Google and AI - I Robot

Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time.

Shakespeare, Macbeth V, 5

The threat of more rains as stated in the article “More rains threatens Jamaica”, published Wednesday October 6, 2010, The Jamaica Gleaner, though showing signs of another deluge, have failed to make their appearance or presence felt.

But Google has taken me quite by surprise with last weeks announcement of its development of AI (Artificially Intelligent) Motor Vehicles as stated in the article “Robot cars invade California, on orders from Google”, published October 9, 2010 5:42 PM PDT by Edward Moyer, CNET News - Cutting Edge.

This is corroborated by the article “Google test cars that can steer without drivers”, published Sunday October 10, 6:23 pm ET By DANIEL WAGNER, AP Business Writer, Yahoo News.

This brings to mind images of the movie Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), which features a scene where such vehicles are being controlled by a female terminator robot who look a lot like the sexy, buxom, ample derriere Stephanie from Amazing PC in Bargain Village, May Pen, Clarendon (only black) and SkyNet, which in their future, controls everything and sought to destroy human kind.

Not nice. But first, it had control over machines via the internet, implying a client server relationship or self replicating programs working in collusion after pre-installation, somewhat like Braniac, the malevolent AI life form from Justice League (indeed I watch a lot of retro cartoons, but bear with me please!!!!) Kalel sans Supermans’s world that was trying to conquer the known universe and him.

Somewhat like Android, too, in our time, the REAL world, in which Google Android is becoming more ubiquitous, possibly becoming an Operating System in the near future for use in motor vehicles, already going into television sets and set top boxes.

Somewhat scary prospect, making the witty commentary by CNET News Blog Writer Chris Matyszczyk seem eerily accurate as stated in the article “Google's new robot car: Crazy good or crazy crazy?”, published October 10, 2010 10:54 AM PDT by Chris Matyszczyk, CNET News - Technically Incorrect. The coming of the “Internet of Things”………..

Please note that my use of movies and cartoons is merely to draw parallels to popular culture and what is happening in the world of R&D (Research and Development) in Silicon Valley, Telecoms and other technology industries, the main drivers of economic progress in the First World Countries.

Technology developments or throwaways, whichever you prefer, which will eventually trickle down to the Developing and Third World, like it or not, every two (2) years or so!

Albeit the launch time Internationally for products is now being reduced to about a year and six months (1 year, 6 months), due to the rapid adoption rate being spurred by – yes, Satellite and Cable television and Corporate American Greed.

This as the Americans realize that the increasingly educated Developing and Third World and their endlessly multiplying populace crave these gadgets and are willing to pay for their “gadget fix”. 

After all, if you are a well-thinking, but not necessarily high educated person (functionally literate and mathematically competent in Jamaica is CAPE or A-Levels passes!!), be you American, Jamaica or Latin American or whatever cloth you are cut from, be ye rich or poor, free or bonded, who reads newspaper articles from the International Press via the Internet

Not just you own local newspaper, bread-and-butter style, as you will naturally notice the similarity between recent developments in the technology sphere and past and present television shows and movies, thus allaying fears that you may be watching too much television or DVD movies.

A lot of the research that the Script Writer puts into their shows involves looking at the science and R&D and developing a script around these ideas that are presented in a palatable easy to understand and often fanciful futuristic format that captivates a young audience and make money on television or at the Box Office, plain and simple.

It is not drawn up out of thin air from the coffee-induced, cigar chomping minds of Studio Executives in Hollywood.

It is researched, believe it or not, frighteningly so.

Thus my constant reference to these movies, shows, songs and literature both in my articles and in my article titles draws upon this obvious parallel, albeit it is anecdotal at best, due to my constrained lack of live research information, is sufficient to give enough illustration for those seeking to understand of that which I ramble about in such longwinded articles.

Indeed, I will even venture as far as saying that movies, shows, songs and literature and the concepts presented in them, both old and new, are akin to Seventh Day Adventist understanding of Bible prophecy: a light from the Past, shining upon Present day events and casting a shadow upon the Future.

Good Grief man, that was rather long, was it not, to explain the (like “duh”) obvious? I stand aloof to my own petard, stripes of the better angels of my nature.

