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?
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