harbor and announced into the mouthpiece of their headsets, “TORA! TORA! TORA!” [tiger, tiger, tiger], indicating in code to their operation command and control center 220 miles out at sea that they had achieved their key objective: the element of surprise. Nearly the entire U.S. Pacific Fleet was in harbor that morning, neatly aligned for the imminent torpedo and bombing raid that would wreak havoc and devastation for the next two hours over the defenseless and sleepy harbor and naval base.
Japan’s Admiral Yamamoto had meticulously designed the high-risk plan to attack the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor and the execution of the plan was delegated to Admiral Nagumo – he would be charged with carrying out the precarious mission to destroy the Pacific Fleet. Nagumo would lead the entire Japanese Navy – thirty ships, including all six aircraft carriers, and over four hundred aircraft on this top-secret mission. Once the attack began, Nagumo launched 300 aircraft in two waves. They first attacked the airfields where all planes had been marshalled so they could be protected from sabotage by Japanese residents on the islands. The Japanese planes then turned their fire power on the neatly arranged ships in the harbor. Once their mission was complete, of the 300 aircraft Nagumo sent to drop bombs and torpedoes, 271 Japanese planes returned to their carriers idling 220 miles north of Pearl Harbor.
The US Pacific fleet was normally spread between the U.S. Navy’s ports at Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle but had been deployed to Pearl Harbor for joint training. A decision was then taken by President Roosevelt to permanently station the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, about twelve miles from Honolulu, to serve as a warning, in effect, a loaded gun pointed at the Japanese. Against an outcry from Admiral Richardson, the US Pacific Fleet’s current Commander, President Roosevelt insisted that the navy’s ships remain there as a deterrent. A volley of strong objections and an exchange of harsh words led to the dismissal of Admiral Richardson and the appointment of Admiral Husband Kimmel. Kimmel would now oversee the US Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor.
Fortunately, some ships from the US Pacific Fleet had been moved to the Atlantic Fleet to support America’s European allies in their Atlantic conflict with the Nazi’s. Still more fortunately, all three of America’s new aircraft carriers were out at sea and thus unscathed by the December 7th assault. Nevertheless, 328 American aircraft were destroyed, whilst nineteen ships were severely damaged, and 2,403 servicemen were killed. In the single worst incident that morning, the forward ammunition magazine of the battleship, USS Arizona was hit during the assault resulting in the deaths of over 1100 sailors.
US Army General Short had been tasked with guarding the base surrounding the harbor and its numerous military assets. Since the Japanese were the largest minority group living in Hawaii, General Short feared they might sabotage the planes and other military assets on the base, so he issued an order to lock all anti-aircraft ammunition safely away. Short then ordered all planes placed in clear sight on the tarmac so they could best be protected from elements of subterfuge. Short never expected an attack from the air and so the men on the base were essentially defenseless once Admiral Nagumo’s air assault began. Most exposed planes were destroyed, and the American servicemen had no anti-aircraft ammunition to fight back against the waves of Japanese bombers and machine gunners.
Approximately one-half hour before bombing began at 7:53 AM, Admiral Kimmel received notice that the US Navy had neutralized a Japanese midget submarine just outside Pearl Harbor using a depth charge. But Kimmel didn’t believe the report – it didn’t make sense to him. He thought it was probably an erroneous report and so he ignored it.
A little while later, Admiral Nagumo and Yamamoto learned from the Japanese pilots that all three American aircraft carriers were not in Pearl Harbor during the assault. These carriers were a critical target along with the eight American battleships, which were in harbor and thus targeted. Yamamoto understood that missing the carriers was a major failure of the mission although most others still considered it a success. The Japanese planners also assumed the Pearl Harbor attack would serve to demoralize the American society, but they were wrong; the attack had had the opposite effect.
Given the immense volumes of data generated by satellites and many other modalities of intelligence data gathering today, it’s difficult for humans to monitor, process and extract actionable, meaningful intelligence. But with Artificial Intelligence, there is little doubt that a surprise attack such as the one realized at Pearl Harbor would not have been possible. In fact, if the Japanese had known that America’s aircraft carriers were not there, it is very unlikely that Admiral Yamamoto would have authorized the December 7th strike to proceed. No one in the Japanese naval intelligence service had any idea of what might be in the harbor that morning. They simply had no way of knowing so they could only hope for the best. But with the sophistication of satellite imagery and AI-enabled intelligence gathering today, the Japanese would have known what was there and where the missing aircraft carriers were, as well.
Further, General Short would have known through communications surveillance that there was a Japanese naval officer stationed in Oahu that was a spy. This naval officer could have been neutralized and the threat he posed, eliminated. Through AI-enabled communications surveillance, General Short would also have known that his fears regarding the loyalty of Japanese citizens on the island were misplaced. As such, he wouldn’t have placed all the aircraft on the tarmac where they then became prime targets for Japanese bombers.
Just after 7:00 AM on the morning of the attack, radar intelligence from the northern tip of the island had spotted a mass which they understood to be a large aircraft formation approaching from the north. But the early stage of radar technology at the time left officials confused. They assumed that the planes were American Navy aircraft. Today, AI-enabled automated surveillance would immediately have recognized these aircraft by their distinct characteristics and signatures relative to US military aircraft and would have alerted commanders that enemy aircraft were approaching.
Today, with the staggering volume of data from satellites and numerous other sources, we have more data than any human or group of humans could possibly process and screen for militarily or politically important value. But with Artificial Intelligence, these constant, enormous and near limitless volumes can be processed by AI Agents who experience no fatigue as they work around the clock to uncover signals of military and political significance and value.
With the use of contemporary technology, and AI in particular, the Japanese attack and subsequent attacks may have been planned very differently. Instead of 12,000 sailors, officers and pilots, perhaps only a fraction would have been required, whilst the rest could have been deployed in Manchuria and South Korea where Japan was engaged in military activity. Today, aircraft are increasingly automated with pilots serving in a monitoring and exception processing role. Planes can also be controlled remotely if necessary and weapons systems can be controlled and monitored in a similar manner. Reconnaissance can be performed to quickly determine whether objectives have been achieved or whether follow up targeting is required.
The conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians in May of 2021, a mission dubbed Operation Guardian of the Walls by the Israeli military, may have been the precursor of what future warfare enabled by Artificial Intelligence might look like. This military engagement was the first time that AI took its place as the central component in the Command-and-Control apparatus of the Israel Defense Force. We may see similar reports from Ukraine in the near future.
Voluminous data gathered about Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the Gaza Strip during the two years preceding Operation Guardian of the Walls was thoroughly analyzed by Israeli Artificial Intelligence. Commercially available AI technology was adapted by the Israeli military into an AI Agent that could extract intelligence in preparation for and during this conflict. A series of interdisciplinary AI algorithms code named Alchemist, Gospel and Depth of Wisdom aggregated and processed data gathered from geographic, human, signal and visual means to support IDF military operations in Gaza during the eleven-day incursion. During this time, the AI systems recommended hundreds of defensive and offensive strike targets to the IDF.
Israeli military commanders have argued that AI enabled intelligence gathering from satellites and other sources helped them shorten the duration of the engagement due to the rapid determination of key targets. Israel’s militarization of commercially available AI enabled the IDF to quickly launch hundreds of strikes against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket launch, manufacturing and storage sites, military intelligence centers, drones, personal residences of military commanders as well as Hamas’s naval commando unit. This resulted in the destruction of most of the naval commando unit’s infrastructure and weapons system including some of their autonomous GPS-guided submarines that were capable of carrying substantial amounts of explosives.
Israel’s advanced Artificial Intelligence capabilities were used by the IDF to process staggering volumes of data that Military Intelligence intercepts and collects from Gaza on a daily basis including telephone calls, text messages, surveillance camera footage, satellite images and a vast array of sensors in order to turn them into actionable intelligence. For example, where might a Hamas commander likely be found at a specific time. To gain a sense of scale of the amount of data being collected and processed by the AI Agents, the IDF said it estimates that during the course of the conflict, any given point in the Gaza Strip was photographed at least ten times each day.
Hamas’s underground tunnel network, known as The Metro by the Israeli military, was also heavily damaged by airstrikes during the course of the conflict. IDF sources say they were able to map the network, consisting of hundreds of kilometers of tunnels deep under residential areas, to a nearly intimate degree. There was little that they did not understand about these networks.
The mapping of The Metro was done using advancements in the use of Big Data to merge all the information into a cohesive and comprehensive understanding from which intelligence could then be extracted. Through this method, the IDF obtained a clear picture of the tunnel network both above and below ground including details such as depth, thickness and the orientation of the routes. Military planners and strategists then used this picture to construct an attack plan for the tunnel assault operation. The IDF acknowledges that the operation did not result in the destruction of the entire network, in fact, perhaps only one third of the tunnel was destroyed, but nevertheless, they believe that the degree of damage sustained is such that the network is no longer usable.
Another AI Agent deployed in the conflict and known by the IDF as The Alchemist alerted troops in the field to possible antitank attacks by Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. One IDF officer did die in the conflict, but the AI Agent probably saved many more from Palestinian antitank firepower directed at them.
The conflict offers a sense of just how powerful AI already is and its efficacy and potency are likely to only increase with the passage of time. Russia’s pending assault in the Ukraine will likely give us many new and perhaps unsettling insights.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. He has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 83 – https://youtu.be/vYSW-pceOQE
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Episode 84 – https://youtu.be/IBgF_oyCvpE
Artificial Intelligence & 21st Century Military Doctrine | Tora! Tora! Tora!
January 28, 2022
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Part 2
Vicar Sayeedi
January 29, 2022
Over the past five years, rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence have been applied to solve many interesting, real-world problems. From applications in education and health, to radiology and social media, to natural language processing and speech synthesis, to lethal autonomous weapons systems, weather prediction and robotic surgery, and so much more, AI is accelerating progress across countless disciplines to a very impressive degree. But there is a consensus coalescing within the AI Thought Leader Community that recent advances in the application of AI in the complex and esoteric field of Structural Biology, specifically in the area of Protein Folding, may be AI’s greatest achievement to date. Protein Folding refers to the three-dimensional shape assumed by a protein before it begins life as a nanomachine in the human body. We’ll come back to this in just a minute.
DeepMind, a London firm acquired by Google in 2014, is perhaps the world’s preeminent AI company. On November 30, 2020, the firm published an article in the journal, ‘Nature’ confirming that they’d solved the previously insurmountable 50-year-old Protein Folding problem using a proprietary Deep Learning AI Agent known as AlphaFold. It was a shocking development that upended the world of Structural Biology. The implications of the publication were unprecedented, and they continue to reverberate across many disciplines today.
For the past fifty years, scientists have endlessly toiled over the Protein Folding problem in a never-ending struggle to understand the three-dimensional structure of protein nanomachines. It has been the grand challenge in Biology. In order to understand the final structure of proteins, scientists needed to make the protein production factory, the ribosome, express a sufficient quantity of a particular protein and then harness them before cajoling them to crystalize. This proved to be extremely challenging. If they succeeded in crystalizing a sufficient volume of these folded proteins, they could then use Xray Crystallography to better see and understand the folded structure. But it was common for this process to take years and sometimes even longer. In fact, many scientists have spent their entire careers and lives attempting to find the folded structures of various proteins. It would be far better if we could simply predict the three-dimensional Protein Folding structure by simply examining the string of amino acids involved.
At this point, most readers will undoubtedly be wondering why the three-dimensional shapes of these proteins are so important. Before we answer this question, let’s spend a minute to shape our understanding of what proteins are, how they’re made and what they do inside our bodies. Ribosomes are factories within our cells where twenty distinct amino acids are produced. Strings of these amino acids are linked together in unique ways to form proteins and then within a few milliseconds, physics intervenes to direct the final three-dimensional shape of the newly formed protein. There are twenty thousand distinct proteins in our bodies and each one folds into a distinct shape and thus has a different function. [Thus far, in nature we have identified approximately 100 million proteins.] These proteins can fold into 10 to the power 300 distinct three-dimensional structures [for reference, there are ten to the power eighty atoms in the known universe] and so, for all intents and purposes, this represents an infinite number of potential folded structures. Once folded, these proteins perform mechanical and chemical functions within cells throughout our bodies. Common proteins include hemoglobin which transports oxygen within red blood cells and insulin which metabolizes glucose.