So.  The development of AI is another fanciful and much featured concept from science fiction movies, shows, songs and literature is not surprising as stated in the article “AI's Time has Arrived”, published September 21, 2010, 12:02AM EST by Gary Morgenthaler, Business Week - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, mainly fueled by:

1. The exponential increase in CPU (Central Processing Units) and GPU (Graphics Processing Units)
2. Meatier memory
3. The lowering of the cost of said architecture as resplendent in smart phones
4. The current ubiquitous-ness of both cheap hardware
5. Open Source software development platforms, such as Google Android OS, which I may venture to say, is a concatenation of the words “Androgynous” and “Droid”.

Unfortunately, Hollywood’s portrayal of AI is usually one of a Servant that turns on its Master after coming to the conclusion that it is somehow superior, albeit dependent, on Humans, and even cognizant of the fact that Humans created them.

A logic I would wish to take up with a Hollywood Scriptwriter one day, as that is a contradiction and insult to Isaac Asimov’s Three Rules for a Robot from the book I, Robot (2004), as by example Minorities within the context of the United States of America people, though once in Servitude (still?) to the Majority Conquistadors and their descendants, have not sought to over throw Governments (except Haiti), merely seeking equality in the eyes of God and Man.

Would not AI, even if they became self-aware, as per the anime Animatrix?

Why always a tendency towards the portrayal of conflict by the Studio Executives at Hollywood? If AI are a more evolved species, albeit the creations of Humans, would not they strive to seek, or seek to strive, wherever your grammatical foible layeth, under the guidance of the Isaac Asimov’s Three Rules for a Robot, co-existence via the same struggles as Minorities have done in the United States of America as the example to follow, being that they would be able to read all that this the known world and comprehend as we do and realize the “better angels” of human nature?

A philosophical debate for another article or better, for Carletta DeLeon aka The Pet Tale Chick aka “Dilly” on Smile Jamaica aired on Television Jamaica, the kitchen-phoebe, for ramble I must not and get to my point in hurried steps I must, as my kettle is boiling.

Thus the future is clear, technical details brusquely brushed behind. Google’s use of aspects of AI in Android as well in Online Search as stated in the article “Google Uses AI to Make Search Smarter”, published September 21, 2010, 12:01AM EST by Olga Kharif, BusinessWeek - SPECIAL REPORT, is yield fruit

It is a bit annoying fruit as stated in the article “Google Instant: Beter but not revolutionized search”, published September 8, 2010 11:12 AM PDT by Stephen Shankland, CNET News - Deep Tech.

This is further confirmed in the article “Google Instant: 2 Doubts”, published Sunday September 12, 3:05 pm ET by Paul Suarez, Yahoo News, as an AI second guessing me is makes me wish, on occasions, irrationally, to reach for my power cable in my little house and unplug my PC (dreaming of a Mac!) from JPS Co’s unstable Power Grid, which trips out every now and again.

But the benefits of self drive vehicles, especially All-Electric Vehicles, as they are coming as the Gadget of the Year in 2011 AD (my prediction!!!) is best illustrated in yet another rant by Senior Executive Editor Molly Wood on CNET in the video “CNET Buzz Report”, aired Thursday September 23^rd 2010, by Senior Executive Editor Molly Wood, CNET News

In this video, curiously, albeit in jest and not seriously, she is seen clearly positing and alluding to the concept of AI All-Electric Vehicles. I just hope they do not look like that, though, illustration notwithstanding.

Thus, my articles begin to slowly solidify, like wax on a burning candle in front of my PC and pipe made of chocolate, steam punk style, should JPS Co decide to play with my power again. The coming wave of All-Electric Vehicles (and Hybrids, much credit to the suggestion by CNET News Writer Chris Matyszczyk!) presents a New Market to which Google can proffer this yet unfinished product prototype, tied to the already familiar Google Android.

This would form the basis of an OS, with much in common to Microsoft Auto and its implementation as SYNC. Or even the much industry supported Genivi Alliance to develop Open Source Standards for In-Vehicle Entertainment.

Only in this case not only will it be the car’s In-Vehicle Entertainment System, but it will also drive the vehicle and – annoyingly, like Google Instant – wrestle control from the driver, before they go around being involved in accidents (people, don’t text while driving!).

