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Dreading the “Age of Abundance”

” Yet there is no country and no people, I think, who can look forward to the age of leisure and of abundance without a dread. For we have been trained too long to strive and not to enjoy. It is a fearful problem for the ordinary person, with no special talents, to occupy himself, especially if he no longer has roots in the soil or in custom or in the beloved conventions of a traditional society. To judge from the behaviour and the achievements of the wealthy classes today in any quarter of the world, the outlook is very depressing! For these are, so to speak, our advance guard-those who are spying out the promised land for the rest of us and pitching their camp there. For they have most of them failed disastrously, so it seems to me-those who have an independent income but no associations or duties or ties-to solve the problem which has been set them. “

John Maynard Keynes – Economic Possibilities of Our Grandchildren

Keynes was the father of modern, American economics (I disagree with his govt spending approach), so I wanted to discuss some of his ideas from his paper that suggested that we would become so rich, that we would not know what to do with our free time.

Mankind has lived to work, to be challenged, and to desire some leisure, but what will leisure mean if there is no challenge?

  • The greater the challenge, the greater the reward.
  • The greater the pain, the greater the pleasure.
  • The greater the effort, the greater the relief from that effort.

But perhaps there are opportunities, as he thinks we will chase money less, and avoid the vice of interest (which only works if you offer/sell debt).

I see us free, therefore, to return to some of the most sure and certain principles of religion and traditional virtue-that avarice is a vice, that the exaction of usury is a misdemeanour, and the love of money is detestable, that those walk most truly in the paths of virtue and sane wisdom who take least thought for the morrow. We shall once more value ends above means and prefer the good to the useful. We shall honour those who can teach us how to pluck the hour and the day virtuously and well, the delightful people who are capable of taking direct enjoyment in things, the lilies of the field who toil not, neither do they spin.

But is spending all your time crafting and hobbying sound enjoyable or meaningful? What are the chances that most will either become utterly lazy, live in a video game with artificial goals or simply be bored, or entertained, to death. In case you have not noticed, the process is already underway.

Keynes said this process was already underway in 1930. Personally, I saw it decades ago as well.

I look forward, therefore, in days not so very remote, to the greatest change which has ever occurred in the material environment of life for human beings in the aggregate. But, of course, it will all happen gradually, not as a catastrophe. Indeed, it has already begun. The course of affairs will simply be that there will be ever larger and larger classes and groups of people from whom problems of economic necessity have been practically removed. The critical difference will be realised when this condition has become so general that the nature of one’s duty to one’s neighbour is changed. For it will remain reasonable to be economically purposive for others after it has ceased to be reasonable for oneself. The pace at which we can reach our destination of economic bliss will be governed by four things-our power to control population, our determination to avoid wars and civil dissensions, our willingness to entrust to science the direction of those matters which are properly the concern of science, and the rate of accumulation as fixed by the margin between our production and our consumption; of which the last will easily look after itself, given the first three. Meanwhile there will be no harm in making mild preparations for our destiny, in encouraging, and experimenting in, the arts of life as well as the activities of purpose.

Ignoring his subtle eugenic-like reference, the most interesting point here is ” For it will remain reasonable to be economically purposive for others after it has ceased to be reasonable for oneself” because perhaps my greatest concern is that when we have everything we need, we will not need each other.

You can see this in rich people today, and wealthy areas such as cities. You can also expect the rejection of people as we all get “richer” which I define elsewhere. I can use the internet now to learn almost any basic skill and AI is accelerating that, so the last thing I need is a real person to help me with anything. Clearly, with machines, all our needs from building a home to getting treated medically will be done with robots and AI.

But you say it is a real person on the internet? Yes, but not for long, and besides, these are not neighbors, nor people closest to us. More importantly, it will continue to erode geographically close, and physical (real), relationships. Some people think the ideal future is living in a Matrix, where we live in a fantasy full time, the Metaverse being one of the early incarnations of such, but somehow that seems shallow to me, esp. when all real work is automated.

When we get advanced information/education (AI) and free labor (robotics), that will seal the deal. Only societies that do not have their economic needs met, or at least not outsourced to advanced technology, will continue to need each other. And this is not limited to neighbors, but all social units. Families will not need each other, and populations may even be unlikely to need govt, but that is a difficult problem to discuss here.

Is there evidence today that this is already happening? Communities continue to decrease, families spend less time than ever, and I am lucky to hear back from my neighbors when previously I lived in urban environments.

One argument some make is that technology does not necessarily disconnect us, which is true, but I show the reality of facts, that they do on average, and we should avoid the exceptionalist thinking known in social science as “illusory superiority,” which demonstrates that for example, 90 percent of professors rate themselves as above-average teachers.

When Will The Age of Leisure Happen?

Keynes believed this would happen within 100 years (2030) and that does not seem too far off. And yet, technology marches forward…because it has to. Nothing can stop it, except a partial or complete rejection of technology, followed by a rejection of science, and ultimately, The Enlightenment (a.k.a. Age of Reason). All of this has brought untold wealth, which brings up the question: when does materialism become a problem? I know there are a lot of people worried about starving in far-off countries. I am one of the few more worried about the opposite in nearby places.

The promise of AI (generalized mental work) and robots (generalized physical work) is that no one will need to work again. Of course, materials scarcity will still exist, for a time, but generally speaking, productivity rates are about to skyrocket.

What Does this Mean for Materialism?

A common critique of the modern age says that the age of science and reason may, like all other ages, come to an end at some point. This does not seem unsurprising in some sense. While we all want things like medicine, at what point will our demand far exceed our needs, making us useless materialists and hedonists? Based on how many toys some of us own, and also time spent in media/video games, we are already there.

In other words, if we stopped buying more material goods, and experiences, the economy would probably slow tremendously. The eternal 7% stock growth projections do not seem wise (materialism) nor feasible (slowing population). Many have pointed out that Disny’s Wall-E may be the best description of the future if current trends continue. Even I ask my kids to pick my phone up off the ground when it’s only 4 feet away from me–clearly, I am contributing to the laziness problem.

But perhaps John underestimates the power of scarcity. It’s not like anyone farms anymore, yet, everyone seems as busy as ever. However, according to one source, the average workweek (70 hours) has dropped almost in half since the early 1800’s, yet people “think” they are busier than ever. Ignore the fact that the average American spends almost 40 hours a week in front of a screen now, and perhaps life is as hard as people believe it to be.

Plato argued in The Republic that material wealth could cause imbalances in individuals and society, corrupting the soul and leading to disharmonious behavior.

The Main Question: Why Do We Need More Abundance?

