Will humans be different by 2050? (part 4)

Technology is advancing so quickly and being embraced so immediately that we humans are generally rather unaware of how it is changing us. Technological integration with our physical bodies is predicted to become a standard form of self-advancement in the future. The competition for work with robots and AI may result in humans choosing to have implants surgically grafted into our brains for increased mental processing power. We may even seek other biological upgrades so that we can better compete with robots, such as bionic implants in our hands or legs that enable us to perform as quickly as a robot. Ocular implants may not only be chosen to improve eyesight, but may also project menus and videos into our vision, and allow us to take pictures or record videos just by looking. This technology already exists with “Google Glass,” and though it is undergoing a challenge with social acceptance, we may see this same technology re-emerge in other ways. If technological implants enable us to do our jobs better and to compete with the growing robot work-force, human cyborgs may not be as uncommon in the future as we might think right now. Becoming a cyborg may even be a necessity to survive the demands of future society, and we may see that the biggest earners in the future are those that have decided to invest in “upgrading” their bodies.

Will humans be different by 2050? (part 3)

Humans may spend far less time in contact with each other in the future, if current trends continue. There is some speculation that we may live out much of our lives in virtual reality environments. Already, people are working from home more and more--telecommuting has already allowed for an incredibly wide range of jobs to be conducted remotely. When was the last time you had a lengthy conversation over the phone? We are already preferring quick texts to email, email to voicemail, and voicemal to actual conversation. As we continue to separate ourselves from other humans, we may turn to other sources for interaction. Virtual reality environments may afford us leisurely “getaways” and pseudo-social interaction with artificially intelligent people. The Japanese are already developing programs for the VR headset—the Oculus Rift--that involve an animated woman who wants to talk with you while your head rests on her lap. The movie “Her” suggests that a man can form an emotional bond with an AI program. We are becoming increasingly disconnected from reality and genuine human interaction and experience!

Will humans be different by 2050? (part 2)

Changes in society may affect us physiologically. Researchers are already suggesting that humans will demonstrate delayed sexual maturation as a result of societal changes. As technology continues to improve and robots begin to replace menial tasks, we will have more free time. Robots will dominate unskilled jobs, making it more difficult to find work without an education, thus necessitating a delay in having children. Brain size is expected to increase as well, and as a result, we will need more energy and time, resulting in less reproduction. Medical technology may allow for changes to the “biological clock,” and possibly an elimination of it altogether. It may be entirely feasible for couples over 60 to have children in the future, and we may also have longer lives, living until 120 by the year 2050.

Will humans be different by 2050? (part 1)

Where are we heading, and what will humans be like in 2050? One change that is already taking place is when we choose to have children. Today, the average age a British woman has her first child is late in her 29^th year. In the United States, compare the change from 1970, where one percent of first children were born to women over the age of 35, but by 2012, that rose to 15 percent! It is becoming increasingly common to put off child-rearing until later years, as both men and women are focusing on finishing advanced college degrees and getting settled in a job. This is also reflected by the median age of first marriage, where the average age of males marrying in 1950 was 22.8, and the average age for women during that time was 20.3. By 2010, that had changed to 28.2 for men and 26.1 for women. As countries become increasingly advanced socioeconomically, people are choosing to focus on extending their child-free years for leisure time or career development. Studies have also found that trends in business are showing decreasing job security and increasing demands upon workers to work during unsociable hours. With educational “inflation,” more and more degrees and certifications are being required of people, resulting in extended years in school and larger loans to pay off.

Artificial Intelligence already creeping into our society (part 5)

It may seem that I am simply focusing on examples of computer errors in all this, and not actual AI. Yet Artificial Intelligence is a conglomeration of complex algorithms that allow a computer to make conclusions based on data sampled through various means. What we might call a computer error is really a matter of perspective—to us, it is an error because it violated our intent for the computer. But in the cases mentioned this week, the computer arrived at that “error” through a logical application of its programming. The AI on the International Space Station had a task to complete—the launching of satellites on a specific schedule—but when the AI realized it could not maintain its objective if it was delayed any further, it simply resumed its task, regardless of the fact that it had been told to stop. The peak-rewards situation was a mere application of programming to a situation: it was hot, everyone was using their AC, and the computers decided to shut down the AC of everyone on “peak rewards” because too much electricity was being used. I've even heard a story of a hospital situation where orders for medicine suddenly stopped being printed out, and pharmacists did not realize that the queue was building internally in the computer system. Patients no doubt suffered for the delay in their medication, but because of a computer program re-routing the notifications to a computer instead of a the usual printers, the pharmacists were delayed as they tried to figure out what was going on. Why are we even considering developing AI for any system that could profoundly affect our lives? Smart phones, smart homes, and Google's smart car...does AI make you feel safe?

Artificial Intelligence already creeping into our society (part 4)

Even in our everyday lives, we encounter small forms of AI. If you've used a word processor on your computer, or have been typing a text on your smartphone, you've probably encountered what I call “predictive technology.” The program tries to assume what you are trying to type and auto-completes it for you. We all have funny stories about how our intended message has been mangled, and unless you've figured out how to turn off the auto-complete process on your computer or phone, you are probably very annoyed and frustrated at having a computer finishing your sentences for you. Voice-recognition technology is another example of how far computer recognition of human intent still has to go. Perhaps you have tried Siri on iphones, the Kinect on Microsoft's Xbox, or Sony's PS4 voice-recognition “feature”--all of these fail far more often than they succeed. Computers are far from understanding what we really want, yet we are placing them in some very important positions in our lives.

Artificial Intelligence already creeping into our society (part 3)

On May 6, 2010, the stock market plunged 4%, and then in mere minutes, sharply fell another 6%, before mysteriously rebounding almost as quickly. A reactive, computer execution system had caused roughly $2 billion worth of shares to be sold in just seven minutes in reaction to someone's trade, and the ensuing panic exposed the fragility of our stock market. After review, the The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) determined that a computer algorithm was to blame for the incident, and measures have been put in place to prevent computers from causing such sudden, volatile swings in the market. Today, markets depend on the volume generated by high-speed traders and their computers, but the computers don't have a sense of when to intervene during a crisis—they are entirely oblivious to the catastrophic effects that may be caused by certain actions. While it is obvious that computers are an integral part of the stock market, have we allowed them too much of a role in our fragile economy? What kind of oversight is there? What are the failsafes? In the end, the computers were only following their programming, regardless of the possible outcome. As computers have been integrated into vital components of our civilization's infrastructure, it is chilling to consider how far-reaching a computer error can be upon our way of life.