In pharmacology, the three-dimensional folding pattern of a protein is crucial information. Once pharmaceutical scientists understand the folding pattern of a protein, they can design a chemical compound that can optimally bind itself to the protein in question in a very specific manner. This process, in effect, alters the protein’s function or disables it, thus preventing or intervening in potential pathology. So, we can see that rapidly understanding the pattern of Protein Folding is crucial in developing new prophylaxes and therapies. This is a revolutionary advancement that is expected to dramatically reduce the time required for the development of new drugs.
AlphaFold’s ability to accurately and rapidly predict Protein Folding structures is now improving our understanding of how to break down the plastics polluting our oceans, as well. These plastics are currently being deposited in our oceans at the rate of 10 million metric tons per year and with time they break into ever smaller parts due to sun and water erosion. They eventually turn into microplastics that are then ingested by marine life. Through this process, microplastics enter the food chain and so they are eventually consumed by humans. This of course can have impacts on human health that are not yet understood. AlphaFold’s ability to understand the three-dimensional shape of enzymes that are effective in breaking down plastics into their basic chemical components promises to have a great impact before these plastics can do further damage to marine ecosystems and eventually human life.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. He has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 83 – https://youtu.be/vYSW-pceOQE
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
Part 2
Vicar Sayeedi
January 29, 2022
Over the past five years, rapid advances in Artificial Intelligence have been applied to solve many interesting, real-world problems. From applications in education and health, to radiology and social media, to natural language processing and speech synthesis, to lethal autonomous weapons systems, weather prediction and robotic surgery, and so much more, AI is accelerating progress across countless disciplines to a very impressive degree. But there is a consensus coalescing within the AI Thought Leader Community that recent advances in the application of AI in the complex and esoteric field of Structural Biology, specifically in the area of Protein Folding, may be AI’s greatest achievement to date. Protein Folding refers to the three-dimensional shape assumed by a protein before it begins life as a nanomachine in the human body. We’ll come back to this in just a minute.
DeepMind, a London firm acquired by Google in 2014, is perhaps the world’s preeminent AI company. On November 30, 2020, the firm published an article in the journal, ‘Nature’ confirming that they’d solved the previously insurmountable 50-year-old Protein Folding problem using a proprietary Deep Learning AI Agent known as AlphaFold. It was a shocking development that upended the world of Structural Biology. The implications of the publication were unprecedented, and they continue to reverberate across many disciplines today.
For the past fifty years, scientists have endlessly toiled over the Protein Folding problem in a never-ending struggle to understand the three-dimensional structure of protein nanomachines. It has been the grand challenge in Biology. In order to understand the final structure of proteins, scientists needed to make the protein production factory, the ribosome, express a sufficient quantity of a particular protein and then harness them before cajoling them to crystalize. This proved to be extremely challenging. If they succeeded in crystalizing a sufficient volume of these folded proteins, they could then use Xray Crystallography to better see and understand the folded structure. But it was common for this process to take years and sometimes even longer. In fact, many scientists have spent their entire careers and lives attempting to find the folded structures of various proteins. It would be far better if we could simply predict the three-dimensional Protein Folding structure by simply examining the string of amino acids involved.
At this point, most readers will undoubtedly be wondering why the three-dimensional shapes of these proteins are so important. Before we answer this question, let’s spend a minute to shape our understanding of what proteins are, how they’re made and what they do inside our bodies. Ribosomes are factories within our cells where twenty distinct amino acids are produced. Strings of these amino acids are linked together in unique ways to form proteins and then within a few milliseconds, physics intervenes to direct the final three-dimensional shape of the newly formed protein. There are twenty thousand distinct proteins in our bodies and each one folds into a distinct shape and thus has a different function. [Thus far, in nature we have identified approximately 100 million proteins.] These proteins can fold into 10 to the power 300 distinct three-dimensional structures [for reference, there are ten to the power eighty atoms in the known universe] and so, for all intents and purposes, this represents an infinite number of potential folded structures. Once folded, these proteins perform mechanical and chemical functions within cells throughout our bodies. Common proteins include hemoglobin which transports oxygen within red blood cells and insulin which metabolizes glucose.
In pharmacology, the three-dimensional folding pattern of a protein is crucial information. Once pharmaceutical scientists understand the folding pattern of a protein, they can design a chemical compound that can optimally bind itself to the protein in question in a very specific manner. This process, in effect, alters the protein’s function or disables it, thus preventing or intervening in potential pathology. So, we can see that rapidly understanding the pattern of Protein Folding is crucial in developing new prophylaxes and therapies. This is a revolutionary advancement that is expected to dramatically reduce the time required for the development of new drugs.
AlphaFold’s ability to accurately and rapidly predict Protein Folding structures is now improving our understanding of how to break down the plastics polluting our oceans, as well. These plastics are currently being deposited in our oceans at the rate of 10 million metric tons per year and with time they break into ever smaller parts due to sun and water erosion. They eventually turn into microplastics that are then ingested by marine life. Through this process, microplastics enter the food chain and so they are eventually consumed by humans. This of course can have impacts on human health that are not yet understood. AlphaFold’s ability to understand the three-dimensional shape of enzymes that are effective in breaking down plastics into their basic chemical components promises to have a great impact before these plastics can do further damage to marine ecosystems and eventually human life.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. He has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 83 – https://youtu.be/vYSW-pceOQE
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Is Protein Folding Our Most Important Achievement?
January 25, 2022
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Part 1
Vicar Sayeedi
January 26, 2022
About seventy thousand years ago, Sapiens underwent what may best be described as a genetic mutation in our brains. This unprecedented change in our cognitive ability – the Cognitive or Intellectual Revolution – resulted in a transition for our species, Sapiens, from the middle of the food chain to the very top. Since that time, we have essentially dominated our planet. With the exception of natural phenomenon beyond our control, we have achieved a remarkable degree of agency over our own destiny.
As we enter this new year, humankind is steadily approaching the precipice of another extraordinary, profound and unprecedented intellectual revolution – the Age of AI. The dawn of the Age of AI will be the first event of this magnitude since the Cognitive Revolution. We will gradually enter a post-rational world, a sphere in which the primacy of human intelligence will soon be eclipsed by the primacy of Artificial Intelligence. This is extremely unsettling since, relative to all other species, the primacy of human intelligence has been our defining characteristic for seventy thousand years.
Despite the primordial status of human intelligence and our incomparable capacity for reason, there will soon be no rational comparison between human intelligence and the intellectual ability and processing capacity of AI. Using machine learning, AI Agents are being trained on what are, for all intents and purposes, infinite volumes of data and AI’s computational ability is orders of magnitude faster than the human mind. And AI is getting faster every day. For the first time in human history, we have created a proxy, a realistic substitute for human intelligence. As such, AI has eclipsed all our achievements leaving it alone as humankind’s greatest ever invention.
For nearly ten centuries, beginning with the sacking of Rome circa 410 CE, Western Europe entered a bleak period in its history. With the transition of the center of Roman governance eastward to Constantinople [Byzantium] to contend with the threats from the Persian Empire, virtually all classical knowledge accumulated from Greece and Rome in the West was lost. This new, Medieval Period was characterized by an endemic reliance upon dogma, mythology, supernatural ideas and superstitious explanations for experiences, phenomenon and observations humankind could not understand or otherwise explain. These irrational dogmas and mystical beliefs were institutionalized and perpetuated for centuries by the Church and were very effective in maintaining their authority and control over society.
But with the arrival of the Black Death in 1348, there was a dramatic fracturing of cultural norms along with social upheaval within the prevalent economic and political systems. For some time, intellectuals had begun to secretly question the teachings of the Church. Then, the dramatic loss of life and subsequent consequences of the Plague catalyzed the opportunity to exploit the chaotic new environment. These intellectuals now proposed their new rational ideas to each other more openly than ever before, and this laid the foundation for the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution.
Although six centuries have passed since humankind in the West embarked upon their ascent into the Age of Reason, many societies around the world have yet to make this transition. With the facilities for knowledge acquisition and transfer available today, antiquated societies can easily observe the successes attributed to rational attitudes and behavior within the cultures and polities of developed societies. Yet, their irrational and unsubstantiated religious dogmas, mythology, supernatural notions and superstitious characteristics remain interlaced and inextricably woven into the fabric of their ancient cultures. For them, self-reflection, introspection, reform and adaptation to modernity remain elusive.
But now the West is poised on the precipice of the 4th Industrial Revolution characterized by the rise of Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Computing and Data Science whilst these ancient societies remain trapped in their Medieval mindset. These ancient societies continue to struggle to accept and embrace the Age of Reason. There have been many dramatic events in Asia and Africa during these past six hundred years, important inflection points that may have provided the opportunity for revolutionary change in culture and polity. But these inflection points don’t seem to have had a similar effect in fracturing cultures and societal norms or economic and political systems in the manner that the Black Death did for the Western Europeans in the middle of the 14th century.
During the past six centuries, the intransigence of civilizations desperate to hold on to their Medieval culture in the face of so much change in other parts of the world, left millions of people extremely vulnerable to oppression. They endured terrible humiliation, injustice, subjugation and suffering as Colonialism, Imperialism and the Industrial Revolution unfurled across Western civilizations. As the Europeans embarked upon journeys of discovery and conquest across the oceans and onwards to the four corners of the Earth, they brought great suffering to the peoples of Africa, Asia and South America. Today, the worry amongst many public intellectuals is that a similar fate, or one even worse, awaits societies throughout the Developing World. The 4th Industrial Revolution and Artificial Intelligence are likely to remake society in a manner orders of magnitude more revolutionarily than what occurred in the wake of the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. History seems poised to repeat itself but perhaps this time more ferociously than during Colonialism.
Most citizens in both the Developed and Developing World still consider Artificial Intelligence to be nothing more than science fiction, a problem that they may someday need to contend with. Although this sentiment is understandable, it is also very dangerous. The Age of AI will be particularly worrisome when paired with Climate Change since environmental crises will likely add another layer of complexity and suffering to the evolving situation.
Climate Change is of course much more palpable, visceral and visible – we see video clips of massive glaciers collapsing into the Arctic Sea and we observe the suffering of billions of animals as their natural habitats are destroyed. We watch fires, flooding and torrential storms destroy human habitation, families, communities and entire villages and towns. But Artificial Intelligence is different than Climate Change. It is more akin to a silent killer – it resembles a colorless, odorless, invisible gas that slowly envelopes us and by the time we realize we’re being constricted by its unwelcome embrace, it’s too late to flee. The window of opportunity to plan for the revolutionary changes AI brings will also have closed.
During this decade, we expect 800 million people around the world will be adversely impacted by Climate Change. As their agricultural and pastoral lands in tropical regions of the planet are overwhelmed by the ravages of Climate Change, they will undoubtedly be forced to migrate from their homes to more temperate climates. This will result in unmanageable social upheaval in their new host nation as increasing numbers compete for jobs and other resources. To compound humankind’s challenge, labor economists in Germany have recently warned that during this decade, 800 million jobs are also vulnerable to the reality that Artificial Intelligence will replace human workers in part or in whole. Yet, we see very little discussion in our legislatures or by other elected officials to address these inescapable emerging realities.
Although largely unaware, most citizens around the world are already interacting with Artificial Intelligence numerous times each day. Each time they connect with social media – applications including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – they are unwittingly interacting with AI. The AI Agent that underpins these social media sites works incessantly to refine the personal profiles of billions of people around the world each time they connect. The Agent’s goal is to understand each person as intimately as possible so it can personalize their online experience with such precision that users find it difficult to disengage. In a matter of seconds after we launch our accounts for these various applications, the AI Agents display a unique and virtually infinite stream of news stories, photos and videos finely adapted for our specific interests and tastes.