With the exception of curing and preventing a few diseases, I am not sure why we need more abundance. Does more pleasure mean more happiness? Does one more video game, book, or trip to some exotic land make our lives meaningfully better? Perhaps another shot of your favorite drug does, but I doubt it. Maybe I go against mainstream when I say that happiness is derived from purpose, from a life succeeding against challenges, and from providing meaning to and helping others. Not from one of infinite ease and luxury, which obscures and eliminates these opportunities.

One thing I noticed in hindsight, after having lived near a rich retirement home in California was how so many of the kids there had problems, seemingly tied up in resentment, and the only thing that made sense to me was that they lacked some sort of challenge due to growing up in such a wealthy place. I could be wrong, but that was my observation almost 30 years ago. Well, we are all supremely rich by historical standards, even if we are not rich compared to our neighbors today, but is there a tipping point when a larger area, such as the West, is so rich that it leads to moral, spiritual, and ultimately physical decay?

If it is already starting, perhaps some or most of us do not even recognize it, because although most can see waves, few can see the tide.

Misc ideas, things to add to book

There are a few choices in what to believe about the existence and purpose of mankind. Outside of these particular ideas, there are no obvious alternatives, so choosing one may be useful in defining a purpose and outlook in life.

The first is that we are the sole beings in the history of all time, which is eternity, and space, which is by logic infinite.

The second option is that beings have existed for eons, and so logically some of them achieved God-like powers, given enough time and technological progress. The natural universe has no feelings, and we are all helpless victims to more powerful beings. Today, a popular version of this exists. It suggests that we are simply characters in some grand Matrix-like video game, nothing more than characters in some twisted-super-human-mind who wields infinitely larger technological powers than ourselves. Today’s “simulation hypothesis” would seem to have greater appeal to those who believe in infinite technological progress of the future. Perhaps some secretly wish to have this power themselves.

The third option is that there is some grand, benevolent, all-wise Creator, who may as well live in another dimension, with this life simply being a time to develop ourselves, and have experiences, each with our own specific purpose in life. The crowning jewel of all of our lives in general is to develop love while ignoring all the other distractions of power, prestige, money, and other animalistic instincts so common in all of us. This is what I believe. In this sense, life is a simulation, and perhaps death is a greater reality than we experience here, much like Plato’s cave, Pauls seeing throuhg glass darkly, __________ (more?)

In this light, it is clear that circumstances must exist for love to take place. It is logical then that the single most core and essential environment to experience and develop love is in the basic family unit. Consequently, without the bonds of marriage and childbearing as the most important building blocks of society, the purposes of the Creator cannot exist as there are no ways for more people to come to earth to have these experiences.

Likewise, if technology eliminates the ability to care for others in a substantial or meaningful way, then the same decay and ultimately elimination of love will occur, with the only logical conclusion to be a large reset of some sort. If you belong to one of the world’s largest religions,

It is not as if I am a stranger to technology. It would be one thing if I had little experience with computers, however, my first computer was the world’s first “partable” computer around 1981, which some might have thought as the world’s first laptop, but since it weighed 26 pounds, it is not something anyone would actually want to put on their lap. My first business out of college was one of the first online platforms. Later, I shifted to digital marketing. Most of my work life has involved using a computer all day long.

programmers: the first will be last and the last will be first.

Genny liver

fallacies: that the future is one type of response by humanity. E.g. docile vs revolutionary

opposite of scarcity is not “abundance,” it’s “excess.”

My background.

The modern world is full of books with messages that appeal to their readers, for how else would you sell a book that challenges many of the dominant ideas of the day? It does happen though on ocassion. 20 years ago, the most popular selling exercise program in the US was also the possibly most rigorous (although I don’t think it put much of a dent in our waistlines in the long run 🙂

Some of my interests are economics, sociology, politics & political science, philosopy, business, the grand history of the world through the rise and fall of civilizations, comparative mythology, and of course, technology, but regardless of the avenue, I am always interested in the big picture and repeating patterns. For example, the lessons of history, the rise and fall of civilization, is much more useful to know than the individual facts and unrelated sequential events, because the patterns can be used to evaluate our future.

But I have often been a contrarian, which is to say not that I simply oppose others, but willing to go alone when the fundamentals clearly deny what the masses believe. I am skeptical of what the masses have to offer.

In economics courses taught in college for example, the big picture seems to be often missing whenever I ask a student what they have learned. They respond with things like supply, demand, financial markets, risk management, investment strategies, banking, and monetary policy. They can run statistical models, regression analysis, international finance. But there are few economic students who seem to have a solid grasp of the current over-arching, increasingly fragile global financial system at a truly macro level (mounting debt, slowing growth/populations, false economic growth driven by monetary policies, the crushing weight of govts on spending) that are, in my opinion, increasing existential risk for humanity. (maybe call some professors). In this case, they may have a broad background, but the applicability is nil.

I am also insatiably inquisitive.

productriveity is result of people x communication x speed of communication x distance or whatever

tech goal: easier

marketing gaol: reduce friction (to sell more).

Goals:

Most people are unwilling to talk about problems, esp massive ones they feel they have little control over. I actually enjoy talking on such problems head-on. So, I expect that if you are not one to want to deal with the problems that are currently plaguing, and probably increasingly plaguing to society, or at least a low survival mentality, then you might have little interest in this book. I don’t have the answers. I am asking you to help find the answers to the problems in this book. I will propose solutions as well, because I never believe in complaining about a problem unless I have a better solution.

Perhaps the most famous economist of the 2nd half of the 20th century, Milton Friedman, who provided evidence that govt was the real cause of the Great Depression due to their contracting of the money supply), noted that the government is the problem in “Government is the Problem” (explain). He also pointed out that corporations are potentially no better, because of the eternal nature of self-interest. Perhaps “selfishness” is a better word. In other words, there is no reason to think that one can be more corrupt than the other as they are built on the desires of those who run them.

However, which one is a bigger problem? In addition to the My daughter said government, because only they can crush entire populations at their own whim, while corporations can are limited mainly to income issues.

This is not really a book of answers as much as it is a book of questions.

Most, if not all diseases will eventually be cured with light; that is, some sort of wave within the light spectrum. No more medicines and tools, as well as every other aspect of our body and environment, will be able to be manipulated simply with vibrations.

speed of text to images to video for each technology speeds up dramatically over time

even if power acelerates for all, tech compounding ensures those at the top will compound the fastest, achieving escape velocity. sure govt are there to slow that via inheritance taxes, monopoly laws, other taxes, but govt will lielky abuse this privilege for themselves. why trust govt more than business? same people.

