Singularity emerges

By Jim Thompson
HCP columnist

From Wikipedia: “The technological singularity is the theoretical emergence of superintelligence through technological means. Since the capabilities of such intelligence would be difficult for an unaided human mind to comprehend, the technological singularity is seen as an occurrence beyond which events cannot be predicted….”

Or, in terms you and I understand, technology becomes uncontrollable.

This point has been approaching for a long time, but its arrival is accelerating rapidly now.

It could be reasonably argued that as far back, perhaps even further back, than the events on 9/11/2001, singularity was emerging.

In that particular case, at the time the Twin Towers were built in lower Manhattan in the mid-1970s, there would have been few airplanes (747s, maybe a few others) that could have accomplished the deed of 9/11.

By the time it actually happened, airplanes big enough to be used in such a way were ubiquitous. The means existed, but not the control – fits the definition.

However, it is the last six to nine months that have proven most interesting and most revealing of the evidence of singularity finally being upon us with a fury.

We have talked about a couple of these issues in this column before.

The printable gun is one of them. RPAs, or drones, are another. The inadequacy of governments to effectively control these bits of technology is clear evidence of singularity.

Law writers are always way behind on such subjects and it is quite clear they are years behind before they even get started on 3-D printing and drones. It is likely they will never catch up or if they do, it will be years away.

In the last couple of weeks, there has been even more evidence of the problem. The Department of Homeland Security wants to search laptops, phones and other such items as they are brought into the country by anyone. This is an act of desperation.

They are, in effect, admitting that they do not know where the bad stuff is.

It came out on June 6 that the NSA (National Security Agency) has a secret FISA Court Order to grab all the metadata (that is, everything except the contents of conversations) from Verizon until July 19.

Again, desperation – they don’t know where to look for the bad stuff. And before that day was over, we heard of “Prism” the program whereby the NSA is recording Internet traffic.

By the way, if you were surprised by any of this, I have a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn…

I am often accused of being highly partisan in this column and that is understandable, I have very strong libertarian leanings.

However, what I have described above is nonpartisan, at least on the surface. The danger is that it can be corrupted very easily and be found in violation of the Bill of Rights, if administered in the wrong hands.

This is going to be the challenge going forward. Protection, but not abuse.

How does one do this? How does one really protect?

Laws against drones are about as effective as Berkley, California declaring itself a nuclear-free zone (yes, they and other cities actually did this during the Cold War). Did they paint that on rooftops so Russian missiles could be diverted?

The plans for the first printable gun were downloaded 100,000 times before the feds got them stopped. I am sure they are anywhere you want them if you look hard enough now.

Gun control is in the same category. The Constitution is clear on the subject, but many think this technology is out of control.

There will be more problems like this coming along. “Google Glass” is one that is already here. Some people have already mounted continuously looping video cameras in their cars – cameras designed to capture all that goes on at the time of an accident.

Trucking companies are installing even more of this kind of equipment. The federal government wants to put “black boxes” in all new cars that will record nearly everything that a car does – including speeding. With this and GPS, they will be able to mail you speeding tickets without officers being involved.

Overall, Google is definitely a company to watch.

Besides “Google Glass” mentioned above, Google has announced that it has figured out a method to predict if a movie is going to be a hit or a bomb. They have many other similar tricks up their sleeve.

Larry Page of Google is being called the modern-day Thomas Edison. Both were or are leading teams of scientist, engineers, and other thinkers doing things that seem magical.

Again, these are not Republican or Democrat or Libertarian issues. These are the result of the latest technology.

Be happy – you get to witness the time of singularity. Nothing will be the same again.

Jim Thompson, formerly of Marshall, is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and the University of Cincinnati. He resides in Duluth, Ga., following decades of wandering the world, and is a columnist for The Highland County Press.