Unfortunately, these AI Agents have no interest in ensuring that the information users are being presented with is accurate or truthful. Veracity is not their objective; engagement is. There is much discussion taking place in society about the damage caused by these social media applications, yet change is painfully slow to come. In the meantime, countless preteen girls are arriving in hospital emergency rooms where they are treated for attempts at self-harm. Teenage girls are being treated in adjacent rooms for attempting or contemplating suicide. The social media applications continuously show these young people images and videos of other young girls who seem to be physically desirable and perfect in every way as they go about celebrating their unimaginably perfect lives. The girls in the ER realize they cannot compare with these idealized young women and their inability to cope with this reality leads them to attempt various forms of self-harm.
Adults are also experiencing great harm from social media. They find themselves consumed by stories and videos that reinforce their biases by triggering the emotions and impulses in their Limbic system. Their news streams deliberately make them angry, anxious and frustrated since the AI Agent knows that this is the best way to keep them engaged. Once again, they may be receiving news, pictures and videos that are untrue and this is exacerbating the political divide in America and around the world. Social media has directly led to a degree of polarization within society along the lines of education, ethnicity, income and wealth inequality, race and rural versus urban communities to such an extent that nearly 70% of America’s electorate now say that the country’s democracy is in crisis.
Nevertheless, Artificial Intelligence is and will continue to have many positive benefits for individuals and society. AI is expected to revolutionize the rate at which new, more effective and safe drugs are developed for numerous illnesses. AI will likely result in dramatic cost reductions for the development of these drugs, as well. AI will also revolutionize health care as AI Agents with the knowledge of a highly trained physician establish residency on every individual’s iPhone or Smartwatch. Similarly, another AI Agent can accompany each and every student throughout their education and formative years to ensure that they are learning well. We’ll discuss these applications and more in Part 2 of this series of essays on the future of Artificial Intelligence.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
Part 1
Vicar Sayeedi
January 26, 2022
About seventy thousand years ago, Sapiens underwent what may best be described as a genetic mutation in our brains. This unprecedented change in our cognitive ability – the Cognitive or Intellectual Revolution – resulted in a transition for our species, Sapiens, from the middle of the food chain to the very top. Since that time, we have essentially dominated our planet. With the exception of natural phenomenon beyond our control, we have achieved a remarkable degree of agency over our own destiny.
As we enter this new year, humankind is steadily approaching the precipice of another extraordinary, profound and unprecedented intellectual revolution – the Age of AI. The dawn of the Age of AI will be the first event of this magnitude since the Cognitive Revolution. We will gradually enter a post-rational world, a sphere in which the primacy of human intelligence will soon be eclipsed by the primacy of Artificial Intelligence. This is extremely unsettling since, relative to all other species, the primacy of human intelligence has been our defining characteristic for seventy thousand years.
Despite the primordial status of human intelligence and our incomparable capacity for reason, there will soon be no rational comparison between human intelligence and the intellectual ability and processing capacity of AI. Using machine learning, AI Agents are being trained on what are, for all intents and purposes, infinite volumes of data and AI’s computational ability is orders of magnitude faster than the human mind. And AI is getting faster every day. For the first time in human history, we have created a proxy, a realistic substitute for human intelligence. As such, AI has eclipsed all our achievements leaving it alone as humankind’s greatest ever invention.
For nearly ten centuries, beginning with the sacking of Rome circa 410 CE, Western Europe entered a bleak period in its history. With the transition of the center of Roman governance eastward to Constantinople [Byzantium] to contend with the threats from the Persian Empire, virtually all classical knowledge accumulated from Greece and Rome in the West was lost. This new, Medieval Period was characterized by an endemic reliance upon dogma, mythology, supernatural ideas and superstitious explanations for experiences, phenomenon and observations humankind could not understand or otherwise explain. These irrational dogmas and mystical beliefs were institutionalized and perpetuated for centuries by the Church and were very effective in maintaining their authority and control over society.
But with the arrival of the Black Death in 1348, there was a dramatic fracturing of cultural norms along with social upheaval within the prevalent economic and political systems. For some time, intellectuals had begun to secretly question the teachings of the Church. Then, the dramatic loss of life and subsequent consequences of the Plague catalyzed the opportunity to exploit the chaotic new environment. These intellectuals now proposed their new rational ideas to each other more openly than ever before, and this laid the foundation for the Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution.
Although six centuries have passed since humankind in the West embarked upon their ascent into the Age of Reason, many societies around the world have yet to make this transition. With the facilities for knowledge acquisition and transfer available today, antiquated societies can easily observe the successes attributed to rational attitudes and behavior within the cultures and polities of developed societies. Yet, their irrational and unsubstantiated religious dogmas, mythology, supernatural notions and superstitious characteristics remain interlaced and inextricably woven into the fabric of their ancient cultures. For them, self-reflection, introspection, reform and adaptation to modernity remain elusive.
But now the West is poised on the precipice of the 4th Industrial Revolution characterized by the rise of Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Computing and Data Science whilst these ancient societies remain trapped in their Medieval mindset. These ancient societies continue to struggle to accept and embrace the Age of Reason. There have been many dramatic events in Asia and Africa during these past six hundred years, important inflection points that may have provided the opportunity for revolutionary change in culture and polity. But these inflection points don’t seem to have had a similar effect in fracturing cultures and societal norms or economic and political systems in the manner that the Black Death did for the Western Europeans in the middle of the 14th century.
During the past six centuries, the intransigence of civilizations desperate to hold on to their Medieval culture in the face of so much change in other parts of the world, left millions of people extremely vulnerable to oppression. They endured terrible humiliation, injustice, subjugation and suffering as Colonialism, Imperialism and the Industrial Revolution unfurled across Western civilizations. As the Europeans embarked upon journeys of discovery and conquest across the oceans and onwards to the four corners of the Earth, they brought great suffering to the peoples of Africa, Asia and South America. Today, the worry amongst many public intellectuals is that a similar fate, or one even worse, awaits societies throughout the Developing World. The 4th Industrial Revolution and Artificial Intelligence are likely to remake society in a manner orders of magnitude more revolutionarily than what occurred in the wake of the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution. History seems poised to repeat itself but perhaps this time more ferociously than during Colonialism.
Most citizens in both the Developed and Developing World still consider Artificial Intelligence to be nothing more than science fiction, a problem that they may someday need to contend with. Although this sentiment is understandable, it is also very dangerous. The Age of AI will be particularly worrisome when paired with Climate Change since environmental crises will likely add another layer of complexity and suffering to the evolving situation.
Climate Change is of course much more palpable, visceral and visible – we see video clips of massive glaciers collapsing into the Arctic Sea and we observe the suffering of billions of animals as their natural habitats are destroyed. We watch fires, flooding and torrential storms destroy human habitation, families, communities and entire villages and towns. But Artificial Intelligence is different than Climate Change. It is more akin to a silent killer – it resembles a colorless, odorless, invisible gas that slowly envelopes us and by the time we realize we’re being constricted by its unwelcome embrace, it’s too late to flee. The window of opportunity to plan for the revolutionary changes AI brings will also have closed.
During this decade, we expect 800 million people around the world will be adversely impacted by Climate Change. As their agricultural and pastoral lands in tropical regions of the planet are overwhelmed by the ravages of Climate Change, they will undoubtedly be forced to migrate from their homes to more temperate climates. This will result in unmanageable social upheaval in their new host nation as increasing numbers compete for jobs and other resources. To compound humankind’s challenge, labor economists in Germany have recently warned that during this decade, 800 million jobs are also vulnerable to the reality that Artificial Intelligence will replace human workers in part or in whole. Yet, we see very little discussion in our legislatures or by other elected officials to address these inescapable emerging realities.
Although largely unaware, most citizens around the world are already interacting with Artificial Intelligence numerous times each day. Each time they connect with social media – applications including Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube – they are unwittingly interacting with AI. The AI Agent that underpins these social media sites works incessantly to refine the personal profiles of billions of people around the world each time they connect. The Agent’s goal is to understand each person as intimately as possible so it can personalize their online experience with such precision that users find it difficult to disengage. In a matter of seconds after we launch our accounts for these various applications, the AI Agents display a unique and virtually infinite stream of news stories, photos and videos finely adapted for our specific interests and tastes.
Unfortunately, these AI Agents have no interest in ensuring that the information users are being presented with is accurate or truthful. Veracity is not their objective; engagement is. There is much discussion taking place in society about the damage caused by these social media applications, yet change is painfully slow to come. In the meantime, countless preteen girls are arriving in hospital emergency rooms where they are treated for attempts at self-harm. Teenage girls are being treated in adjacent rooms for attempting or contemplating suicide. The social media applications continuously show these young people images and videos of other young girls who seem to be physically desirable and perfect in every way as they go about celebrating their unimaginably perfect lives. The girls in the ER realize they cannot compare with these idealized young women and their inability to cope with this reality leads them to attempt various forms of self-harm.
Adults are also experiencing great harm from social media. They find themselves consumed by stories and videos that reinforce their biases by triggering the emotions and impulses in their Limbic system. Their news streams deliberately make them angry, anxious and frustrated since the AI Agent knows that this is the best way to keep them engaged. Once again, they may be receiving news, pictures and videos that are untrue and this is exacerbating the political divide in America and around the world. Social media has directly led to a degree of polarization within society along the lines of education, ethnicity, income and wealth inequality, race and rural versus urban communities to such an extent that nearly 70% of America’s electorate now say that the country’s democracy is in crisis.
Nevertheless, Artificial Intelligence is and will continue to have many positive benefits for individuals and society. AI is expected to revolutionize the rate at which new, more effective and safe drugs are developed for numerous illnesses. AI will likely result in dramatic cost reductions for the development of these drugs, as well. AI will also revolutionize health care as AI Agents with the knowledge of a highly trained physician establish residency on every individual’s iPhone or Smartwatch. Similarly, another AI Agent can accompany each and every student throughout their education and formative years to ensure that they are learning well. We’ll discuss these applications and more in Part 2 of this series of essays on the future of Artificial Intelligence.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In April 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard Square.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Episode 82 – https://youtu.be/mP-r_0pS3P8
Artificial Intelligence in 2022 | Where are We Now and What Does the Future Hold?
January 15, 2022
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Vicar Sayeedi
January 15, 2022
The world is in turmoil. From China’s numerous conflicts with its neighbors in the Far East – as well as with minority communities within its own borders – to extreme political polarization in America and the West, there is conflict between people and their governments and between various factions within societies. What on Earth is going on and what can we do about this intraplanetary turmoil? We urgently need to deconstruct our situation and understand the components contributing to this crisis before they trigger events that everyone will regret.
At an atomic level, the world is currently in the midst of a period characterized by tremendous change. The pace of this change and the various domains within society undergoing significant upheaval are unprecedented in the history of humankind. The major forces responsible for this turmoil include the arrival of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies – Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Computing [both Quantum and Super] and Data Science – as well as Climate Change and unplanned immigration. We will need to understand the nature of this precarious situation and how these factors are interacting to exacerbate the problem if we are to have a chance to manage it and thus prevent the worst possible outcomes.
Let’s begin by examining immigration: America is recognized in the Developed World as the single best place to be a minority. With the exception of the African American Community, America has historically done an outstanding job at integrating immigrants. With its long-standing tradition of pluralism and tolerance, no other Western society has come close. But the rate of American immigration over the past 25-30 years has exceeded the rate at which America has been able to assimilate its new arrivals. Many Whites of European descent who have lived in America for generations have found the rate of societal change resulting from unchecked immigration to be alarming – they see changes to culture and society occurring at a rate that now makes them feel like outsiders in communities where they, their families and friends have lived for generations. These unsettled feelings manifest themselves in the political sphere – polarization within American society has now reached a level that renders our political system nearly dysfunctional. A January 2022 NPR/Ipsos poll found that nearly 70% of Americans now believe America’s democracy is in crisis. This disturbing consensus puts our long-standing tradition of liberal democracy at real risk of collapse.
The rate of change in the labor markets as a result of the commercialization and adoption of an ever-increasing volume of advanced science and technology is also a major contributor to the unsettled state of America and the world today. In 2020, labor economists in Germany forecast that during our current decade, 800 million jobs will be adversely affected by Artificial Intelligence. In the past, changes in the workplace resulted in the elimination of certain jobs balanced by the creation of many new ones. But with the arrival of AI, Automation & Robotics many of the new jobs require education and skills that redundant workers simply do not have and are largely incapable of acquiring. Consequently, they must accept low wage jobs in fields such as freight transport, hospitality or order fulfillment at Amazon warehouses. This situation is proving to be socially very destructive. It tears at our social fabric since such a change goes to the very heart of a worker’s identity – a person’s professional occupation is central to the definition of who they are.