Dental assistant electric toothbrush.

Mentioned that Korea was using robots to teach children. They said “pretty cool” and I was like “no.” Why would anyone think that an autonomous machine training people is a good thing? Oh, but robots can simulate care and love. What? really?

Psychologicla model of family doomed.

I am not anti-materialist or anti-technologist, but everything in excess becomes just that: excessive and corossive. How much is too much?

For years I have asked people what they would do if there was no work. There are essentially two answers: play (travel) and work, purely for the sake of work. Yet, if work is not needed, then all work is in reality a hobby, designed to occupy/waste time that would be otherwise spent playing games.

Bronfenbrenner? I think maybe this is what the girl was talking about on campus. I need to interview some family theory teachers.

C.S. Lewis said “Education without values, as useful as it is, seems rather to make man a more clever devil.”

hormesis

The primary goal of any living thing is to survive (e.g. food and shelter), followed by its reproduction. Among humans, food and basic safety from the elements is probably what most people suggest is at the core of daily life (Maslows). But if those needs are met, then what are the remaining goals? existing to exist (e.g. people that show up to work because they have nothing else to do, or play games all day)? The only other alternatives would seem to be the endless pursuit of pleasure through one of the basic materialist/experientialist/social pursuits? But then, what happens to the ultimate goal, the pursuit of love, and some would say spirituality/love of God? Does it remain a goal? How achievable is it?

Why is AGI Super-Intelligence Actually Useful or Important?

After listening to several AI writers and speakers over the years, I am now asking them: why is developing AI so important? Yes, I understand it’s the next l

I will try to summarize in as few ideas as possible, the main reasons I think such people are excited for AGI, then challenge their ideas with deeper “whys.”

Curiosity

Perhaps the most common reason I see is that we will finally learn all the answers to the mysteries of science and the universe. Finally, all math, science, then medical, and other mysteries will finally be solved, including the infinite numbers of problems we have not even thought of yet, or that will be discovered by the neural networks.

This appeals to the curious minds, and is mainly why AI proponents also happen to be scientists because such tend to have a higher curiosity on average, or at least want to know the answers to riddles and problems. Want to know if we can build a mini black hole in the Hadron super-collider? You probably do not, but many scientists are compelled to know to the point of actually testing the idea while risking sucking in the entire earth, even if the risk of it happening seems fairly small. They just have to know, or perhaps win a prize.

Of course, building AI also fulfills the unquenchable thirst for knowledge among scientific and business minded. Who is not interested in a computer that knows the answer to every question ever posed and can create unlimited wealth?

But, the question is, does knowing the answer to everything actually make our world measurably better? If so, prove it to me. In some sense, knowing everything may lead to disappointment and boredom. Having mysteries keeps people busy and motivated.

Solving Societal Problems & Improved Technology:

Scientists want to create better technology, and businessmen want to distribute them, but to what end?

Will we look back and think how much we suffered in a world before a pizza would appear in front of us in less than 1 minute?

Even if we embed advance computing abilities into our minds, I am not sure why this is good or useful. So, I can instantly calculate pi to a quadrillion spaces, chat with 1000 people at once, digest all of Wikipedia in a few minutes. Now what?

Okay, let’s talk about real problems then like poverty, as if that many people are actually working on that on a regular basis. Well, the growth of capitalism and cheap borrowing costs (low interest rates) are the two most likely culprits over the last few decades:

Sure, then there’s inequality, but that is a slippery slope. Besides, if AI and machines promise a rapid increase in wealth and comfort, I am not sure who will complain.

Surely there are other real problems. Considering that car crashes are one of the top causes of death, let’s look at that. Although I still think it’s significant, most people could care less if a reduction in car crashes reduce the risk of death, by a mere 0.01% / year. That leaves the other largest causes of death: disease and suicide.

Considering diseases are on pace to be wiped out here in the near future, and life extension is commonly predicted to start this decade which includes reversal of many common diseases like cancer and heart disease, it seems like diminishing returns shortly. So, okay, I will admit, there’s still some decent room to progress in health, but if most end within 20 years (including mental health) with the help of nano machines, then what problems do we have other than those caused by our own poor behavior?

Pleasure

So if suffering is a problem that is rapidly disappearing, and likely to be gone this century, that only leaves one alternative: more pleasure. Unlimited, always heading up, pleasure.

Countless technologies from plastic surgery to computer-brain interfaces typically start as a way to help suffering people (needs), but in the end, most people use it for fun (wants), and I mean most people. I hear technophiles constantly talking about using “AI for solving problems,” but do not see much care or interest from ordinary people.

The long term seems rather clear to me: either the what is defined as “suffering” will be increasingly raised (cue that hovercraft rider in Walle dropping his drink, with robots picking it up), or most problems will be solved soon, excluding bad government and poor human behavior. Then what?

Ray Kurzweil, the most well-known futurist, points out a few non-conventional benefits of AI that he looks forward to, as brains merge with AI and bodies are maintained via nanobots.

  • Better looks: Do you know what some top models main complaint is? They never think they look good enough compared to someone else. Give some people millions of dollars to spend on plastic surgery, and they will surely find a way to spend it all. I just dont see this being a realistic goal. Unhappy people tend to stay unhappy.
  • Better intelligence such as music abilities: I asked my kids what it would mean if they could suddenly play any instrument, and song, instantly. They did not care. Part of the fun is the learning process, knowing that you have achieved some difficult goal, and others recognize it too making it meaningful. Once effort is removed, you might as well just listen to recorded music. Likewise, why would I want to see every piece of art ever made via my brain-computer connection just because I like art? It seems that a limit on the human mind is no worse or less pleasurable than the AI -brain version. Besides, it’s just pleasure.
  • Talking to our dead relatives: Sure, many people wish they could reactivate memories of deceased love ones, but the rest of us go on with life. Besides, no AI -generated simulation of our ancestor would be real, so it’s just deceptive to me anyways. Considering in 100 years, death will be all but gone, this is something that will serve very few people anyways.

There is no reason to think that more pleasure or ease makes people happier either. Charlie Munger recently pointed out that during the Great Depression, people were far more happier, satisfied, and respectful to each other than in recent times, times in which we have been richer than ever.

AI and Love

Now, I have not really heard anyone suggesting that we use AI to increase positive human behavior and emotions like love, which is kind of odd. I guess either that is not a priority, or something that few have thought about, even if it is not feasible anytime soon. But if love is the ultimate purpose of life, why isn’t that the main goal of AI development?

I think that only geeks like us really care about super intelligence because when I recently asked my wife what she thought if she could be super-intelligent, she said she could care less.

