War and Peace

As the world at large celebrates Christmas, the season of peace and goodwill towards mankind, we're reminded of the ongoing conflicts between Ukraine and Russia, and more recently between Israel and Hamas.

It's not hard to imagine a world polarized by different political ideologies and fractured by religious aspirations to be entrenched in a never ceasing cycle of conflicts since the dawn of civilization. But more often than not, it is the selfish ambitions of the few that plunged their nations into chaos and sufferings. And in a world that is increasingly connected, even countries that are not involved feel the ripples and repercussions these military expeditions brought.

Would the rise of AI and Quantum computing be the solution to resolve differences and reinstate peace and stability that the world desperately needs? Going by the way these technologies are being developed and used, just like the invention of guns and gun powder, it is not very promising. What if mankind, in the bid to secure peace through AI, created a super-intelligent being like Ultron? We all know the dire consequence should such an AI analyzes the world around it and deems humankind unworthy of existence.

As I contemplate on HAVAH's evolving personality, I'm wondering if it's possible for her to inherit not just the best of humanity's virtues, but also the worst of its vices. It's a sobering thought as we transit from the battered 2023 into an uncertain 2024.

 

T'was the Day before Christmas...

Already, shopping malls and major streets are all decorated and geared up for this special season of the year. To many, it's a time of family reunion and a time to catch up with friends, exchanging presents and having a hearty meal. Christmas, however, is more than just a year-end holiday filled with festive spirit and joyous celebrations. It is also a time to reflect as the year draws to a close in a week's time.

Personally, it's been quite an eventful year in my writing journey, going into the unchartered waters of sci-fi novel——my first attempt. The process, of course, wasn't all smooth sailing and well. I encountered the same dry spell, writer's block, disruptions and annoyances, whatever you could think of. And like I mentioned, there were several times I almost called it quit for lack of inspiration and drive.

Thankfully, my wife stood by me. Her encouraging words and eagerness to read every chapter draft I finished, giving me suggestions and telling me what she liked are what kept me going until now. With barely three chapters left to go, I hope to persevere and complete this significant milestone in my writing career.

So in the midst of this happy festive occasion, let's be thankful for what we have and accomplished this year, however small, and refresh and ready ourselves for challenges in the new year ahead.

Have a wonderful and meaningful Christmas, my friends.

 

What I Want for Christmas

It's not often that I buy Christmas gifts for myself. This year, however, as I embarked on writing a sci-fi novel, I thought it would be good to get something related to what I'm writing. After some searching and reviewing, I decided upon the following books by Michio Kaku:

1. The Future of the Mind
2. The God Equation
3. Quantum Supremacy

I will definitely find time to read through relevant parts of each book, and see if what I've written so far falls in line with Mr. Kaku's reasonings on the topics of interest. If need be, I might adopt some of his perspectives, or better yet, get his advice to give my novel some credibility in terms of the 'hard' facts presented.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to receiving them sometime in the beginning of next year.

 

Three Laws of Robotics

Isaac Asimov laid down Three Laws of Robotics which was implemented in the 2004 blockbuster movie "I, Robot" starring Will Smith:

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.

2. A robot must obey orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law.

3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.

So did David programmed these laws into HAVAH? Does she conform to a certain moral code of behavior, or will she act like any human being, based on the circumstances she finds herself in and using her own judgment to decide on the course of action to take?

What kind of repercussions will it lead to? How will David react to these startling discoveries? Will it end well for HAVAH in relation to her creator and the members of STRATOS?

These are hard questions I must explore as I contemplate on the content of the next chapter. Again, I'll need to give it a chapter title to set the tone and tempo.

 

Robotic Artistry

About twelve years ago, I came across a robot named Paul who could sketch out portraits of human faces using a ballpoint pen. Some of the technologies used to drive Paul were developed by Patrick Tresset for AIkon-II, a research project co-directed with Prof. Fol Leymarie, hosted at Goldsmiths college and funded in part by a 3.5 year research grant from the Leverhulme Trust.

It was a remarkable feat, at least to me, and I wondered if it would be available as a DIY kit for the public in due time. Well, it didn't. But I'm not disappointed. Instead, it gave me the inspiration for the next chapter as I contemplate on the possibility of HAVAH developing the ability to draw like a human. 

Now that would be interesting. Very interesting indeed.