Climate Change is also a critical factor underlying the unsettled state of our world. Climate Scientists are warning that during the course of the present decade, 800 million people around the world – over 10% of humankind – will be adversely affected by Climate Change. Their agricultural and pastoral lands will increasingly be unfit for purpose and their homelands will no longer support human habitation. These developments will likely trigger waves of mass migration from tropical to temperate climates. Such a situation will further exacerbate an already difficult immigration problem in many countries where both government and society are unable to cope with social upheaval resulting from unmanageable competition for employment opportunities, social services, housing and so many other increasingly scarce resources.
Historically, the slowest moving institutions in the world to adapt to change have been educational institutions, government agencies & bureaucracies and religious institutions. But with the arrival of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies combined with Climate Change induced migration, the inability of these institutions to reflect upon so much change in a timely manner and then reform themselves so they can adapt to the new realities and thus lead society, is a major contributor to the intraplanetary implosion we are collectively experiencing. The institutions we normally turn to in times of crisis are themselves collapsing under the crushing weight of so much change. They are simply unprepared to lead communities and society in the 21st century.
With no place for people to turn for help or guidance in such a frightening environment, demagogues [Bolsonaro in Brazil, Erdogan in Turkey, Modi in India, Orban in Hungary, Trump in America] who leverage Populism as a strategy to enter government [as modeled by the National Socialist Party of Germany in the 1930’s, the Nazis] will take advantage of the chaos and instability to pursue dangerous agendas and nostalgic fantasies. The tactics of these demagogues will turn groups of citizens and nations against one another whilst simultaneously cementing their own power in the process. These disturbing trends will herald the end of liberal democracies.
In summary, we are in the midst of an intraplanetary slow motion train wreck that will likely have calamitous consequences for humankind. Yet so far, there seem to be no adults in the room with any plan to manage the turbulence and upheaval. We are living through dangerous and unprecedented times.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In Spring, 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard and MIT.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
Vicar Sayeedi
January 15, 2022
The world is in turmoil. From China’s numerous conflicts with its neighbors in the Far East – as well as with minority communities within its own borders – to extreme political polarization in America and the West, there is conflict between people and their governments and between various factions within societies. What on Earth is going on and what can we do about this intraplanetary turmoil? We urgently need to deconstruct our situation and understand the components contributing to this crisis before they trigger events that everyone will regret.
At an atomic level, the world is currently in the midst of a period characterized by tremendous change. The pace of this change and the various domains within society undergoing significant upheaval are unprecedented in the history of humankind. The major forces responsible for this turmoil include the arrival of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies – Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Computing [both Quantum and Super] and Data Science – as well as Climate Change and unplanned immigration. We will need to understand the nature of this precarious situation and how these factors are interacting to exacerbate the problem if we are to have a chance to manage it and thus prevent the worst possible outcomes.
Let’s begin by examining immigration: America is recognized in the Developed World as the single best place to be a minority. With the exception of the African American Community, America has historically done an outstanding job at integrating immigrants. With its long-standing tradition of pluralism and tolerance, no other Western society has come close. But the rate of American immigration over the past 25-30 years has exceeded the rate at which America has been able to assimilate its new arrivals. Many Whites of European descent who have lived in America for generations have found the rate of societal change resulting from unchecked immigration to be alarming – they see changes to culture and society occurring at a rate that now makes them feel like outsiders in communities where they, their families and friends have lived for generations. These unsettled feelings manifest themselves in the political sphere – polarization within American society has now reached a level that renders our political system nearly dysfunctional. A January 2022 NPR/Ipsos poll found that nearly 70% of Americans now believe America’s democracy is in crisis. This disturbing consensus puts our long-standing tradition of liberal democracy at real risk of collapse.
The rate of change in the labor markets as a result of the commercialization and adoption of an ever-increasing volume of advanced science and technology is also a major contributor to the unsettled state of America and the world today. In 2020, labor economists in Germany forecast that during our current decade, 800 million jobs will be adversely affected by Artificial Intelligence. In the past, changes in the workplace resulted in the elimination of certain jobs balanced by the creation of many new ones. But with the arrival of AI, Automation & Robotics many of the new jobs require education and skills that redundant workers simply do not have and are largely incapable of acquiring. Consequently, they must accept low wage jobs in fields such as freight transport, hospitality or order fulfillment at Amazon warehouses. This situation is proving to be socially very destructive. It tears at our social fabric since such a change goes to the very heart of a worker’s identity – a person’s professional occupation is central to the definition of who they are.
Climate Change is also a critical factor underlying the unsettled state of our world. Climate Scientists are warning that during the course of the present decade, 800 million people around the world – over 10% of humankind – will be adversely affected by Climate Change. Their agricultural and pastoral lands will increasingly be unfit for purpose and their homelands will no longer support human habitation. These developments will likely trigger waves of mass migration from tropical to temperate climates. Such a situation will further exacerbate an already difficult immigration problem in many countries where both government and society are unable to cope with social upheaval resulting from unmanageable competition for employment opportunities, social services, housing and so many other increasingly scarce resources.
Historically, the slowest moving institutions in the world to adapt to change have been educational institutions, government agencies & bureaucracies and religious institutions. But with the arrival of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies combined with Climate Change induced migration, the inability of these institutions to reflect upon so much change in a timely manner and then reform themselves so they can adapt to the new realities and thus lead society, is a major contributor to the intraplanetary implosion we are collectively experiencing. The institutions we normally turn to in times of crisis are themselves collapsing under the crushing weight of so much change. They are simply unprepared to lead communities and society in the 21st century.
With no place for people to turn for help or guidance in such a frightening environment, demagogues [Bolsonaro in Brazil, Erdogan in Turkey, Modi in India, Orban in Hungary, Trump in America] who leverage Populism as a strategy to enter government [as modeled by the National Socialist Party of Germany in the 1930’s, the Nazis] will take advantage of the chaos and instability to pursue dangerous agendas and nostalgic fantasies. The tactics of these demagogues will turn groups of citizens and nations against one another whilst simultaneously cementing their own power in the process. These disturbing trends will herald the end of liberal democracies.
In summary, we are in the midst of an intraplanetary slow motion train wreck that will likely have calamitous consequences for humankind. Yet so far, there seem to be no adults in the room with any plan to manage the turbulence and upheaval. We are living through dangerous and unprecedented times.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In Spring, 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard and MIT.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Episode 81 – https://youtu.be/Z5ZvMYuNhLQ
AI, Climate Change & Migration | Sowing the Seeds of Intraplanetary Discord
January 10, 2022
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Vicar Sayeedi
January 10, 2022
Humans tend to disagree with one another for various reasons and these disagreements often lead to acrimony and sometimes worse. Historically, large scale disagreements have erupted into violent conflict followed by tremendous death, destruction and suffering, often for millions or even tens of millions of innocents. These dreadful conflicts first began with the arrival of the Agricultural Revolution – once humans began living in much closer proximity to one another – and have continued ever since.
Perhaps more than any other, there seem to be two primary reasons for disagreement between individuals, communities and societies that lead to conflicts, both large and small. The first of these is Objectivism versus Tribalism and the second can best be characterized by the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Let’s look at each of these in turn.
Objectivism is the pursuit of rational truths about humankind’s attributes, achievements, culture, events, history and environment without any consideration to factors including clan, ethnicity, nationality, political agendas, race, religion, tribe, etc. Thus, the pursuit of objective truths is a reasoned activity that is completely agnostic to any factor not directly related to the truth. As such, Objectivism is quite different from Tribalism. Tribalism is also interested in attributes, achievements, culture, events, history, etc. but in a considerably more limited way. In Tribalism, we tend to amplify and magnify our positive attributes and achievements whilst simultaneously attenuating or obfuscating our negative attributes and failures. Tribalism continues by amplifying and magnifying the negative attributes and failings of the “other” whilst simultaneously attenuating and obfuscating their positive attributes and achievements.
The second reason for disagreement, as characterized by the Dunning-Kruger Effect, is somewhat more nuanced. The Dunning-Kruger Effect is essentially a curve plotted on a two-dimensional diagram with an x and y axis. Along the x-axis we measure time and along the y-axis we measure confidence. The Dunning-Kruger Effect demonstrates that when we initially acquire a small amount of knowledge about a subject, our confidence quickly escalates to an irrationally high level – we seem to believe we genuinely understand and have mastered the issue at hand. However, at this point, what we really possess is merely the illusion of knowledge and not knowledge itself.
Now if we continue to spend time with the subject or issue in question, we gradually realize that there’s quite a lot to know and as a result our confidence begins to collapse. It descends deep into a valley near the bottom of the Dunning-Kruger curve. However, if we remain engaged with the subject and commit to deep learning – reading books and listening to lectures on the subject, thinking, writing and experimenting – then, with time, as our knowledge increases, our confidence gradually begins to recover, as well. Since we now realize how vast our subject is, our confidence never returns to the lofty levels once breached when we first discovered the subject. This is because that confidence was related to the illusion of knowledge and was thus terribly misplaced.
With the arrival of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies, specifically Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing [Quantum and Super], we increasingly have the tools to help us mitigate these two difficult and perennial problems that have incited so much conflict between people for thousands of years and to finally rise above them. Alternatively, the very same wondrous technologies can be used to dramatically exacerbate long-standing divisions between us. Unfortunately, the heightening of such divisions is in fact what we are now experiencing.
Today, Artificial Intelligence is a proxy or substitute for human intelligence. This is an extraordinary claim to put forth, and it’s the first time in several million years of hominin evolution that we can credibly make such a profound statement. Nevertheless, it is an objective truth. When an individual launches their Facebook or YouTube application on their Smartphone, in less than one or two seconds, Artificial Intelligence – this new substitute for human intelligence that is one million times faster than we are and can grasp limitless volumes of information and detail – has prepared a fully customized news stream specifically optimized for their disposition.
In the past, following the commercialization of Johannes Gutenberg’s Printing Press over five centuries ago, newspapers began to appear in town centers throughout Europe. Some publications represented a conservative viewpoint whilst others represented a more progressive perspective. Some newspapers even represented ultraconservative or ultraprogressive perspectives. But the notion of a customized newspaper designed just for a single individual in real time and based upon their distinct profile was not something we could have imagined. Yet, it is now our lived reality. AI knows that photos, stories and videos that agitate, anger, frustrate or otherwise provoke emotional and impulsive responses are the ones most likely to keep us engaged and therefore this is what they will embed in our news stream. They are actively attacking our Mammalian Brain, our Limbic System. That is the target.
Today, we are experiencing a dramatic increase in conflict because the Artificial Intelligence Agents underpinning our social media sites are fully agnostic to the veracity of the news stories and videos they continuously populate our news stream with. In fact, the AI Agent’s singular objective is to maximize our engagement with the site we’ve visited. Therefore, our need for Objectivism and our need to progress along the Dunning-Kruger curve are actively being thwarted by AI Agents underpinning today’s social media, since these are the primary sources of knowledge for the vast majority of the population.
Unfortunately, neither truths nor the negative consequences of perpetuating disinformation are taken into consideration by these social media sites, regardless of the consequences. But the situation doesn’t have to be this way. We have the technical ability to instruct the AI Agents underpinning social media to ensure that the photos, texts and videos populating our news streams are authentic and that they are balanced, complete, objective and truthful in the messages they are conveying.
Artificial Intelligence is the most powerful technology humankind has ever invented and as such it has the power to be used for immense good or for immense harm. But when it is extremely profitable to use AI in a harmful way, it takes tremendous effort to ensure that those who wield these powerful and very dangerous tools, do so responsibly. It is up to the economic and political leaders of society to ensure that these tools are employed within guardrails that prevent abuse and harm to society. Thus far, our leaders are failing badly.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In Spring, 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard and MIT.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
Vicar Sayeedi
January 10, 2022
Humans tend to disagree with one another for various reasons and these disagreements often lead to acrimony and sometimes worse. Historically, large scale disagreements have erupted into violent conflict followed by tremendous death, destruction and suffering, often for millions or even tens of millions of innocents. These dreadful conflicts first began with the arrival of the Agricultural Revolution – once humans began living in much closer proximity to one another – and have continued ever since.