This also reflects the reality that computing today does not necessarily make people smarter as it’s commonly assumed. For all I know 90%+ of internet use is entertainment or social, which brings up another potential problem with the idea that AI will make us smarter.

There May Even Be a Bigger Problem to Stronger AI: Dumber People

Is it possible that as computers get smarter, that we are actually heading the opposite direction?

How would this be possible? Perhaps because the demand for intelligence naturally decreases as computers get smarter, replacing that demand on people. I have written elsewhere that the decreased demand for a growing society, including intelligence, may lead to a decay or collapse of human society.

To support this assertion, IQ rates in Western countries have been declining for the last 1 1/2 decades. It does make me wonder how much of that is due to computers and the rise of the internet. Of course, even if you attempt to use the internet primarily for learning, realize there is little or no correlation between increasing your data or “fact” consumption with knowledge, truth, and wisdom.

So, although I am curious about the unknown questions that AI might be able to answer (ignoring the great risk I fear from it), I think life’s problems can be solved without AI, more enjoyably, and a great growth in power will likely lead to even more excess. More importantly, if love is the most important thing in life, we should be focusing a lot more on that problem, but that’s much harder because it cannot be solved by business nor technology.

Modifying Your DNA with CRISPR: Dragons & Human Dinosaurs

Most people I would say have little awareness of a fairly unbelievable medical process that really got going over a decade ago in which a person’s DNA can be edited, just like software code. Here’s a bit of background on the process.

CRISPR was discovered in Japan back in 1987, later understood to be part of a bacteria’s immune system in which bacteria prevent invasion of viruses by storing a copy of the virus’s DNA (by cutting a piece of the DNA out). When the same virus attempts to reinfect the bacteria, the bacteria’s Cas protein uses the stored DNA copy (CRISPR) to match the one in the attacking virus, then like a pair of molecular scissors, cuts out the same sequence DNA to disarm it. Over time, scientists have figured out how to modify this process to not only cut, but also replace, specific genes in the human genome. Cut-and-paste gene editing, as well as silencing or activating genes is here and already used for example in our food. Some of that is due to CRISPR, and unlike the GMO process which might insert fish genes into your fruit, CRISPR simply tweaks existing genes, and it’s here today. You can buy apples that have had their genes modified such that the apple does not brown after you cut it.

Today, gene editing is already fast becoming a mainstream treatment for genetic illnesses. It appears to be the holy grail of repairing defective genes and the most miraculous of cures today. For example, just last year, a cure for the fairly well-known genetic disease of sickle cell disease was brought to market.

How could anyone deny that such tools can cure humanity of so many diseases? Today, 6 out of 10 people will be affected by a condition that has some genetic background. It is now generally believed that around 40% of all diseases have a genetic origin and that 80% of rare diseases have genetic origins. Clearly, CRISPR and improved alternatives to CRISPR, which will arrive over time, are invaluable to solving countless diseases plaguing humanity. But then, what’s next?

The potential for “designer babies” has already been a discussion for many years now. Even adults should be able to start changing simple things like eye color, hair color, and skin color. Like many technologies that came before, the emphasis is initially on “curing the suffering,” but later evolves to “increasing the pleasure.”

likely though that the first race after diseases are cured, will be to increase intelligence and beauty, but like most things, as society improves on these, society’s minimum bar of “what is good” enough always moves higher in the never-ending rat race of life.

What about “ethics”? Consider that over time, the guard of ethics always shifts, and as long as the dominant paradigm does not reject pleasure, and as long as govt. does not intrude directly in private life destroying all freedom, then it can be assured that genetic editing will march forward, just like any piercings or body art today. And if other people are using it to increase their intelligence dramatically, then chances are, everyone else will need to do the same just to remain competitive.

Who doesn’t want to be just a little smarter, a little better looking, a little more successful? Gene modification will provide all that! When a mother says “I could get more done if I had four arms” and “if had eyes on the back of my head,” understand that gene-editing tech will eventually solve that problem.

If editing our DNA becomes increasingly easy, given enough time, the ability to change ourselves into anything we imagine ourselves to be, will occur. Do you want to be a giant today or a dwarf? How about a troll, fairy, or even a flying unicorn (Pegasus)? Perhaps you fancy being a T-rex, or brontosaurus, with your brain of course? With DNA essentially being very much like complex software code, and an increasing number of tools to modify it, much like software, there will be few limits to what we can change about ourselves.

But will there be increased demand for genes of love? Considering the dearth of courses and jobs for such today, the answer seems to be a very likely “no.” In fact, while scientists like to measure genes that predict IQ, do they measure genes that predict love? Maybe there should be a standardized test for love, both in one’s ability and measure of success.

The ultimate question though is really, if we can modify our genes to become anyone or anything we want, what does this mean if we are not simply an accident of the universe, but instead the creation of a Creator?

AI & Unchangingness of Humanity: A Return to the Garden of Eden

NOT DONE

If there’s one promise of advanced tech in general, is that it almost guarantees an eternal unchangingness, or “homeostasis.”

What are you reminded of when you describe a world where:

  • Work is not needed (AI thinks for us while robots do labor)
  • No sickness or death (due to advanced medicine and anti-aging tech)
  • No new life (due to an end or eliminated demand for new people)

Detailing each:

1. Work is not needed: The first premise of a “workless” or “universal basic income” driven world is standard fare among leading technologists. Many assume that if AI and robots do all the work better than people, then we will not need to, nor will we be able to keep up with, the rate of their development. That is, they will accelerate in their abilities mental/physical, much faster than we will. Eventually, new paradigm shifts such as the need to tax corporations to pay for the masses while the masses just do whatever they want with their unlimited, free time.

2. No sickness or death: Anti-aging technologies: are generally believed to come about this or the following decade, and soon followed by an actual reversal of aging. “Aging” is composed of a few known causes. Many companies are working on this and aging does indeed seem to be biologically reversible, so I won’t spend time on this either.

3. No new life: Few, if anyone, has spoken about the consequences of unlimited ease with no death. Such advances in tech will likely lead to a reduction or even end of childbearing. In the last couple of hundred years, the wealthier people get, the fewer children are born. This is quite obvious by looking at wealthy populations around the world. The richest countries/locations, whether large cities, or countries like South Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong, have the lowest fertility rates in the world

[chart]

If lifespans increase indefinitely, or never die as is predicted by many ______, then it’s quite predictable most people will also put off having children indefinitely. In South Korea, it is the main reason people do not have children, as everyone is trying to keep up, or catch up, with the Jones’.

