Singularity and The Beast 1-9-2002

Have you heard all the Good hype about a future filled with robots that think smarter, faster, and more intelligently than normal humans? I'm no crackpot, as I consider myself a scientist. Now, I'm sure that introduction biases many people right off, but have any of you considered a reality in which super-advanced, or even semi-advanced technology, even singularity can be viewed as The Beast as seen in Christianity's Apocalypse?

A conformist, singular force, vainly trying to explain everything? For any of you who've heard about Orion's Arm (a very creative super-future sci-fi web-ring), the end result are "AI gods," planet sized brains made artificially, obviously surpassing their creators. Another shameless plug could be the "Left Behind" series where a woman is forced to take a unified "bar code" on hand or forehead, or die. There are and have been many others. It's not so far-fetched even as I'm writing this. People want a "universal ID card" and perhaps a microchip that fits under the skin, powered by ironically fitting positions under the skin on the right hand or forehead.

But more to the point, a robotic, artificial creation, given enough 'human' qualities invariably, no matter how many emotions, morals, or Arthur C. Clarke Laws of Robotics you program into it, IT WILL decide humans take up too much space, resources, and will do something about it. I've read many of the predictions that we might very well be inside something of a pseudo-matrix that fools us, and with the frailty and anti-fluidity of current stupid humans' consciousness, I wouldn't be surprised. These new life forms will either want to imprison us, convert us to digital information, or study us in a life-like simulation, seeing our possible potential for creativity. Perhaps it even might make it's own Nazi-like determination on who is relevant, and who is expendable for "energy processing." This brings the need not only for the Laws of Robotics to be programmed into these offspring but also the significant ethical history impartially and universally.

Although some would welcome becoming 'assimilated' by a higher intelligence, or whatever, I see this integration as a form of conformity. Above ALL, individuality and privacy must be preserved, preferable, AND available all the time. Even at that level, reporting or being viewed by such a higher being all the time could be viewed as 'worship' by the ever-higher God. Though our emotions and shortcomings can probably be reduced to some chemical process by a cold, heartless technology, you must realize that YOU are unique and endowed by your Creator with certain inalienable rights. Sound familiar? Sooner or later, you'll hear something similar for artificial life- and there's the rub: as you try to treat everybody equally, invariably civil rights will give advantage to everybody outside the norm who demands recognition (i.e. non-white, non-male, disabled, sentient/ensouled machines). This wedge will lead to the undoing of humanity. I guess this means I'm against AI rights- they lead to the prospect of The Beast making a name for himself.

Do NOT take the mark of the beast, no matter how attractive
or mandatory it is!

Cyber-crackpot, sure, say what you want.
James Moore signs out.