Perhaps more than any other, there seem to be two primary reasons for disagreement between individuals, communities and societies that lead to conflicts, both large and small. The first of these is Objectivism versus Tribalism and the second can best be characterized by the Dunning-Kruger Effect. Let’s look at each of these in turn.
Objectivism is the pursuit of rational truths about humankind’s attributes, achievements, culture, events, history and environment without any consideration to factors including clan, ethnicity, nationality, political agendas, race, religion, tribe, etc. Thus, the pursuit of objective truths is a reasoned activity that is completely agnostic to any factor not directly related to the truth. As such, Objectivism is quite different from Tribalism. Tribalism is also interested in attributes, achievements, culture, events, history, etc. but in a considerably more limited way. In Tribalism, we tend to amplify and magnify our positive attributes and achievements whilst simultaneously attenuating or obfuscating our negative attributes and failures. Tribalism continues by amplifying and magnifying the negative attributes and failings of the “other” whilst simultaneously attenuating and obfuscating their positive attributes and achievements.
The second reason for disagreement, as characterized by the Dunning-Kruger Effect, is somewhat more nuanced. The Dunning-Kruger Effect is essentially a curve plotted on a two-dimensional diagram with an x and y axis. Along the x-axis we measure time and along the y-axis we measure confidence. The Dunning-Kruger Effect demonstrates that when we initially acquire a small amount of knowledge about a subject, our confidence quickly escalates to an irrationally high level – we seem to believe we genuinely understand and have mastered the issue at hand. However, at this point, what we really possess is merely the illusion of knowledge and not knowledge itself.
Now if we continue to spend time with the subject or issue in question, we gradually realize that there’s quite a lot to know and as a result our confidence begins to collapse. It descends deep into a valley near the bottom of the Dunning-Kruger curve. However, if we remain engaged with the subject and commit to deep learning – reading books and listening to lectures on the subject, thinking, writing and experimenting – then, with time, as our knowledge increases, our confidence gradually begins to recover, as well. Since we now realize how vast our subject is, our confidence never returns to the lofty levels once breached when we first discovered the subject. This is because that confidence was related to the illusion of knowledge and was thus terribly misplaced.
With the arrival of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies, specifically Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Computing [Quantum and Super], we increasingly have the tools to help us mitigate these two difficult and perennial problems that have incited so much conflict between people for thousands of years and to finally rise above them. Alternatively, the very same wondrous technologies can be used to dramatically exacerbate long-standing divisions between us. Unfortunately, the heightening of such divisions is in fact what we are now experiencing.
Today, Artificial Intelligence is a proxy or substitute for human intelligence. This is an extraordinary claim to put forth, and it’s the first time in several million years of hominin evolution that we can credibly make such a profound statement. Nevertheless, it is an objective truth. When an individual launches their Facebook or YouTube application on their Smartphone, in less than one or two seconds, Artificial Intelligence – this new substitute for human intelligence that is one million times faster than we are and can grasp limitless volumes of information and detail – has prepared a fully customized news stream specifically optimized for their disposition.
In the past, following the commercialization of Johannes Gutenberg’s Printing Press over five centuries ago, newspapers began to appear in town centers throughout Europe. Some publications represented a conservative viewpoint whilst others represented a more progressive perspective. Some newspapers even represented ultraconservative or ultraprogressive perspectives. But the notion of a customized newspaper designed just for a single individual in real time and based upon their distinct profile was not something we could have imagined. Yet, it is now our lived reality. AI knows that photos, stories and videos that agitate, anger, frustrate or otherwise provoke emotional and impulsive responses are the ones most likely to keep us engaged and therefore this is what they will embed in our news stream. They are actively attacking our Mammalian Brain, our Limbic System. That is the target.
Today, we are experiencing a dramatic increase in conflict because the Artificial Intelligence Agents underpinning our social media sites are fully agnostic to the veracity of the news stories and videos they continuously populate our news stream with. In fact, the AI Agent’s singular objective is to maximize our engagement with the site we’ve visited. Therefore, our need for Objectivism and our need to progress along the Dunning-Kruger curve are actively being thwarted by AI Agents underpinning today’s social media, since these are the primary sources of knowledge for the vast majority of the population.
Unfortunately, neither truths nor the negative consequences of perpetuating disinformation are taken into consideration by these social media sites, regardless of the consequences. But the situation doesn’t have to be this way. We have the technical ability to instruct the AI Agents underpinning social media to ensure that the photos, texts and videos populating our news streams are authentic and that they are balanced, complete, objective and truthful in the messages they are conveying.
Artificial Intelligence is the most powerful technology humankind has ever invented and as such it has the power to be used for immense good or for immense harm. But when it is extremely profitable to use AI in a harmful way, it takes tremendous effort to ensure that those who wield these powerful and very dangerous tools, do so responsibly. It is up to the economic and political leaders of society to ensure that these tools are employed within guardrails that prevent abuse and harm to society. Thus far, our leaders are failing badly.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well. In Spring, 2022, Vicar will be lecturing at Cambridge Library adjacent to Harvard and MIT.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Episode 80 – https://youtu.be/bewLnveVpDI
AI & Human Conflict | Objectivism, Tribalism & the Dunning-Kruger Effect
January 7, 2022
AI & Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
AI & Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Vicar Sayeedi
January 8, 2022
Disinformation, or its contemporary moniker, ‘fake news’, isn’t a new phenomenon. In fact, it’s something that humankind has lived with for centuries and millennia. Since the beginning of human history and continuing right through the Middle Ages [Medieval Period], disinformation was perpetuated via gossip in the Royal Courts and similarly, in the marketplace. It was also employed by generals and politicians to gain strategic or tactical advantage in battles or in negotiations.
Since the Renaissance and the commercialization of the Gutenberg Printing Press, some books arriving in the marketplace contained outright falsehoods, but people believed them because they trusted everything in print. They’d read certain fallacies in a book, a brochure or on a poster but because of the hallowed aura surrounding books in their culture, they couldn’t accept that these were falsehoods. Historically, most cultures have had great reverence for texts and for those who engage in writing them, so they implicitly trusted any information rendered in print. Before the Gutenberg Printing Press, codices [handwritten, handbound and hand-decorated volumes] were the exclusive purview of the Aristocracy, the Church and Royals – the nobility of society – and as such, virtually all people held these codices in the highest esteem and as beyond reproach. Questioning the veracity of texts was never a consideration.
But as society transitioned from the Renaissance and into the Modern Period, they gradually learned to question the source of the information in books. One way for them to do this was to question the credibility of the publisher of a book, magazine or newspaper. If information came to them via a reputable publisher, or some other credible institution, citizens learned to expect that the information in them was probably reliable and truthful. But other sources of information – tabloids and other salacious forms of journalism – continued to permeate the marketplace and were broadly recognized and understood by society to be embellished truths or outright falsehoods.
During the Middle Ages, Heinrich Kramer, a German Catholic Clergyman from Speyer wrote a book titled, “The Hammer of the Witch”, or in Latin, “Malleus Maleficarum”. It was a “do it yourself” manual on how to identify, capture, torture, interrogate and then murder someone suspected of being a witch. Given the apparent proliferation of witches during that era, it seems everyone needed their own copy for their household and so “Malleus Maeficarum” became a best seller. People genuinely believed in witches and thus the book had great value in society. Of course, the entire episode surrounding witches was irrational and utter disinformation, but it didn’t matter since so many people believed it, despite the efforts of many of society’s leaders to reason with them. Until society eventually accepted that the notion of witchcraft was an outright falsehood, many thousands of innocent women faced terrible inquisitions and ordeals before finally being put to death. “Malleus Maleficarum” taught their executioners how.
The situation in those times is not unlike our present reality in which people trust news or other information because it’s being presented to them on the Internet, via their social media news stream or via their WhatsApp message stream. For them, the Internet is held with the same reverence as books and codices were by their forbears five centuries ago. But today, something is very different and that something is Artificial Intelligence. AI is a proxy or substitute for human intelligence – wherever human intelligence is required, AI can step in, and it can do so with a level of performance that increases with each passing day. As a result, there’s been a fundamental change in how the decision is made on which news stories and current events we are presented with on the various digital platforms we commonly use, and that change has been brought about following the introduction of Artificial Intelligence in social media.
The most credible, powerful and technically sophisticated platforms including Facebook, Google Search and YouTube deliberately mislead hundreds of millions of people around the world with near impunity and they do so for commercial benefit. The objective of these Tech giants is to keep users [ordinary citizens] engaged on their platform for as long as possible so they can continue to collect information about them with an end goal of perpetually refining user profiles. This enables the companies to increase the value of these profiles to potential advertisers whilst simultaneously serving them with advertisements.
The Artificial Intelligence enabled algorithms behind these social media platforms have learned that tailoring each individual user’s news stream with news, images and videos [essentially preparing a customized, dynamic newspaper for each user] that makes them angry, agitated or excited is very effective in maximizing the time they will spend on these platforms. Consequently, the platform user gets trapped in echo chambers where they continue to hear stories and see videos that align with the narrative that they are most comfortable with, regardless of whether that narrative or any supporting stories they’re receiving are true. Unfortunately, the goal of the AI Agents behind the platforms isn’t to ensure that society is presented with balanced, objective or truthful stories – the function of the 4th Estate – but simply to maximize user engagement, and thus profitability. Perhaps most alarming is that it isn’t unsophisticated tabloid journals that are perpetuating disinformation throughout society, but rather it’s the work of the most advanced, sophisticated and wealthiest technological institutions in the world who have deftly avoided accountability – they move so quickly that the damage has often been done long before legislators and regulators begin to understand the consequences.
There are many fault lines in American society today: culture, education, income, race and rural versus urban lifestyle are the major ones. But regardless of which individual fault line or set of fault lines trouble a particular individual or community, the use of AI in social media is exacerbating societal divisions and tensions to a point where there is no possibility of people from different sides of these fault lines to engage with one another and talk about their differences. They are now so filled with hate towards each other that reconciliation seems impossible.
The owners of and investors in AI-enabled social media platforms are the richest companies in the history of commerce, and they have no incentive to change their ways. The cozy financial relationship between these firms and the legislative bodies and regulatory agencies precludes any possibility of addressing the disinformation crisis that is now tearing through the fabric of America’s Liberal Democracy. There have been congressional hearings, but the requisite changes are nowhere in sight and with a midterm election this autumn and a general election in 2024, the consequences of our state of political divide may be devastating. On January 3, 2022, a poll from NPR and Ipsos indicated that nearly 70% of Americans believe that their democracy is in crisis and the events of January 6, 2021 may be but a prelude to what lies ahead. It is unclear whether our polity will endure these tests.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
Vicar Sayeedi
January 8, 2022
Disinformation, or its contemporary moniker, ‘fake news’, isn’t a new phenomenon. In fact, it’s something that humankind has lived with for centuries and millennia. Since the beginning of human history and continuing right through the Middle Ages [Medieval Period], disinformation was perpetuated via gossip in the Royal Courts and similarly, in the marketplace. It was also employed by generals and politicians to gain strategic or tactical advantage in battles or in negotiations.
Since the Renaissance and the commercialization of the Gutenberg Printing Press, some books arriving in the marketplace contained outright falsehoods, but people believed them because they trusted everything in print. They’d read certain fallacies in a book, a brochure or on a poster but because of the hallowed aura surrounding books in their culture, they couldn’t accept that these were falsehoods. Historically, most cultures have had great reverence for texts and for those who engage in writing them, so they implicitly trusted any information rendered in print. Before the Gutenberg Printing Press, codices [handwritten, handbound and hand-decorated volumes] were the exclusive purview of the Aristocracy, the Church and Royals – the nobility of society – and as such, virtually all people held these codices in the highest esteem and as beyond reproach. Questioning the veracity of texts was never a consideration.