The downward trend in population that most demographers and governments are currently predicting, and actually occurring. Japan is losing more people faster due to low fertility rates, along with a lack of immigration, than any other country. Its population has been decreasing for over a decade with fertility rates not much higher than 1, meaning, that is how many children a women on average will have in her lifetime. No surprise then that they are incorporating humanoid robots faster than any other country. Other advanced nations, like the US and Europe tend to keep their populations growing with immigration, in light of the sub-replacement fertility rates.

Anti-aging technology will accelerate this drop in fertility. Governments may even apply pressure (or force) to reduce childbearing if they perceive children an unnecessary burden, cost, or environmental/pollution-causing risk. Even without the governments help, society in general will continue resort to the timeless approach of regulating fertility, which I call the “social control of fertility.”

In a world with no death and no new life, combined with the fact that robots can replace all physical labor, and AI will do mental labor, this situation bears an uncanny resemblance to the oldest story in all of comparative mythology and also many religions of course.

The main difference between the original Garden of Eden and the tech-utopia version is that in the modern one, people will be able to consume unending amounts of pleasure of all kinds–unlimited pleasure at no cost–a permanent high on drugs might be a good comparison, but without the risk of overdoes from technologically-perfected pleasures. Few people seem to recall the tree of Life in the Garden, which had they eaten of it, would have lived forever in their sins.

Am I the only one sounding the alarm of an unrestrained, infinite “pleasure” in a world where over time, the immorality of pleasure is increasingly forgotten?

3 Examples of How the Modern Life is Increasingly Unchanging – Homeostasis

As the length of time increases for life, the slower people progress through life.

It is almost as if all life events are distributed at the same proportions no matter how long people live.

Marriage: When people lived to be 40 on average, marriage was at ______ and

Childbearing: The first child was born around ________. Now that the average age has increased significantly, the average age of marriage and first child continues to increase proportionally.

Living at home:

Educational inflation

The Decline of the Family as Evidence

Is the general direction of society today a mystery or surprise to anyone? Did anyone predict the world we live in today even just a generation ago? Notice the progression over time:

  1. Divorce, the first clear step in family disintegration accelerated in the _________
  2. A few decades later, male/male, female/female relationship marriages were no longer seen by many as essential, nor even under a great taboo that existed just a few years previously.
  3. The next logical step would be simply to forgo the marriage process in the first place, ensuring shorter process to the same end, and now with no children at all.
  4. If marriage is no longer a thing, then dating and moving out of one’s parent’s home seems optional/pointless to many. (chart).
  5. On the larger view, birth rates have essentially continued to slow with time over decades, and chances are, that will continue in the long run (even if a short-term event such as war stops it temporarily)
  6. Predicting even further forward, even speaking to other people face to face seems to decrease in perceptual value to many. I will return to this in a later chapter.

Notice how every step is almost a foregon conclusion when you use the main idea that when society does not value more people, then the supply (its behavior) follows.

This suggests that values are like fashion, rooted in fleeting desires and ever-changing tastes, and subtly permeate society over time. Where is the solid ground to stand on? If families and fertility are not valued, then the moral restraints on human pleasure will almost inevitably decline.

In other words, declining fertility, and the perception of a decreased need for each other / children, is really fundamental behind all of the above trends, and today I see no end in sight. This in turn causes society to change its values. If/when the ability to extend life arrives, which seems likely, the above issues, and increasingly corrupt societal behavior should accelerate for the most part. In fact, you might be able to stay 21 years old forever, with no family nor children of your own, while you live eternally in your parent’s basement eternally surfing the Matrix that we currently call the Internet. Well, many people are already there today, minus the anti-aging part–give that just a few more years.

The general thought in social science is that fertility rates slow in developing countries as the result of need for children (useful workers) declines, while the effort of raising children (costs) increases. In other words, children in urban environments are more of a liability than an asset. On the other hand, it may be more that as that life gets easier and safer, children are seen more of a burden than a blessing.

Singapore citizens have 1 child per couple on average currently the 3rd lowest fertility rates in the world, just behind Hong Kong (0.9) and South Korea (0.8). In a 2023 survey the top three reasons people stated they did not want children were:

  • “can’t afford to raise children in Singapore. “
  • “Do not like children or want to become a parent.”
  • “Would impact career and current lifestyle. “

Besides the striking claim that one of the richest countries in the world cannot afford children, the reality seems that the life of luxury, or convenience and ease, makes the idea of having children seem relatively painful to many. Perhaps the claim that they cannot afford them is because parents are not willing to sacrifice other costs–even the GINI index which attempts to measure differences in wealth (or “wealth inequality”) within a population is lower in Singapore than much of Africa, which has far more children on average, so it seems on the surface to be more about reasons 2 and 3 (above), with “1” possibly the result of “keeping up with the Jones.”

In that same piece one potential parent says “People will say I am selfish, and I agree. I am selfish, I want my life for myself. I’ve got nothing against kids … I know I can be a good father if I have one. But the question is, why do I need to have a kid? And if I cannot answer that, I don’t think it’s right to have a kid born into this world.”

Like the need for each other, the perceived need for children seems to be decreasing over the decades.

Even Genesis states that the two primary purposes of Adam and Eve after being ejected from the garden were work and family. If AI (generalized intelligence) and robots (generalized labor) replace the need to think or exert effort, then chances are the desire to have children will evaporate on the whole, with perhaps even few even noticing the gradual changes over time as people tend to do.

Anti-aging will accelerate homeostasis

seems uninteresting already. What is more meaningful? Your 78th birthday (or your 1,623rd birthday because you never die), or a child’s 10th birthday? the growth and excitement of new life, whether experienced by a child or observing parent, will diminish.

So, as life gets longer, and technology speeds up, the events in our lives, at least what I would call the significant ones, decrease at an inverse rate.

Is Death Useful or Important? Surely death is an unnecessary artifact

Some would argue that a life without death is actually a good thing, and sure, it seems good in the short run. However, Holocaust survivor Victor Frankl, wrote:

“The meaning of human existence is based upon its irreversible quality. An individual’s responsibility in life must therefore be understood in terms of temporality and singularity” (Frankl 1986, p. 64).

“Man’s Search for Meaning”

He also notes that only with the realization of finite time can we recognize the full gravity of life, therefore I conclude:

Via the realization of finite time can one recognize the full gravity of life; therefore, it logically follows that with unlimited time, there will be no gravity, and no meaning.

If a person knows they will live forever, and work to survive is optional, then what will motivate them to even get out of bed in the morning? Not much. We even see a bit of this behavior growing in recent years.