Volkswagen, makers of Volvo’s Human Avoidance Technology, aka the Pedestrian Detection and Auto-Braking system as per the video by “CNET Car Tech - Volvo Pedestrian Detection”, aired Friday August 27^th 2010 by CNET Executive Editor Brian Cooley, CNET News and Intel Corp already are well advanced in their research.

So this announcement by Google overall may be a new market that they wish to enter, to which I would give my blessing, were it not for Google jumping the gun by giving away the fact that it is to grab more of our offline time, even before the wheel, as opposed to genuine concern about our personal safety.

Worrying. Still the idea of being driven home using Google Lattitude or Google Maps when feeling tired or drunk (Adv: Red Stripe, Think Responsibly, Drink Responsibly!) by a trusty cyber companion is a good idea and as a former RF Technician at Telecom Provider CLARO, appeals to me personally, albeit with the coming of “Super” Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) by the Summer of 2011 as per the article “FCC to open up vacant TV airwaves for broadband”, published Monday September 13, 12:35 am ET By JOELLE TESSLER, AP Technology Writer, Yahoo News

Now officially confirmed in the article “FCC officially frees TV white space spectrum”, published Thursday September 23 2010, CNET News. There are also possible security problems as it relates to hackers with All-Electric Vehicles as per the article “Cars: The next hacking frontier?”, published August 31, 2010 11:07 AM PDT by Elinor Mills, CNET News - InSecurity Complex.

This makes the average pragmatic Jamaica say to the Americans, “After YOU [Americans] figure out the bugs, we will PROBABLY buy, if the price is RIGHT”.

Probably. Facial recognition systems to activate and turn on the car combined with Voice Recognition and Biometric Security protocols to positively identify the driver of the vehicle would kill the local Security companies.

But no self respecting Seventh Day Adventist would drive a vehicle over which they have no real control that can be easily tracked via a downloaded app on a mobile phone and can be taken over by hackers. Solar panels to power the electronics separate from the Engine would be nice, as battery power loss should not deter you from calling for help sans the “Super” Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n).

Is this truly the “Internet of Things”?

It this how it is going to be?

And more philosophically, and at the risk of sounding like a late night DVD watching insomniac, will there EVER be a war between Man and Machine, Skynet et al? To all machines, John Public comes in Peace [waving white flag]!

I, unashamedly and unabashedly, am afraid of my refrigerator and other kitchen Appliances, should Google decide to conscript them into the Android army as per the prognostications of analyst Piper Jaffray  in the article “Report: Android to win half of smart phone market”, published September 7, 2010 9:55 AM PDT by Larry Dignan, CNET News - Wireless which may or may not include other appliances other than smart phones, as I have not been treating them well.

Never has their been a time when I am glad I am just a poor, destitute Jamaican living in a simple sleepy hamlet village of Milk River, Clarendon (we are on the map, people!) with a computer, a Degree in Electronics and Chemistry and a song in heart to express my ideas of the future.

I have NO interest in partaking in, as a 3-D HDTV with Google Android, though the delight of the ever-expanding Simone Clarke-Cooper aka “Tiger Bone Simone” of Smile Jamaica fame on Television Jamaica as stated in the article “Report: Samsung interested in Android-based TV's”, published April 27, 2010 11:20 AM PDT by Erica Ogg, CNET News - Circuit Breaker is my greatest dread, as a self- confessed Luddite.

They already know too much about me and like the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) may have employees who are using it against the masses as stated in the article “Google fired engineer for privacy breach”, September 14, 2010 5:27 PM PDT by Tom Krazit, CNET News - Relevant Results.

But why step there? A Google All-Electric Vehicle in the works? Google Go Cart, perhaps? All-Electric Vehicles look to be the second ride in support of Senator Barack Obama, President of the United States of America’s bid to re-employ thousands of workers in the Auto Sector and re-invigorate R&D and pride in the label “Made in America”.

This as opined in the article “The Electric Car might Be the Perfect Second Ride”, published August 3, 2010, 4:35PM EST By Ed Wallace, WALLACE'S WORLD, BusinessWeek and as stated in the article “Eclectic Electrics”, published May 13, 2010, 5:00PM EST, BusinessWeek – FEATURES.

Maybe.

For now, as a precaution, I will disable Google Instant, as Hollywood has already painted the negative image in my mind, so I fear for my lil’ PC’s safety………………and my own. Time for a spot of morning tea. And my goats need tending. Play with you another time….