But as society transitioned from the Renaissance and into the Modern Period, they gradually learned to question the source of the information in books. One way for them to do this was to question the credibility of the publisher of a book, magazine or newspaper. If information came to them via a reputable publisher, or some other credible institution, citizens learned to expect that the information in them was probably reliable and truthful. But other sources of information – tabloids and other salacious forms of journalism – continued to permeate the marketplace and were broadly recognized and understood by society to be embellished truths or outright falsehoods.
During the Middle Ages, Heinrich Kramer, a German Catholic Clergyman from Speyer wrote a book titled, “The Hammer of the Witch”, or in Latin, “Malleus Maleficarum”. It was a “do it yourself” manual on how to identify, capture, torture, interrogate and then murder someone suspected of being a witch. Given the apparent proliferation of witches during that era, it seems everyone needed their own copy for their household and so “Malleus Maeficarum” became a best seller. People genuinely believed in witches and thus the book had great value in society. Of course, the entire episode surrounding witches was irrational and utter disinformation, but it didn’t matter since so many people believed it, despite the efforts of many of society’s leaders to reason with them. Until society eventually accepted that the notion of witchcraft was an outright falsehood, many thousands of innocent women faced terrible inquisitions and ordeals before finally being put to death. “Malleus Maleficarum” taught their executioners how.
The situation in those times is not unlike our present reality in which people trust news or other information because it’s being presented to them on the Internet, via their social media news stream or via their WhatsApp message stream. For them, the Internet is held with the same reverence as books and codices were by their forbears five centuries ago. But today, something is very different and that something is Artificial Intelligence. AI is a proxy or substitute for human intelligence – wherever human intelligence is required, AI can step in, and it can do so with a level of performance that increases with each passing day. As a result, there’s been a fundamental change in how the decision is made on which news stories and current events we are presented with on the various digital platforms we commonly use, and that change has been brought about following the introduction of Artificial Intelligence in social media.
The most credible, powerful and technically sophisticated platforms including Facebook, Google Search and YouTube deliberately mislead hundreds of millions of people around the world with near impunity and they do so for commercial benefit. The objective of these Tech giants is to keep users [ordinary citizens] engaged on their platform for as long as possible so they can continue to collect information about them with an end goal of perpetually refining user profiles. This enables the companies to increase the value of these profiles to potential advertisers whilst simultaneously serving them with advertisements.
The Artificial Intelligence enabled algorithms behind these social media platforms have learned that tailoring each individual user’s news stream with news, images and videos [essentially preparing a customized, dynamic newspaper for each user] that makes them angry, agitated or excited is very effective in maximizing the time they will spend on these platforms. Consequently, the platform user gets trapped in echo chambers where they continue to hear stories and see videos that align with the narrative that they are most comfortable with, regardless of whether that narrative or any supporting stories they’re receiving are true. Unfortunately, the goal of the AI Agents behind the platforms isn’t to ensure that society is presented with balanced, objective or truthful stories – the function of the 4th Estate – but simply to maximize user engagement, and thus profitability. Perhaps most alarming is that it isn’t unsophisticated tabloid journals that are perpetuating disinformation throughout society, but rather it’s the work of the most advanced, sophisticated and wealthiest technological institutions in the world who have deftly avoided accountability – they move so quickly that the damage has often been done long before legislators and regulators begin to understand the consequences.
There are many fault lines in American society today: culture, education, income, race and rural versus urban lifestyle are the major ones. But regardless of which individual fault line or set of fault lines trouble a particular individual or community, the use of AI in social media is exacerbating societal divisions and tensions to a point where there is no possibility of people from different sides of these fault lines to engage with one another and talk about their differences. They are now so filled with hate towards each other that reconciliation seems impossible.
The owners of and investors in AI-enabled social media platforms are the richest companies in the history of commerce, and they have no incentive to change their ways. The cozy financial relationship between these firms and the legislative bodies and regulatory agencies precludes any possibility of addressing the disinformation crisis that is now tearing through the fabric of America’s Liberal Democracy. There have been congressional hearings, but the requisite changes are nowhere in sight and with a midterm election this autumn and a general election in 2024, the consequences of our state of political divide may be devastating. On January 3, 2022, a poll from NPR and Ipsos indicated that nearly 70% of Americans believe that their democracy is in crisis and the events of January 6, 2021 may be but a prelude to what lies ahead. It is unclear whether our polity will endure these tests.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Bell Labs Alumnus, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 79 – https://youtu.be/8pq2ZAxRdcY
AI and Disinformation | Echo Chambers in an Age of Division
January 5, 2022
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
AI & Speciation | Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Vicar Sayeedi
January 6, 2022
Seventy thousand years ago, humankind underwent a dramatic change. Perhaps this change can best be characterized as a genetic mutation that dramatically enhanced human cognitive function far beyond that found in any other species in the Animal Kingdom. As a result of the change, Homo Sapiens transitioned from their place in the middle of the food chain and emerged precisely at the very top. This extraordinary change was nothing less than a cognitive or intelligence revolution and the outcome for all life on Earth, to this day, has been life-altering, even existential in its implications.
This transition to the top of the food chain occurred as we learned to cooperate flexibly and in increasingly large numbers. The primary consequence of the Sapiens intelligence revolution as demonstrated by the archaeological record was that all terrestrial megafauna [animals over 100 lbs.] found in any environment we visited our sights upon soon faced extinction [within a few millennia]. The second critical consequence was that by about 40,000 years ago, the six or so hominins we’d coexisted with for hundreds of thousands of years were rendered extinct, most likely due to their inability to claim their fair [and necessary for survival] share of food. Our superior intellect and hunting & gathering skills and techniques left little for others and thus drove our hominin cousins out into the barren, cold and often violent wilderness.
Today, as a result of rapidly emerging symbiosis at the confluence of critical 4th Industrial Revolution technologies – specifically, Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology [CRISPR-Cas9], Computing [Quantum & Super] and Data Science – we may soon re-speciate for the first time since the extinction of the Denisovans and Neanderthalensis, the last of the hominins to face extinction. We are nearly in a position to create new hominins that are distinctly different from and very importantly, superior to Sapiens.
Since the beginning of life on Earth nearly 4 billion years ago, Evolutionary Biology and the adaptability of existing species to their changing environment have worked together to regulate the progress or demise of any existing or new species within the Animal Kingdom. But now, with the potential symbiosis of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies, we are, for the first time, in the unprecedented position to speciate using Intelligent Design. We can augment selected, existing Sapiens with Artificial Intelligence enhancements to their brains via high-speed neural links to external computational and data sources and we can enhance their physical abilities far beyond the normal dexterity, speed or strength of an ordinary Sapiens [via gene or germ line editing and via state-of-the-art robotics]. These organic-inorganic hybrids are known as cybernetic organisms or Cyborgs.
We may also be able to extricate the human neural network from its organic but dying host [Aurora 21 – a Department of Energy Supercomputer in Chicago is being purpose-built to transfer the human neural network to a silicon-based host] where it can be paired with an AI Agent that was previously affiliated with the dying human. As a result of such long-term pairing, the AI Agent will have become intimately familiar with all aspects of this specific human. Now, the AI Agent and the transferred neural network can function virtually identically as a disembodied version of a human existing only in cyberspace or within a Metaverse/Alternative Reality setting. Alternatively, the AI Agent – Neural Network pairing can be embodied in a leased, purchased or temporarily rented exoskeleton, depending upon what is desired or required by its stakeholders.
Such re-speciation of AI-enabled hominins as an outcome of the symbiosis of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies may, in the final analysis, be the most culturally and emotionally unsettling aspect of our rapidly emerging scientific and technological reality and will lead to ethical and philosophical dilemmas unlike any humankind has previously encountered. Such changes are still some distance further away in time but given the likelihood that they will be realized in the next few decades and given that there are no laws of physics or mathematics nor any principles of biology or chemistry that preclude the development of consciousness in non-carbon-based systems such as silicon, we’d be well advised to begin acclimating society to these plausible realities. We are likely to see developmental versions of such AI-enabled, Intelligent Design species in the near future.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Engineer, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation – Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
Vicar Sayeedi
January 6, 2022
Seventy thousand years ago, humankind underwent a dramatic change. Perhaps this change can best be characterized as a genetic mutation that dramatically enhanced human cognitive function far beyond that found in any other species in the Animal Kingdom. As a result of the change, Homo Sapiens transitioned from their place in the middle of the food chain and emerged precisely at the very top. This extraordinary change was nothing less than a cognitive or intelligence revolution and the outcome for all life on Earth, to this day, has been life-altering, even existential in its implications.
This transition to the top of the food chain occurred as we learned to cooperate flexibly and in increasingly large numbers. The primary consequence of the Sapiens intelligence revolution as demonstrated by the archaeological record was that all terrestrial megafauna [animals over 100 lbs.] found in any environment we visited our sights upon soon faced extinction [within a few millennia]. The second critical consequence was that by about 40,000 years ago, the six or so hominins we’d coexisted with for hundreds of thousands of years were rendered extinct, most likely due to their inability to claim their fair [and necessary for survival] share of food. Our superior intellect and hunting & gathering skills and techniques left little for others and thus drove our hominin cousins out into the barren, cold and often violent wilderness.
Today, as a result of rapidly emerging symbiosis at the confluence of critical 4th Industrial Revolution technologies – specifically, Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology [CRISPR-Cas9], Computing [Quantum & Super] and Data Science – we may soon re-speciate for the first time since the extinction of the Denisovans and Neanderthalensis, the last of the hominins to face extinction. We are nearly in a position to create new hominins that are distinctly different from and very importantly, superior to Sapiens.
Since the beginning of life on Earth nearly 4 billion years ago, Evolutionary Biology and the adaptability of existing species to their changing environment have worked together to regulate the progress or demise of any existing or new species within the Animal Kingdom. But now, with the potential symbiosis of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies, we are, for the first time, in the unprecedented position to speciate using Intelligent Design. We can augment selected, existing Sapiens with Artificial Intelligence enhancements to their brains via high-speed neural links to external computational and data sources and we can enhance their physical abilities far beyond the normal dexterity, speed or strength of an ordinary Sapiens [via gene or germ line editing and via state-of-the-art robotics]. These organic-inorganic hybrids are known as cybernetic organisms or Cyborgs.
We may also be able to extricate the human neural network from its organic but dying host [Aurora 21 – a Department of Energy Supercomputer in Chicago is being purpose-built to transfer the human neural network to a silicon-based host] where it can be paired with an AI Agent that was previously affiliated with the dying human. As a result of such long-term pairing, the AI Agent will have become intimately familiar with all aspects of this specific human. Now, the AI Agent and the transferred neural network can function virtually identically as a disembodied version of a human existing only in cyberspace or within a Metaverse/Alternative Reality setting. Alternatively, the AI Agent – Neural Network pairing can be embodied in a leased, purchased or temporarily rented exoskeleton, depending upon what is desired or required by its stakeholders.
Such re-speciation of AI-enabled hominins as an outcome of the symbiosis of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies may, in the final analysis, be the most culturally and emotionally unsettling aspect of our rapidly emerging scientific and technological reality and will lead to ethical and philosophical dilemmas unlike any humankind has previously encountered. Such changes are still some distance further away in time but given the likelihood that they will be realized in the next few decades and given that there are no laws of physics or mathematics nor any principles of biology or chemistry that preclude the development of consciousness in non-carbon-based systems such as silicon, we’d be well advised to begin acclimating society to these plausible realities. We are likely to see developmental versions of such AI-enabled, Intelligent Design species in the near future.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Engineer, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Episode 78 – https://youtu.be/G5dlaB8TZJQ
AI & Speciation – Symbiosis and the 4th Industrial Revolution
December 31, 2021
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Vicar Sayeedi
January 1, 2022
Two hundred thousand years ago, our Sapiens ancestors shared a very small portion of the terrestrial surface of the Earth with many other species of hominins. Our collective population was small, and we were all nomadic bands, foraging for flora and fauna as we traveled over large geographies, driven by changes of the season and our constant need for food. But seventy thousand years ago, there was a dramatic change. Up until this point along our evolutionary journey, we Sapiens sat solidly in the middle of the food chain alongside all other species of hominins. But now we unexpectedly found ourselves propelled to the very top of the food chain. Biologically, we were the same as before, so Scientists theorize that Sapiens had undergone a genetic mutation of some sort that resulted in a dramatic increase in our cognitive ability. We now found ourselves able to cooperate flexibly and in very large numbers. It is an extraordinary ability, and it is not found in any other species.