He believes that creativity and loving relationships provide meaning. While some creativity, or art, is useful, it is decreasingly useful in large amounts, without somehitng to contrast is with. He also describes the world through his personal viewpoint. I, on the other hand, think its important not to see only what is possible, but what is likely, typical, and possible across a wide spectrum.

Will technology increase love? Trends for the last half-century show that relationships are less stable, and therefore less loving over time, as the world gets wealthier because in essence, people seemingly no longer need each other economically, emotionally, .

Knowing that death will never happen, will cause most people to procrastinate indefinitely. You already see it in wealthy countries today as the average age of marriage and child-bearing increases.

The New Testament, as well as most religious texts are focused heavily on loving others.

Conclusion

Recall that in the story of Adam and Eve that there were two trees (somehow most people seem to forget that). The second tree, the “tree of life,” represented immunity to death. While it does seem death did not exist before they ate the forbidden fruit, clearly the tree of life meant the would never die. I find it odd that it was even there in the first place, unless purely for the message that if people were to live in a world of sin, but never die, then that would frustrate the purpose of man and plan of God. Now, I know many people don’t think of this story as literal, but that’s not necessary, because if it really does speak metaphorical truth, the future may hold some surprises.

If the future is a place where pleasure is limitless, changelessness is the status quo, and the possibility of new life and new experiences in the cycle we call life ceases, then I am not sure I am cut out for the future. I am not the only one though:

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.

Steve Jobs

Why We Cannot Rely on AI to Solve Our Problems, nor “Fix” Humanity

I sometimes believe that the AI will find better solutions, make us more intelligent, but the real problem runs deeper: individual human desire.

Will the increased intelligence afforded by AI cause us to be kinder?

I find that the easiest way to answer questions about the future is to look at the past, so with some of the world’s worst tyrants being very intelligent people, that seems an easy question to answer. Sure, “luck” may play a role, but intelligence is surely an indespnsible ingredient in many of the world’s greater leaders, whether good or evil. If greater intelligence will not necessarily make the world a better place, then what

Why does increased “intelligence” not create a better society?

At the end of the day, there is someting much deeper than intelligence that runs the world. Humanity is governed by each of our own personal desires, and desire is not something you simply reprogram, nor can it be forced, at least if you have any sort of libertarian mentality about the world. Underlying desire is belief, so I can say the world is really driven by each of our own beliefs, and no amount of super-intelligence is going to change much of anything.

In fact, there may be mass attempts to impose the world’s view on the individual, by anyone or any institution with enough power to execute their utopian vision, perhaps through something as harmless sounding as a bioengineered virus, which is designed to make us all completely docile or obedient, allowing the creator to gain complete control over society. There are lots of possibilities technolgical tools for enslavement of society, naturally.

While authioritarian nightmares exist, the neverending attempts of society to pressure others via norms and expecatations is unavoidable in this regards; so, I expect that many will attempt to pressure others–those that do not phsyically modify themselves to conform to have the trait of __________ (enter trait here. E.g. more obedient to authority or society, more willing to share personal belongings, more empathetic, or even less fertile, etc…), will be labelled as “immoral” or even “evil”.

I like to point out in fact, that in Milgram’s famous shock experiemnt studies on obedience to authorty, there was actually a study which caused even higher levels of “conforming” than the authority figure, which was appeal of a person to their freinds beckining. I am not sure if this was overlooked, ignored, or suppressed, but clrealy obedience to friends is a more dangerous force if the studies are accurate.

https://archive.org/details/obedience-to-authority-an-experimental-view-pdfdrive-1/page/114/mode/2up?view=theater

What is “intelligence” useful for then, if it does not necessarily make us more moral?

In fact, it’s safer to say that the general view of intelligence today is anything that gives us a better understasnding of the material world (e.g. science), and that is for the purpose of gaining more control or success over our own lives. Whether it’s observing how your crops grow best, or you are pursing a Phd. All such learning is designed to help us overcome the Dark Ages of superstition, and at the end of the day for most, increase our comfort in life through higher incomes, or less suffering.

Even

So, as long as there exists at least one person on earth who desires to control others (hint: always true) then we can be sure that there are no long-term solutions to the nature of humankind via AI, without a complete destruction of freedom of the individual and the mind.

But are people not better today than we once were?

I also do not think people have changed fundamentally in any way since the dawn of humanity; it is only our current environment that makes us look more “civilized” than those in the past. Pull the facade of success away, and the beast in many will return as it has many times in the past. even the stock market is famous for the principle that people forget the past almost immediately. All human emotions have gone unchanged for the most part for eons.

If greater “intelligence” does not make people better, then what can?

Perhaps you know the answer already as to what traits truely make the world a better place.

Real “intelligence” may not be we most people think

Generally speaking, creativity in detecting patterns (e.g. IQ test) seems to be the pinnacle of what most people, including myself, think of as “intelligence,” as such can lead to very successful outcomes in life, such as a higher paying job, recognition by others, and the ability to discover and manipulate our environement (e.g. science).

But do such pattern detecting abilities increase kindness and benevolance in the world. This is why AI is not really the solution to life’s problems.

Perhaps real intelligence is more about the ability to care for others.

Robots and Artificial Intelligence = The End of Human People

The end of people is not robots and computers taking over, it’s the ending of ourselves through a permanent state of changelessness and hedonism.

Robots:

Everyone Will Own a Robot

Most people feel there are reasons why they won’t own a robot. Most concerns about owning robots can be summarized in the following complaints:

1. “Robots are creepy”

Many technologies have undergone the transition from “creepy” to “cool”, and in some cases from “taboo” to “cool.” For example, many large websites can use our personal information, machines listen to our every conversation, to give us exactly what we want in return like personalized shopping recommendations.

Additionally, the idea that robots are creepy may exist because we do not have a lot of cute, cuddly robots, so adding a cuteness factor, especially to kids, is likely to be a common way in which they are marketed to us. Such is the case in several Asian countries today. Equally important is generational shifts where kids that are introduced to them will gladly accept them as adults, while old people today will reject them more often.

2. “Robots will take over”

There are lots of dystopian stories about robots taking over such as IRobot (Isaac Asimov), The Terminator, The Matrix. But all of these are not just about robots, but robots with advanced computing, so as long as robots don’t have AI built in, then they will be as dangerous as a moped. Once AI is combined, that is yet to be determined, but the main risks to humanity are far more obvious.

3. It will be many years before we get robots

Human-assisting robots are already here.

They are fairly simple, but the fact that they are providing emotional comfort and basic tasks for people is a clear indicator we are headed that way. For example:

“The global market for nursing care and disabled aid robots, made up of mostly Japanese manufacturers, is still tiny: just $19.2 million in 2016, according to the International Federation of Robotics.

