The future is not what it used to be.
Fasten your seat-belts.
Future is always full of unknowns, hopes and anxieties but it is more than ever closer…and disruptive. When Gil Press published an article on Forbes in 2015 attempting to predict 3 reasons why future is not what it used to be, he introduced to a wider public the idea of “Seamless intelligence where everything is connected through ubiquitous networks and interfaces”.
Seamless intelligence cheers a group of people who are impatiently waiting for future to be smarter, more connected, more exponential and ideally immortal. However, when Boston Dynamics recently published the outcome of their incredibly impressive work on their YouTube channel causing a viral sensation — dexterous robots effortlessly jumping, roaming around, walking on snow, back-flipping, silently communicating among themselves to open doors with their handles — there was definitely more fear and consternation than amazement in the air. Some of the reactions implied that an agile door opening robot might be a nice pet to have around but shortly after that scary memes were everywhere on internet. General consensus on Twitter was “terrifying”. The videos were shared by thousands of people on Facebook and constantly received hysterical comments about “those demonic machines”. Many claimed that it is the end of the world as we know it and the beginning of robot domination over human race where we will be enslaved by a new form of species positioned above homo sapiens in the food chain: Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Boston Dynamics timing to start advertising SpotMini was uncanny because it coincided with the release of the forth season of Black Mirror (A sci-fi anthology series exploring a twisted, high-tech near-future where humanity’s greatest innovations and darkest instincts collide, ndlr). SpotMini bears a strong resemblance to the murderous, repulsive, cruel, ultrasmart and hyperstrong robot dog with beyond human capabilities (and sensors), in the episode “MetalHead”. The plot is dark, very dark, as you might have guessed, where humanity is in danger once again and it is the apocalypse. While Boston Dynamics would like to “Change your idea of what robots can do”, many people would just like them to stop for a second before they and those other Silicon Valley geeks/coders take their research any further, before they ruin our future for the sake of making a difference (and profit).
I am not a pessimist. I am one of those (maybe naive) optimists about the future. I believe individuals and highly skilled group of visionaries with good intentions (those who are in it for the right reasons in American reality show language) will shape a better future. I believe in the power of AI and other disruptive technologies in addressing the needs of the ever growing human population & in resolving our biggest challenges such as global warming, inequality, health care, clean water, energy… I believe AI will shift paradigms in our evolution and have more profound implications for humanity than electricity or fire.
I believe empathy, compassion and all human virtues that make us who we are will become the corner stone of our evolution. Human-centricity, emotional intelligence, relationships and experiences will be much more valuable than your self driving electric car in not-so-distant future. I also know we will augment ourselves significantly thanks to AI and will eventually merge our intelligence through brain-machine interfaces, hence the question whether AI will dominate us will probably become irrelevant if WE make AI progress in the right direction.
Our journey to future is accelerating, every single day. We are trying to get better in maintaining Earth a resourceful home, in space exploration to find a plan B home, in DNA modification to treat otherwise incurable diseases, in quantum computing, in augmented/virtual reality, in targeted drug delivery, in 3D printing, in advanced robotics, in renewable energy, in internet of everything, in everything. The destination is a world with seamless intelligence but if we know where we are heading, then we also need to know the path that will take us there. Preferably a path of intelligence and good intentions rather than the ones looking very much like the dark side of the Force.
Ezgi Tasdemir
Ezgi Tasdemir, PhD is a Novartis Oncology employee. This article is created by Ezgi Tasdemir. Views, analysis, and perspectives do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Novartis or any other company or organization. The author does not receive any funding or support from Novartis or any other pharmaceutical/non-pharmaceutical company for this blog.
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