Archaeological evidence consistently confirms that after this point on our evolutionary timeline, wherever humankind went on the planet, within a few thousand years of our arrival most of the terrestrial megafauna [animals over 100 lbs.] in our new environment were either on the brink of extinction or were already extinct. By forty thousand years ago, a similar extinction event had inflicted all other species of hominins as well, with Homo Neanderthalensis being the last non-Sapiens species to vanish forever. It may be the case that the superior intellect of Sapiens made it impossible for other hominin species to effectively compete for food, and when combined with the climactic challenges they were then forced to endure as foragers, all remaining hominins were simply unable to adapt. Following the extinction of Neanderthalensis, for the next forty thousand years or so, we Sapiens found ourselves alone as the only hominin on this planet. However, due to the continuing Ice Age, we remained in a traditional, nomadic, foraging lifestyle until approximately twelve thousand years ago.
Within our small bands of hunter-gatherers, meritocracy played an important role. Some members of Sapiens bands had better hunting abilities whilst others were better at setting traps, catching fish, making clothes, skinning animals, retrieving fruits from tall trees, making medicines, fabricating tools, preparing food or caring for the young and sick. Thus, there was no significant hierarchy within these primitive social systems – everyone had their role to play to ensure the survival of the band and there was no sense in acquiring anything unnecessary beyond what was required for survival since nomadic societies need to travel light and simply cannot afford any excess weight.
If, on occasion, a bully or tyrant emerged within the band, they were reasonably easy to deal with – the rest of the band could simply abandon the bully, thus leaving them without the band’s protection. In such a situation, the bully would soon perish at the hands of another hostile Sapiens band, or, unable to find sufficient food on their own, they might die from starvation or perhaps undefended, they might fall prey to some animal. If, following their exile, they decided to return to their original band, they could be firmly and finally dealt with while sleeping.
Approximately twelve thousand years ago, as the Ice Age receded and the cold weather retreated towards the poles [a process occurring continuously during the preceding three millennia], some fortunate hunter-gatherers began finding increasingly larger fields of wheat along the Euphrates and Tigris River Valleys of Mesopotamia and along the Nile River Valley in Egypt. These regions – known as the “Lucky Latitudes” or Fertile Crescent – now experienced abundant rainfall and a subsequent flooding of their riverbanks, and these climactic events enriched the soil and enabled the growth of previously unseen quantities of wheat.
Sapiens long accustomed to nomadic foraging now shifted their attention to these newly discovered abundant sources of grain. They formed settlements to systematically harvest as much grain as they could and to carefully store any excess. By ten thousand years ago, most Sapiens in the Fertile Crescent gradually resigned from their nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles as they increasingly found themselves domesticated by wheat and the need to harvest, store and plant for the next growing season. The Agricultural Revolution and pastoral life had begun. As their population grew and they accumulated larger and larger grain stores, along with other valuable possessions, Sapiens realized there was no turning back to a nomadic lifestyle.
As Sapiens bands settled and established villages, towns and cities, together with many other bands and tribes, the stratification of society soon followed, and the meritocracy they had known for two hundred thousand years vanished. As far back as eight thousand years ago, we have archeological evidence of stratification of societies in Southern Mesopotamia in an early village along the riverbanks of the Euphrates known as Eridu. In this village we find homes of very modest size – presumably for peasants – whilst other homes in the same village were expansive and possessed superior goods.
By 1776 BCE, the Code of Hammurabi in Babylon emerged as the earliest documented legal code in humankind’s history. It was engraved on a stele or stone pillar. The Code of Hammurabi clearly adjudicated based upon a person’s stature within society. If the accused was an aristocrat, peasant or slave, the consequences for any infraction of the Code of Hammurabi would depend directly upon their social strata. Societies were now governed and ordered based upon the edicts of their kings and by the requirements spelled out in their myths and legends, now enforced by aristocrats and clerics. These myths were often imposed violently upon large numbers of peasants at the behest of aristocrats, monarchs and priests and there was no way for people to escape and return to a life of foraging – all the surrounding land was under the control of the ruling classes. Land further afar was now the possession of rival kingdoms.
Nearly four thousand years later, the English Monarch, King George III was reigning [but not ruling since he was a Constitutional Monarch] over the American colonies when in July of 1776 the Colonialists declared their independence from England. This now hallowed Declaration of Independence states:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”
The Declaration of Independence then goes on to list in somewhat of a Shakespearean literary flourishing, twenty-eight serious accusations against the reigning British Monarch, George III. However, the consensus amongst contemporary American historians and legal scholars is that only two of the accusations in the Declaration were legitimate grievances: accusations #17 and #22.
#17: “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:”
#22: “For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.”
Despite the propagandist character of America’s Declaration of Independence, given the realities of the American colonies at the time, two credible accusations were deemed as sufficient for Revolution in service of independence from the British Crown. Although militarily no match for Imperial Britain [indeed, only with significant French support was the Revolution successful], America had also outgrown the hallmarks of a colonial outpost. By 1776, the economy of the American colonies had grown to twice the size of the economy of England. America’s population had reached 2.5 million [1.9 million white colonialists and 600,000 African slaves who were not subject to the inalienable rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence]. There were more bookshops in Philadelphia than in all of England [excluding London]. There was also considerable consternation amongst the American commercial and political classes as they observed the mischief of the East India Company, vis a vis the lobbying of Parliament in London on behalf of the Company’s commercial interests and infamous behavior in India and the actions of Robert Clive, the new Governor of Bengal.
For some time, efforts were being made across many of the world’s societies to establish varying degrees of equality but in America’s Declaration, a formal document was being presented that sought to enshrine equality as an inalienable right. This is a crucial step since equality is a necessary precursor to a selection process based upon meritocracy.
Since the dawn of the Agricultural Revolution and the founding of the American Republic nearly twelve thousand years later, America has been through extraordinary changes on its journey to live up to the ideals outlined in the Declaration of Independence and formalized in the US Constitution, the Amendments to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This is particularly true when we consider the notion in the Declaration, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. Upon reading this passage, one cannot help but immediately think of slave ownership amongst the very men who were signatories to this document and the obvious deficiency and duplicity of their character. Of course, when we think in this manner, we do so from a 21st century context. Our society has been through so much with regards to the issue of slavery and abolition vis a vis the antebellum South, the American Civil War and Segregation - Jim Crow and this gives us a much richer and more nuanced contextualization than that available to George Washington or Thomas Jefferson at the time of the American Revolution.
Nevertheless, the English Monarch, George III had rejected slavery throughout his life. He ruled the British Empire as King for 60 years, from 1760 to 1820. He has been the third longest serving English monarch after Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria and yet he never owned a single slave. In fact, he found the notion of slavery abhorrent even as his subjects not only owned slaves but were engaged in slave trading enterprises.
By 1965, Lyndon Johnson’s Administration held a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and was thus able to pass a historic Voting Rights Act that prohibited racial discrimination in voting. This legislation and other such reforms in American society – indeed, in Western society – have gradually nudged America and the West further in the direction of equality and then meritocracy, the idea from our ancient forager ancestors that equality and selection for opportunities will be based solely on the merits of an individual without regards to their ethnicity, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation and so forth. But structural impediments, primarily in America’s education system, remain and continue to obstruct the full implementation of equality and meritocracy in this nation.
Today though, we face the extraordinary question that our ancient forager ancestors never confronted in two hundred thousand years: the question of whether meritocracy really is the best selection process. In fact, it has been said that meritocracy is the worst form of selection with the exception of all other bases for selection. Unfortunately, there are significant dangers in the meritocratic approach. As we reform immigration policies in our attempt to attract the best and brightest students and workers from around the world, are we endangering America’s Liberal Democracy? By bringing in such large numbers of students from societies that do not share American values such as freedom of religion or speech, pluralism or tolerance of others different from themselves, what are the potential consequences for American society when these people are given the opportunity [afforded to them through American pluralism and meritocracy] to occupy highly influential and powerful roles within academia, government and industry?
In recent years, we have witnessed lawsuits in Silicon Valley as bright Engineers and Computer Scientists from India now employed in America’s leading tech giants, import the Indian caste system and political battles into American companies in their attempt to prevent lower caste Indians and minorities from rising within the company. Domestically, many Americans are finding it very difficult to accept American pluralism and tolerance as they see Black men elected to the American Presidency, or appointed Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense. Seeing a Black woman elected as the American Vice President further angers those who reject American pluralism, tolerance and meritocracy when these inalienable rights are expanded to non-Whites. In fact, on January 6, 2021, when a violent insurrection took place on Capitol Hill at the behest of a sitting American President, the protestors and rioters were overwhelmingly citizens who reject American pluralism, tolerance and meritocracy and the consequences of all the changes this was bringing for White America.
With our increasingly capable Artificial Intelligence Agents, we now have the ability to predict whether a person being considered for a position of power and authority in government, industry or other important roles in society have attributes, attitudes and values that conflict with those enshrined in our Constitution, Bill of Rights or legal code. Thus, we can apply these increasingly accurate predictive analytical technologies to screen Americans before allowing them to participate in our meritocratic system.
But would this type of screening be ethical? Our ability to understand the behavior of people in this way is increasingly very real and only expanding in sophistication, but in the wrong hands it is most certainly an enabler of Totalitarianism. However, at the same time, our Liberal Democracy is a priceless system that countless men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice to achieve and protect. So, shouldn’t it be right to use these AI enabled tools in this way since they are being employed in the interest of preserving and protecting the most critical elements of our society? Isn’t it vitally important to ensure that we filter out people who pose a threat to our Liberal Democracy and other important institutions before they control the levers of power?
As mentioned earlier in this essay, for the last forty thousand years, we Sapiens have been alone at the top of the food chain on Earth. But with Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Quantum Computing and Data Science, it is very possible that our species may bifurcate into hybrid cybernetic organisms that are part organic and part inorganic. It is also possible that we have super intelligent disembodied Artificial Intelligence Agents that are completely inorganic, and silicon based rather than organic and carbon based. This introduces further complexity into the current concern regarding the equality and meritocracy debate that began with the Agricultural Revolution twelve thousand years ago. More pointedly, does equality and meritocracy make any sense when these advanced bifurcated species are exponentially more intelligent than traditional Sapiens that we have become so familiar with over the past two hundred thousand years?
We need to convene our best and brightest minds across all relevant disciplines and we need to do so quickly. We are facing both short and long-term ethical dilemmas and questions that are existential in nature for humankind and we are unlikely to have multiple opportunities to get these things right.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Engineer, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
Vicar Sayeedi
January 1, 2022
Two hundred thousand years ago, our Sapiens ancestors shared a very small portion of the terrestrial surface of the Earth with many other species of hominins. Our collective population was small, and we were all nomadic bands, foraging for flora and fauna as we traveled over large geographies, driven by changes of the season and our constant need for food. But seventy thousand years ago, there was a dramatic change. Up until this point along our evolutionary journey, we Sapiens sat solidly in the middle of the food chain alongside all other species of hominins. But now we unexpectedly found ourselves propelled to the very top of the food chain. Biologically, we were the same as before, so Scientists theorize that Sapiens had undergone a genetic mutation of some sort that resulted in a dramatic increase in our cognitive ability. We now found ourselves able to cooperate flexibly and in very large numbers. It is an extraordinary ability, and it is not found in any other species.
Archaeological evidence consistently confirms that after this point on our evolutionary timeline, wherever humankind went on the planet, within a few thousand years of our arrival most of the terrestrial megafauna [animals over 100 lbs.] in our new environment were either on the brink of extinction or were already extinct. By forty thousand years ago, a similar extinction event had inflicted all other species of hominins as well, with Homo Neanderthalensis being the last non-Sapiens species to vanish forever. It may be the case that the superior intellect of Sapiens made it impossible for other hominin species to effectively compete for food, and when combined with the climactic challenges they were then forced to endure as foragers, all remaining hominins were simply unable to adapt. Following the extinction of Neanderthalensis, for the next forty thousand years or so, we Sapiens found ourselves alone as the only hominin on this planet. However, due to the continuing Ice Age, we remained in a traditional, nomadic, foraging lifestyle until approximately twelve thousand years ago.
