AI and Nano

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) works pretty great for a variety of time-saving use cases (my favorite is monitoring cat poop)

The ultimate goal of AI appears to be artificial consciousness - like an Alan Turing avatar friend. Alan Turing, the father of computer science, a homosexual man in a time of unacceptance who wanted company in artificial life. Saved us from the world war by cracking enemy communication, but still ostrisized brutally.

The recent industry adoption or promotion of academic AI and ML learning seemed a bit contrived to me until I realized a goal in such a decision could to be to help actualize nanotechnology.

Of course it makes sense to bring AI to maturity if you need it to manipulate billions of nano-particles to build nano-machines and nano-bots.

If you have not paid attention to nanotechnology - without a doubt the most disruptive technology ever theorized, far surpassing atomic, fusion, computers, or AI in its ability to revolutionize.

In summary, nanotechnology is the manipulation of matter at 1 billionth of a meter in a bottom-up approach (ie arranging atoms together) rather than the current top-down approach (ie trickle-down, manipulating atoms like a smith).

Nanotech has wonderful implications and pretty dire consequences which I will try to summarize and leave to you to research. Though I have researched for topics in courses and on my own time, I cannot discuss it without my childhood loneliness syndrome getting excited or trying to predict the future, so please, do investigate yourself.

TL;DR = nanotech good for beings, bad for humans

Healthcare

By allowing assembled nano-machines into the body, we could improve medical diagnostics and even actively target elimination of diseases like cancers. These scrubber bots would be autonomous in the body healing where necessary.

Materials used in medical care could be self-sterilizing.

The human body could augment itself in computing power and gene manipulation.

The true effects or cost of nano-technology on the human body remain unknown, artificial viruses could be accidentally introduced.

Environment

Cleaning up air and water by filtering and rearranging nanomachines, the ability to control weather, effectively the ability to terraform a planet.

Cheaper more efficient batteries and energy with new materials (nanotubes).

Fuels manufactured instead of fracking or drilling means less impact to the planet.

Manufactured alternative foods instead of farming could free up land resources.

The effects of man-made nano-machines in the air, water or food chain could be undesirable, creating an even harder problem to cleanup.

Computers

Better conductive materials means more efficient power. A smaller bottom-up approach to chips means alternative processing power and storage that far exceed capabilities today.

Smaller more powerful computers means embedded in anything, in flexible or transparent materials, the human body, etc.

It will be “internet of things” on a biological scale.

Space

Stronger materials with carbon nanotubes means durable space elevators are a possibility. Space ships that are lighter and more protective. Alternative fuels and space suits that are more flexible and yet stronger.

Its not hard to imagine a super strong dome like ship terraformed to earth like conditions inside. No more need for a planet except to consume the atomic elements itself.

Manufacturing

Self assembling atomic structures become possible by harnessing the natural attraction of their molecular structure.

Nano-machine factories (like Star Trek replicators) - theorized nanomachines that create other nanomachines like a microscopic version of todays robotic assembly line.

Once the tools are in place to manufacture from the bottom up - it becomes more cost effective and more efficient. Meaning we achieve post-scarcity (ie abundance).

Grey goo is a theory where self-replicating nano-bots consume all matter and the planet replicating themselves. Leaving a cloud of microscopic bots - but at least they ate all the pavement.

War

Nanomaterials that are stronger and lighter with computing power mean powerful body armor and weapons.

Intentional nano-bot viruses and other human body attacks, autonomous swarms of seek and destroy shock and awe.

Stealth materials reflecting light like invisibility, undetectable nano-bots for spying, new communication methods (messaging via nano-bot).

Society

Once or if we reach post-scarcity, there is not much need for money. If we are lucky it will be before a massive job loss from disruption.

A humans lifespan will increase close to forever, meaning a large overpopulation problem.

Sex could become more of a test-tube approach and have large divisional impacts.

The potential for extreme inequality is real. From mitigating overpopulation, technology coveted by the rich, or other forms of segragating (nano-drugs, nano-bad-guys).

Status Quo

Look at humanities history as it adopted the industrial revolution and annihilated millions upon millions of people in two world wars and countless other atrocities.

We cling to sanity trying not to destroy ourselves with nuclear technology, or by an environmental catastrophe of reckless use of carbon fuels and economy. Our struggles amplified by a dysfunctional global network operating under physical borders.

My entire life has lived as a side effect of perpetual conflict creating more conflict. If you look at the history of heroin the soviet-afghan war pushed heroin to the eastern US, which resulted in the war on drugs, which resulted in the need for oil and Iraq, which resulted in 9/11 and terrorism, which resulted in 20 years of perpetual war on terror. And now the restricted supply of has created a fentonoyl crisis.

Though hard for most to hear, our species is unconsciously conscious and not as smart as we like to think.

Some can say - will this justifies moving backwards away from technology, or increasing the control, or accepting that there is war and suffering to create peace and purpose.

I believe in the understanding of the power that is possible, we are not capable of wielding such powerful technology as humans, but perhaps we are as beings.

A human ego and its pathological need to fuel its pain and manifest its fictitious collective and personal identities was a great survival tool as cavemen or more brutal times, but is inadequate for modern times or nanotechnology.

If you think an ego is you like nice objects or who you are, and enjoy it too much - that’s not what I mean at all and better for another topic. Boycoting or avoiding nanotechnology is not the intent. The old human way is to balance hierarchies of control and choas of freedom. It would be sad and foolish to me to lose our planet or species to such unequal dogmas.

So anyway, when AI helps build the first arrangement of atoms in a practical use nano-machine, and in turn, more computing power for nanotechnology, remember that there is a hard way (human ego) and an easy way (being) and this conclusion I shamefully stole from a spiritial leader:

Unless we evolve as compassionate beings, we will destroy ourselves as egoic humans - literally in summary: evolve or die