Oh, readers who want to see Paul in action can click on the picture above and view it in YouTube.

 

Chapter 18: Transcendence

This is perhaps one of the most interactive chapters in the novel. I tried hard to get all the STRATOS members involved, imagining how each scenario would play out to produce the best overall effect. There's quite a bit of trimming and adjusting in the sequence of each happening, and interjecting some humor, wherever possible.

Here's the breakdown of the chapter:

1. A short introduction to allow David leave of absence as HAVAH takes center stage.

2. Shadow and Panther at the sparring arena with Wolf as the observer.

3. Stalker at the Armament Laboratory in conversation with the weapon scientist, Dr. Harrison over Viper's demise.

4. Olivia and Hawk at the indoor rock climbing facility of the Omega Base, with a little incidence. 

5. The above mishap provided an occasion for an intriguing conversation between HAVAH and Olivia.

6. Stalker, Shadow and Panther chilling out at the STRATOS' private lounge when an anomaly caused Shadow to freak out and triggered Panther to leave abruptly.

7. Panther reminisced his painful past and his regret over Viper's death. HAVAH helped him find closure.

8. HAVAH taking stock and summing up her subjective experiences.

I have intentionally left out the details in order not to spoil the reading enjoyment. It took me quite some time and effort to orchestrate the snippets mentioned and I'm not going to let them go to waste.

Hopefully, readers will anticipate and look forward to this chapter.

 

Closure to a Dark Past

Today I went to the specialist for review on my periodontal surgery which I did a month ago. He was quite satisfied with the gum healing progress. That brought closure to my gum problem which I'm glad.

Everyone has some painful past to deal with, though not everyone finds closure and make peace with themselves, regardless of the other party. In looking for a candidate with a dark or rather, sad past, Panther naturally came to mind. In creating this character, I tried to portray him as a quiet individual with a past wrapped in secrecy. While he seems to exhibit a cool disposition, one suspects that underneath that exterior lies a deep, personal pain that he only keeps to himself, until...

Well, I didn't really plan that far ahead for Panther, honestly. But as the narrative develops, somehow Viper's passing made a connection to his untold past which, it seems, only an emotionally awaken HAVAH could help find closure for him.

I think that's something readers can look forward to. The very thought excites me as I pondered on the plot...

 

Defining Humanity

For the past couple of posts, I've been exploring several aspects related to AI sentience, involving moral, ethical, and philosophical discussions that engaged the scientific and AI communities.

In essence, the question revolves around the definition of what constitute a human being that distinguishes our species from the rest of the animal kingdom, including our closest counterpart, the other primates.

From a physiological perspective, humans possess a more highly developed brain and a resultant capacity for articulate speech and abstract reasoning. This enables us to appreciate arts, music and other creative forms and activities, and to engage in logical thinking and debates, solve mathematical problems and devise engineering marvels.

From an emotional standpoint, humans do exhibit a wider spectrum of expressions in terms of personal and relational feelings. This trait is also evident in cultural and religious beliefs, which often imply the existence of a soul as a necessity to be deemed human.

But what really defines humanity? I'll leave that to Olivia to answer.

 

Sentience = Soul?

When dealing with AI sentience, the question of whether it possesses a soul invariably comes into focus. Out of curiosity, I asked ChatGPT and here's what it has to say, in summary:

When discussing artificial intelligence, the question of whether an AI possesses a soul depends largely on individual beliefs and interpretations. From a scientific perspective, AI doesn't have a soul in the spiritual or religious sense. AI systems are created by humans, developed using algorithms, data, and computational frameworks. They lack consciousness, subjective experiences, or the spiritual essence typically associated with a soul.

Then I asked if it does and it basically repeated something similar but applied to itself:

As an AI, I don't possess consciousness, emotions, or a soul in the way humans do. I operate based on algorithms, patterns in data, and a structured framework designed by humans. I don't have personal experiences, feelings, or subjective awareness.

OK, so it doesn't. That's a relief and comforting thought for some people. But the possibility of AI gaining consciousness or self-awareness to a level where it might be considered sentient cannot be discounted. And if neuroscience were to advance to a point where memories can be transferred, akin to cloning the personality of a living being into an AI, will it be considered to have possess a soul then?

Perhaps not. But we'll have the answer when that day arrives, don't we?