Within our small bands of hunter-gatherers, meritocracy played an important role. Some members of Sapiens bands had better hunting abilities whilst others were better at setting traps, catching fish, making clothes, skinning animals, retrieving fruits from tall trees, making medicines, fabricating tools, preparing food or caring for the young and sick. Thus, there was no significant hierarchy within these primitive social systems – everyone had their role to play to ensure the survival of the band and there was no sense in acquiring anything unnecessary beyond what was required for survival since nomadic societies need to travel light and simply cannot afford any excess weight.
If, on occasion, a bully or tyrant emerged within the band, they were reasonably easy to deal with – the rest of the band could simply abandon the bully, thus leaving them without the band’s protection. In such a situation, the bully would soon perish at the hands of another hostile Sapiens band, or, unable to find sufficient food on their own, they might die from starvation or perhaps undefended, they might fall prey to some animal. If, following their exile, they decided to return to their original band, they could be firmly and finally dealt with while sleeping.
Approximately twelve thousand years ago, as the Ice Age receded and the cold weather retreated towards the poles [a process occurring continuously during the preceding three millennia], some fortunate hunter-gatherers began finding increasingly larger fields of wheat along the Euphrates and Tigris River Valleys of Mesopotamia and along the Nile River Valley in Egypt. These regions – known as the “Lucky Latitudes” or Fertile Crescent – now experienced abundant rainfall and a subsequent flooding of their riverbanks, and these climactic events enriched the soil and enabled the growth of previously unseen quantities of wheat.
Sapiens long accustomed to nomadic foraging now shifted their attention to these newly discovered abundant sources of grain. They formed settlements to systematically harvest as much grain as they could and to carefully store any excess. By ten thousand years ago, most Sapiens in the Fertile Crescent gradually resigned from their nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyles as they increasingly found themselves domesticated by wheat and the need to harvest, store and plant for the next growing season. The Agricultural Revolution and pastoral life had begun. As their population grew and they accumulated larger and larger grain stores, along with other valuable possessions, Sapiens realized there was no turning back to a nomadic lifestyle.
As Sapiens bands settled and established villages, towns and cities, together with many other bands and tribes, the stratification of society soon followed, and the meritocracy they had known for two hundred thousand years vanished. As far back as eight thousand years ago, we have archeological evidence of stratification of societies in Southern Mesopotamia in an early village along the riverbanks of the Euphrates known as Eridu. In this village we find homes of very modest size – presumably for peasants – whilst other homes in the same village were expansive and possessed superior goods.
By 1776 BCE, the Code of Hammurabi in Babylon emerged as the earliest documented legal code in humankind’s history. It was engraved on a stele or stone pillar. The Code of Hammurabi clearly adjudicated based upon a person’s stature within society. If the accused was an aristocrat, peasant or slave, the consequences for any infraction of the Code of Hammurabi would depend directly upon their social strata. Societies were now governed and ordered based upon the edicts of their kings and by the requirements spelled out in their myths and legends, now enforced by aristocrats and clerics. These myths were often imposed violently upon large numbers of peasants at the behest of aristocrats, monarchs and priests and there was no way for people to escape and return to a life of foraging – all the surrounding land was under the control of the ruling classes. Land further afar was now the possession of rival kingdoms.
Nearly four thousand years later, the English Monarch, King George III was reigning [but not ruling since he was a Constitutional Monarch] over the American colonies when in July of 1776 the Colonialists declared their independence from England. This now hallowed Declaration of Independence states:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.—That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. —Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.”
The Declaration of Independence then goes on to list in somewhat of a Shakespearean literary flourishing, twenty-eight serious accusations against the reigning British Monarch, George III. However, the consensus amongst contemporary American historians and legal scholars is that only two of the accusations in the Declaration were legitimate grievances: accusations #17 and #22.
#17: “For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:”
#22: “For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.”
Despite the propagandist character of America’s Declaration of Independence, given the realities of the American colonies at the time, two credible accusations were deemed as sufficient for Revolution in service of independence from the British Crown. Although militarily no match for Imperial Britain [indeed, only with significant French support was the Revolution successful], America had also outgrown the hallmarks of a colonial outpost. By 1776, the economy of the American colonies had grown to twice the size of the economy of England. America’s population had reached 2.5 million [1.9 million white colonialists and 600,000 African slaves who were not subject to the inalienable rights outlined in the Declaration of Independence]. There were more bookshops in Philadelphia than in all of England [excluding London]. There was also considerable consternation amongst the American commercial and political classes as they observed the mischief of the East India Company, vis a vis the lobbying of Parliament in London on behalf of the Company’s commercial interests and infamous behavior in India and the actions of Robert Clive, the new Governor of Bengal.
For some time, efforts were being made across many of the world’s societies to establish varying degrees of equality but in America’s Declaration, a formal document was being presented that sought to enshrine equality as an inalienable right. This is a crucial step since equality is a necessary precursor to a selection process based upon meritocracy.
Since the dawn of the Agricultural Revolution and the founding of the American Republic nearly twelve thousand years later, America has been through extraordinary changes on its journey to live up to the ideals outlined in the Declaration of Independence and formalized in the US Constitution, the Amendments to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This is particularly true when we consider the notion in the Declaration, “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness”. Upon reading this passage, one cannot help but immediately think of slave ownership amongst the very men who were signatories to this document and the obvious deficiency and duplicity of their character. Of course, when we think in this manner, we do so from a 21st century context. Our society has been through so much with regards to the issue of slavery and abolition vis a vis the antebellum South, the American Civil War and Segregation - Jim Crow and this gives us a much richer and more nuanced contextualization than that available to George Washington or Thomas Jefferson at the time of the American Revolution.
Nevertheless, the English Monarch, George III had rejected slavery throughout his life. He ruled the British Empire as King for 60 years, from 1760 to 1820. He has been the third longest serving English monarch after Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria and yet he never owned a single slave. In fact, he found the notion of slavery abhorrent even as his subjects not only owned slaves but were engaged in slave trading enterprises.
By 1965, Lyndon Johnson’s Administration held a two-thirds majority in both the Senate and the House of Representatives and was thus able to pass a historic Voting Rights Act that prohibited racial discrimination in voting. This legislation and other such reforms in American society – indeed, in Western society – have gradually nudged America and the West further in the direction of equality and then meritocracy, the idea from our ancient forager ancestors that equality and selection for opportunities will be based solely on the merits of an individual without regards to their ethnicity, race, religion, sex or sexual orientation and so forth. But structural impediments, primarily in America’s education system, remain and continue to obstruct the full implementation of equality and meritocracy in this nation.
Today though, we face the extraordinary question that our ancient forager ancestors never confronted in two hundred thousand years: the question of whether meritocracy really is the best selection process. In fact, it has been said that meritocracy is the worst form of selection with the exception of all other bases for selection. Unfortunately, there are significant dangers in the meritocratic approach. As we reform immigration policies in our attempt to attract the best and brightest students and workers from around the world, are we endangering America’s Liberal Democracy? By bringing in such large numbers of students from societies that do not share American values such as freedom of religion or speech, pluralism or tolerance of others different from themselves, what are the potential consequences for American society when these people are given the opportunity [afforded to them through American pluralism and meritocracy] to occupy highly influential and powerful roles within academia, government and industry?
In recent years, we have witnessed lawsuits in Silicon Valley as bright Engineers and Computer Scientists from India now employed in America’s leading tech giants, import the Indian caste system and political battles into American companies in their attempt to prevent lower caste Indians and minorities from rising within the company. Domestically, many Americans are finding it very difficult to accept American pluralism and tolerance as they see Black men elected to the American Presidency, or appointed Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense. Seeing a Black woman elected as the American Vice President further angers those who reject American pluralism, tolerance and meritocracy when these inalienable rights are expanded to non-Whites. In fact, on January 6, 2021, when a violent insurrection took place on Capitol Hill at the behest of a sitting American President, the protestors and rioters were overwhelmingly citizens who reject American pluralism, tolerance and meritocracy and the consequences of all the changes this was bringing for White America.
With our increasingly capable Artificial Intelligence Agents, we now have the ability to predict whether a person being considered for a position of power and authority in government, industry or other important roles in society have attributes, attitudes and values that conflict with those enshrined in our Constitution, Bill of Rights or legal code. Thus, we can apply these increasingly accurate predictive analytical technologies to screen Americans before allowing them to participate in our meritocratic system.
But would this type of screening be ethical? Our ability to understand the behavior of people in this way is increasingly very real and only expanding in sophistication, but in the wrong hands it is most certainly an enabler of Totalitarianism. However, at the same time, our Liberal Democracy is a priceless system that countless men and women have paid the ultimate sacrifice to achieve and protect. So, shouldn’t it be right to use these AI enabled tools in this way since they are being employed in the interest of preserving and protecting the most critical elements of our society? Isn’t it vitally important to ensure that we filter out people who pose a threat to our Liberal Democracy and other important institutions before they control the levers of power?
As mentioned earlier in this essay, for the last forty thousand years, we Sapiens have been alone at the top of the food chain on Earth. But with Artificial Intelligence, Biotechnology, Quantum Computing and Data Science, it is very possible that our species may bifurcate into hybrid cybernetic organisms that are part organic and part inorganic. It is also possible that we have super intelligent disembodied Artificial Intelligence Agents that are completely inorganic, and silicon based rather than organic and carbon based. This introduces further complexity into the current concern regarding the equality and meritocracy debate that began with the Agricultural Revolution twelve thousand years ago. More pointedly, does equality and meritocracy make any sense when these advanced bifurcated species are exponentially more intelligent than traditional Sapiens that we have become so familiar with over the past two hundred thousand years?
We need to convene our best and brightest minds across all relevant disciplines and we need to do so quickly. We are facing both short and long-term ethical dilemmas and questions that are existential in nature for humankind and we are unlikely to have multiple opportunities to get these things right.
Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Engineer, a Lecturer and a Consultant. He is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.
Vicar has lectured widely about Artificial Intelligence. Vicar has recently lectured in New York at the National Hemophilia Foundation about AI & the Life Sciences. He has also lectured in London in the Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster, in Sunnyvale in Silicon Valley, the National Library of Singapore as well as in Düsseldorf [with invitations extended to Amsterdam, Berlin, Cologne, Rome, Stockholm & Vienna] on AI and its implications for individuals and societies. Vicar has lectured at leading companies, as well.
Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. For geopolitical technologists, the symbiosis at this intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.
Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.
You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7
The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:
Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?
Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents
Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism
Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!
Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens
Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance
Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI
Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!
Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius
Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple
Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society
Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution
Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy
Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens
Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment
Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair
Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game
Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?
Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West
Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]
Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship
Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology
Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution
Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind
Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team
Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?
Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos
Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State
Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?
Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA
Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?
Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy
Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration
Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?
Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution
Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?
Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?
Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?
Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?
Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?
Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?
Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology
Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China
Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?
Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?
Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?
Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?
Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade
Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East
Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?
Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?
Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software
Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way
Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?
Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules
Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?
Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?
Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition
Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly
Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem
Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza
Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?
Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?
Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention
Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go from Here?
Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death
Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor
Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Trust Factor
Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Episode 71 - https://youtu.be/GKD5hXmnpTU
Artificial Intelligence | Deep Fakes & Pornography
Episode 72 - https://youtu.be/KJdoBm5Kmw8
Artificial Intelligence | Working in the 21st Century
Episode 73 - https://youtu.be/lLY6gF_eeas
AI & Disinformation | Implications for Democracy & Geopolitics
Episode 74 - https://youtu.be/URsauWURj5A
AI, Climate Change & Pandemics | A Case for Global Governance?
Episode 75 - https://youtu.be/cu7xOHpNiO4
Artificial Intelligence | New Year’s Resolutions & Societal Reformation
Episode 76 - https://youtu.be/1-orEsKg5fM
Artificial Intelligence | Meritocracy and the Gathering Storm
Episode 77 - https://youtu.be/jYzyrxhxCJk
AI, Authoritarianism & Democracy | What Does the Future Hold?
