Above Queen Mary (26 May 1867 ~ 24 March 1953).
Firstly (off topic): Today (9 May) is Europe Day; so a happy Europe Day for all our friends in the EU. Now that the UK has freed itself, we can look upon our EU friends celebrating 9 May in the same way we can look upon our US friends celebrating 4 July!
Today’s title https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Walking_Dead_(TV_series) is the same as the title of an American post-apocalyptic horror drama television series based on the comic book series of the same name by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard.
The above TV series (along with many others) tends to illustrate the degree to which people tend to focus on their own countries and what goes on therein to the general or partial exclusion of other countries ~ the drama is focused on and in the USA.
There are 193 member states of the United Nations.
In the future (2050) a big issue will be humanoid robots. Typically public and political interest and inter-alia, the governmental and regulatory focus, will be on the issue of humanoid robots to a disproportionate extent when compared with non humanoid robots – which will constitute the majority of robots.
That it will be a big issue is already apparent with people like Professor Kathleen Richardson (https://kathleenrichardson.org/). Professor Richardson has already started a campaign to make it a criminal offence (in the UK) to possess a humanoid robot capable of performing a simulated sexual act with a person (the criminality being upon the human, not the inanimate object). A number of MPs (mainly Labour, Lib-Dem and Green) support her efforts. This when the level of technology is very crude and the products available to those persons interested in this obnoxious activity are little more than non-life-like mannequins with recorded voices.
Whilst Professor Richardson and her supporters are getting vexed about a technology yet to be developed, they seemingly are not too concerned with the steady progress of what is known as Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) – which is a far, far more serious issue that what some very unpleasant and socially inadequate, sexually obsessed men have chosen to fixate upon.
There are significant persons – such as Elon Musk – who are raising the issue of the dangers inherent in AGI warning us of a potential dystopian outcome. I fear however that Mr Musk’s efforts are doomed to fail!
Why?
Because of what (in the USA) is called the “military-industrial-complex”.
You see, a major area in which AGI will be focused upon is defence/weapons. That is inevitable given the ratchet nature of the arms industry. You see, the USA will not slow it’s R&D into defence related AGI because it will not want to be superseded in that area by China and Russia. China and Russia of course will not want to be superseded in that area by the USA. Then of course there is Europe and the UK.
So, I think we can safely predict that AGI will be with us by 2050.
Now let us turn our attention to the matter that so concerns Professor Kathleen Richardson: Heterosexual men performing sex acts on inanimate objects that look like women.
Should the technology advance to such a level that a realistic humanoid sex robot could be manufactured at a price which many could afford, the first issue the manufacturers would have to address is the facial appearance of the robot. This for the obvious litigation that could/would follow by a woman who was in the unfortunate position of bearing a strong facial similarity with the robot. This is a serious issue for any manufacturer for even were they to start with the classic “blank sheet” and invent a completely original female face, it is virtually inevitable that there will be an unfortunate woman somewhere on the planet to whom this face will bear a strong similarity.
When presented with a legal problem, competent businessmen consult lawyers. The legal advice will be clear: The lawyers will state thus; the dead have no rights! Thus, if the manufacturers base the appearance on a woman who has died – a long time ago, the better – there can be no comeback.
As to the mechanics involved, many of the AI functions will be off-board the doll. Those functions within the doll will be motion based to enable the doll to physically move. The extent of that movement will be dictated by the power that can be delivered. To construct what in Sc-Fi novels and TV dramas is called an “android” capable of walking around and picking up objects requires a lot of power. The human body is a very efficient and powerful biological machine. The food you consume each day produces far more power than the most advanced lithium battery yet developed.
The least complicated and most practical solution will be a power cord. Developments in room temperature super-conductivity will assist here. The power requirements would be around double that of an electric oven. Most electric ovens draw between 2,000 and 5,000 watts, with the average electric stove wattage coming in at around 3,000 watts. So say 7.4kW. On 230 volts that’s 32 Amps!
I have not picked this power level at random. 7.4kW is the maximum size of charger for an EV that can be installed on a domestic single phase network.
Today a cable that can safely deliver 7.4 kW is a hefty and unwieldy thing. It can be made less unwieldy by increasing the voltage. Room temperature superconductivity will aid this dramatically.