But METI estimates the domestic industry alone will grow to 400 billion yen ($3.8 billion) by 2035, when a third of Japan’s population will be 65 or older”

More advanced robots like Honda’s Asimo are far more capable in motion, such as even being able to play the violin better than me. But perhaps you don’t need this soccer-playing robot with a $2.5M price tag, there are other robots already available under $100k, and the prices will drop as long as people demand them.

TOKYO (Reuters)

4. Robots are expensive

5. Most people will not get a robot.

Do you own a computer, phone, or even a dishwasher? To buy a robot is to buy more ease, pleasure, free time. Not owning a robot in the future would be like not owning a TV today. Yes, sometimes true, but rarely the case.

How Robots Will Destroy Humanity

If there is one thing that is especially useful to people, it is the need to keep busy/productive. Most parents would agree that getting their child to do more work around the house is better than more time playing games or being entertained.

Robots will make us lazier and weaker. In fact, the modern age has already shown that. If you do not believe this, then simply read histories or talk to old farmers who regularly accomplished incredible feats of labor. I will return to this idea later.

Ultimately, robots will enable us to never work again.

Artificial Intelligence

If robots replace the need for human labor, then AI will replace the need for thinking.

If robots replace the need for thinking, then the average result over time should be that people get less intelligent overall, because the demand to be intelligent, which is based on the need to survive will be all but eliminated. This can readily be seen in the fact that most residents in the modern world do not have a clue on how to grow their own food, so if the system were to fail someday, then many would die.

If an advanced computer program can solve any math problem infinitely faster and more accurately than any person, then why would anyone bother? In fact, why would school even be necessary? More clues that we will weaken humanity. Sure, some people will work hard and learn, but will this be true for most people?

Even raising children via a machine is getting closer:

https://www.standard.co.uk/tech/google-developing-aicontrolled-babysitter-system-to-protect-unattended-children-a3715706.html

And who has time to monitor children, right? the growth of daycare rates shows the reality that more and more people are either too busy, or not interested in raising their own children.

The Replacement of People

  1. If robots replace the need for physical human effort, and
  2. AI replaces the need for
    • human thought,
    • mental effort
    • caring and companionship (already happening)

Then we can safely presume the need, or demand, for people will disappear over time. If demand decreases, supply tends to follow.

In this way, technology is commoditizing people, and people are becoming increasingly replaced by machines. Some of this is already apparent as you look around and see how many people are unable to stop staring at the electronic appendage, which many called a phone.

Some people think that “merging with the matrix” is a good thing and that the goal of all humanity should be to merge completely with computers (Elon). Who am I to say that they should not live in their dreams of electronic sheep, but perhaps others us think little of this nihilistic utopia.

I’m sorry, but implanting AI into your brain means I have to in order to stay competitive, but if I choose not to, do I stand a chance?

Computers and robots are already substituting real human emotions.

At this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show, or CES1, Sony debuted the new version of Aibo, its robotic dog. First available in 1999, Aibo has had a makeover for the new century and now includes advanced artificial intelligence, adaptive behaviour to interact with its owner, OLED eyes to show its emotions and a wide range of movement – all of which helps build “an emotional bond with members of the household while providing them with love, affection, and the joy of nurturing and raising a companion.”

digitalpulse

Now all we need is a robot family to complete it.

But it’s not like the future will be a big surprise, rather it will simply be a continuation of the current trends that seem to be slowly eliminating people:

  • An increasing number of family relationships are being outsourced:
    • elders to elder care/nursing homes;
    • children to school and daycare, and
    • substituting pets for children
  • People are increasingly spending more time with computers and less with real people.

The best prediction is that in the future we will all live in a world completely disconnected with everyone as robots and computers continue to fulfill our needs and want cheaper, better, and more conveniently than other people can .

In other words, with robots and AI, we won’t need anyone else for work, for care, for love. Even artificial relationships will be preferred to real ones when the program seems as good as the real thing.

Mass Hedonism

Technological Leverage will Not Save the World in a Techno-Utopia, it Will Increase Existential Risk as it Has Typically Done

The biggest missed point about the Holocaust, and other similar events, is that it was the expression of technological super forces. Without advanced technology, it is impossible to so cleanly and efficiently eliminate large populations.

Should we think the future is any safer with super-technology? Not as long as someone or something is in charge of the levers–not that it seems reasonable to let it run itself either.

The belief in end of war is a myth. I have demonstrated this elsewhere, but in short, violence committed from war has actually increased when looking at all documented cases of war over several hundred, then drawing a linear regression line. Sure, endless pleasure might somehow substitute war, but that’s another problem.

Technological Growth will Therefore Tend Towards Risk (unsafety), While Increasingly Restrict (safety) to Attempt to Prevent Chaos

If you think gun control is hotly debated, just wait until we can simply think up and even produce a weapon much more powerful than a mere gun. Thought control will therefore be a necessity for civilization to survive in the future. So, as tech empowers everyone, more controls will be needed to block the risks. Cue, the Borg from Star Trek.

Once men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam

Dune

Pandora’s Box is Full of 0’s and 1’s

If there is one thing we can be sure of about technology it is this:

Technology magnifies all human behavior, good or evil.

Author

” Reason and the impulse to objectify truth are illusory masks for cultural power.”

So, while we like to think that the search for scientific truth is obvious and natural, the reality is, in today’s world, those who control science, and its child technology, rule economically. The most successful companies today are mostly in the most cutting edge technology, or use such technology in their operations (even Walmart is incredibly high tech). By this, we can conclude that there is a race for technology because it is valuable. Social science would state this in similar terms:

The pursuit of Science is a cultural mask for power

Unknown

Freedom of speech, empowerment, and education Is there anyone in the United States that does not want more of these for themselves or people living in other countries? The idea of freedom, as set by the American founding was perhaps the most revolutionary idea since the dawn of civilization.

And on one hand, it continues to accelerate. With the leveraging and connecting speed of the internet and social media, anyone can be a leader overnight, amassing a large following. In theory, any of these virtual nobody’s could become the next President.

But, in case you have not noticed, there is a always a counter-pressure for such voices, often top down.

Education: Everyone needs more education. Technology will deliver it

Freedom of speech: The 2nd amendment gives people the freedom to speak, and we think everyone deserves to speak their mind without govt. intervention, otherwise we call it censorship. Is there a global company today that doesn’t want a greater market share in countries like China? Many would suggest that countries like China and North Korea are backward, but perhaps there is another view.

