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.