I do not doubt that Professor Kathleen Richardson will get her way in the UK.
There will of course be other nation states in the world where such as Professor Kathleen Richardson not succeed. It is likely that nations in the Far East (China, Korea and Japan) will allow such “sex robots” to be sold to the public. This because Professor Kathleen Richardson has the necessary credentials that are deemed desirable and essential by the PC Brigade that dominates the Tory party and rules the Labour Party! That is to say she is a lesbian feminist.
The irony here is of course that this woman who has for long campaigned vociferously on the topic of sex robots used by heterosexual men seeking to satiate their lust and sexual fantasies is seeking to discourage behaviour that these men should indeed not indulge in for in many places in the Bible such behaviour is condemned and it’s consequences (for the unrepentant sinner) are made clear!
It is inevitable that such machines will be smuggled into the UK and WHEN discovered those found to be in possession of such machines will be arrested, charged and if convicted placed on the sexual offenders register. The severity of the sentence will be based on the degree of “harm” that will have been deemed to have been caused. Clearly, if the machine has the appearance of a child the sentence will be justifiably severe. If the machine bears a resemblance to a famous person (even a dead famous person) the court will deem this an aggravating factor as well.
I imagine that most first offenders pleading guilty (of sexual activity with a machine resembling an adult) will be given a high level community service order. Repeat offenders may face custody.
You will have noted that I stated WHEN, not IF the offender was discovered. This because discovery would be a racing certainty!
You see, the future we are heading towards is a dystopia that is possessed of a surveillance ability that the despot ruling North Korea can only fantasise about!
Technology – in all it’s forms will constantly monitor and track all human activity! The only way to eliminate this would be to live “off grid” – without technology.
There would be another way: Emigrate! There will be countries that will not adopt technology in all it’s forms. There also be countries that will allow activities that are prohibited in other countries. In the 1920s many Americans travelled to Europe to enjoy partaking in the consumption of alcohol.
Of course, Professor Kathleen Richardson will likely be able to persuade UK politicians of extending the jurisdiction of the act she wants worldwide; so men travelling to those parts of the world that have not made sexual acts with machines illegal will be able to be prosecuted upon their return to the UK.
Again, because the machine will be linked to the global internet and the AGI, detection will be inevitable. Only corrupt officials (in the country they travel to) will be able to prevent this.
Whilst readers may well feel that the coming dystopia that will adversely affect individuals who are deemed by most to be inadequate and deserving of condemnation be warned: The surveillance will be complete and will monitor all your activities and actions. Privacy will not exist.
In such a society the authorities will be faced with a huge problem. The level of lawbreaking will be at such a level (the more offences > the more offenders) the criminal justice system would be in danger of breaking down. Technology, I fear will come to the dystopia’s rescue!
I anticipate a revival of the now discontinued practice of lobotomy – but with a difference. Instead of just causing most of the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain, to be severed, this will be preparatory to inserting a brain computer interface which will reconnect these connections but on a controlled basis – controlled that is by an AGI!
Now, readers will know that whilst the BG is not a religious blog it does from time to time stray briefly into this area.
The development of AGI causes me to think about a certain passage in Revelation: In particular Chapter 13 Verse 16.
Of course, the thing about the Bible is that it has been translated many times over many centuries. This must be taken into consideration. The first text is the English Standard Version, the second is the traditional King James Version.
Also it [The Second Beast] causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead,
And he [The Second Beast] causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
I would draw your attention Dear Reader to two things: Firstly the ESV refers to the Second Beast as “IT” – a thing; whereas the KJV refers to the Second Beast as “HE” – a person or male entity.
Secondly the ESV refers to the mark as being on the right hand or on the forehead whereas the KJV refers to the mark as being IN the right hand or IN the forehead.
I have a nasty feeling that the ESV might be nearer the mark (pun intended!) in identifying the Second Beast as an IT and that the KJV might be nearer the mark in locating the mark IN the right hand or IN the forehead. The second of which would clearly correspond to a Brain Interface Connection between the frontal lobes!
The reason why I attach significance to the KJV text is that when the 17th Century theologians wrote it the idea of a mark “in” the forehead would appear nonsensical. Clearly they would have checked the earlier translation to confirm this! These 17th Century theologians would have no conception about the internet and the development of Artificial General Intelligence!