Empowerment: The first two (freedom, education) are just smaller parts of what you could call “empowerment” but for short, it can simply be referred to as increasing “power.”

The Battle Between Absolute Freedom and Absolute Control

When complete freedom for the individual is obtained, and as long as people make poor decisions, chaos is the most likely outcome.

Most people believe that freedom of speech is essential. We want more freedom of speech in countries like China, and North Korea. Most also find it repressive if governments limit the press:

2018 Press Freedom Index

However, if the press

people speak negatively of another group of people, then it is considered harassment, and can even lead to physical harm.

“Values that emphasize the creativity, autonomy, and priority of human beings are misplaced. There is no universal humanity since every culture constitutes its own reality. Groups must empower themselves to assert their own values and to take their placer with other planetary species. “

Introduction

What is the purpose of these writings?

  • To detail the coming risks to humanity brought about by rapidly advancing technologies.
  • To show the growing effects and risks already occurring today on society, as well as project these risks into the future.
  • To search for possible solutions
  • To give you greater knowledge to choose your path in the future.

Many books, articles, and voices continue to debate the merits of advanced technologies such as AI (or AGI), robotics, nanotech, biotech, and other civilization-altering technologies. Most such discussions center on technological risks, whereas this book is written primarily to discuss the growing real risks to a slowly collapsing society; that is it does not directly wipe us out through some extinction event, but rather, it does so indirectly through the subtle weaknesses in each one of us on a grand scale we call society. Like 9 of the 11 largest civilizations that have ever existed, we are more likely to destroy ourselves from within than from without (the barbarians)[will durant]. If civilization is failing, then it is likely that either few are noticing it, or if they are, they are doing nothing about it.

There are probably a few initial responses to these claims, and using a metaphor:

Me: Humanity is about to be destroyed, and is actually slowly underway.

  • Person 1: There is no risk now, and there may never be a risk (denial)
  • Person 2: There is risk, but someone else will figure it out (laissez-faire)
  • Person 3: The risk is there, but we cannot do anything about it (apathetic/fatalist)
  • Person 4: The risk is there, but not that bad (imprudent).

Personally, I hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

To avoid discussing the mounting risks issues at hand is to be indifferent to the exponentially growing risks already well underway. this book will demonstrate such trends and predict future outcomes.

As technological changes and risks accelerate exponentially, so do changes and risks in society.

Soemthing like: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Partners in Ecocide: Australia’s Complicity in the Uranium Cartel, by Venturino Giorgio Venturini in 1982

Perfecting Tech, Perfecting Pain, Perfecting Torture

Like most things in life, with every “pro” of technology, there is a “con,” and with every benefit, a risk or cost, even if it is not obvious. One of them infrequently discussed is the ability to perfect torture. There has been discussion though of an AI that overpowers humanity, causing all of humanity to live in an eternal hell, and while that is possible, it is indisputable that a person or government for example, could inflict eternal suffering on a captive person(s). This will discuss a few variations, potentially in phases, for perfecting such torture as technology “progresses” over time.

1. Precision Torture

Simply have an AI train on a person’s emotional response to some stimuli, and with “reinforcement training” the machine can develop the ability to generate instant, non-stop pain for its victim. Such a feedback loop can give real-time data to a machine that amplifies whatever pain works best on its victims. To date, a few studies state that brain activity in the orbitofrontal cortex and insular cortex are connected to pain perception. In other words, reading brainwaves will allow users to perfect the fears and pains that are most “motivating” to a victim.

2. Simulated Pain

The next logical step in inflicting pain on a victim would be to have less mess and less work, simply causing imagined pain by activating pain neurons/networks/regions in the brain. Perhaps bypassing step 1 above is feasible. Such direct stimulation would make cause maximum pain with minimal effort, again, using instant biofeedback that is interpreted by AI. The reading of brain activity via electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) continues to improve with time, and as it does, so will the ability to cause more precise harm to those who wield its power in a harmful way.

A less direct route to inflicting pain on a victim would be to create a “perfect simulation in the mind indistinguishable from reality,” or in other words, “The Matrix,” but that approach seems more complex than the direct neuron stimulation approach. Whether government or rogue individuals, the potential to cause unimaginable suffering is real.

3. Direct Thought Extraction

Simply gaining intel, or knowledge, from a target may be the actual goal of most torture, so perhaps simply to read their brain waves. In this scenario, torture is not needed. This is probably seen as the “nicest” form of torture since no pain is needed. Yet, theft of one’s thoughts may be the greatest form of a dystopian future that can be imagined. With the ability to steal thoughts, the safety to think, and freedom to choose would be eliminated. We would become products of society or whoever held technological power over us.

This does negate a large swatch of population that would still want to inflict pain on its targets to gain control, revenge, or some other selfish motive. Methods 1 and 2 still seem just as likely even if direct thought extraction becomes feasible, but it can get worse…

3. Perfect, Eternal Torture & Suffering

The worst part of all this is that “anti-aging tech” if it arrives as many currently believe, will allow a person to inflict maximum pain on someone else indefinitely while ensuring the person never dies. The idea of Hell may soon become a real possibility right here on earth, applied to whomever is an unfortunate target of war/crime.

As mentioned previously, some have worried that such “perfected torture” could be carried out by an out-of-control AI that has trapped all of humanity, which is possible, but I am more concerned about the undebatable historical reality of people doing similar things to other people on a realistic level. Is there any question at all that some people, or governments, will do this to others given the chance? There is no theory here only truth.

Question: Is Technology Worth it for the Masses if Even One Person is Subject to Perfect, Eternal Torture?

Some might say yes, but what if it is ten people? or 1,000 people? or 1,000,000’s? Drawing lines is one of the most difficult tasks for people in my experience. It is why so many small problems grow into unstoppable, monumental ones. I do not think a single life is worth it. Is the answer clearer if the person being tortured was your own? Now empathy brings on new meaning. The ability to perfect torture begs the question of perfecting technology to the point that it can measure and inflict pain on a person.

Of course, the idea of “ending technology” as does not work because someone else will continue to develop it, so defense against others is necessary. Likewise, on the extreme end of techno-anarchy, it proposes that the only way to survive is to smash every last bit of technology, essentially returning to life as foragers, since any attempt to preserve technology would inevitably progress back to “advanced AI.” If we must have advanced technology to protect ourselves from evil, then might it be possible that complete accountability of populations will occur, self-governing of course? That seems like asking if we can get rid of all crime. Probably not.

The need for intervention from a higher power suddenly seems to make sense in the face of the coming ability to generate perfect, eternal, torture by other people.