The Accelerated Society
John Ink2Quill Editorial
www.ink2quill.com

Discoveries and developments have taken off these past decades. Ever since the computer, internet and now A.I. have birthed upon the scene our development as a society is faster than ever. The person of a hundred years ago would not recognize a lot of our society if they visited us today. Technology like computers, smart phones, the drones and especially the way to navigate through the society of today would be so foreign to people from centuries ago. They would probably not be able to handle money and get around in the world of today especially since more and more societies are completely moving away from paper money. The analog life of the past is fading away like sugar dissolving in tea. These changes seem fast even to us, the people of today. The changes around us are not just better and more powerful computers but the changes in the norms and laws of society. Things like privacy that were taken for granted decades ago will not even be missed by the people born today. Privacy has really become a thing of the past even though it is essential to a free society.

We cannot think about how fast our society is advancing without thinking about the tools and technologies that make such advancements possible. The computer, internet and A.I. are the most powerful tools we have in the transformation of our society. This is obvious but how will such tools continue to influence us?

This is not just for the sci-fi people and sociologists to ponder and I truly believe that this question is a truly fascinating topic to explore. We need to move past the regular paranoia and doomsday scenarios to get to the meat and potatoes of the answer. It is certain that the fears and scenarios of doom have a place in discussions but we should not get stuck in such a place. The topic is so much broader than that. So what are some of the possible scenarios for our future?

For starters, people are talking about driverless cars, ubiquitous drone deliveries, robotic workers, A.I. white collar jobs and life schedules dictated by algorithms. All of these predictions are here to some degree and will continue to be a greater part of our lives. But what else?

Well how about A.I. that is owned by a corporation or even an individual and is rented out for work? Yes, like an employee where the company or owner of the A.I. would be paid. Now picture a group of these A.I. that would form a digital company. Yes, I see the rise of digital companies comprised of almost entirely A.I. were each part/worker would have the kind of independence a human company would have and could be shuffled around to other projects or hiring companies. This A.I. employee would be a new member of the labor force. Think of it like a wave of immigration where a new group of workers enters the job market. So for all the people griping about immigration today they haven’t seen anything yet. And there are downsides for people just as there are advantages. For example, with the skillset the A.I. have like speed and data manipulation there would be certain jobs only A.I. could apply for. In essence certain sectors of the job market would not be doable by people. On the other hand the positive of this is that some of those jobs now done by A.I. might be dangerous or harmful to health.

One big fear people have of technology is that we will not be able to keep up with it. It is faster at tasks and better at problem solving and strategy than people and therefore, according to some thinkers, could replace us in every way that matters. One possible solution to this would be the marriage of the organic with technology. Not necessarily like a sci-fi movie cyborg either. The people of tomorrow could be required to have implants that perform all kinds of functions. Getting an implant might be as common as getting a vaccination. These implants could be for medical reasons, work reasons or just to help us manage our lives.

For example, a person with high blood pressure might get an implant that would thin the blood or release the proper enzymes, proteins or chemical signals to mitigate any damages to the body. Another example might be a person who gets an implant to enter the financial system and do banking. This implant would do a myriad of tasks like converting digital currencies with the best rates for people visiting other countries or keep up with a person’s list of various media, digital subscriptions which could number in the several dozen in the not too distant future. (Yes it is very possible that the person of tomorrow would have a long list of subscriptions to keep track of). The implant would also communicate with the various tax agencies on a regular basis so the idea of filing tax returns might become a thing of the past. And our health and medical situations would be handled in the same fashion with little room for privacy. But the person of tomorrow would have accepted this fact long ago.

So, what is beyond the event horizon of these changes listed above? That is a question for the sci-fi writers and thinkers of today.

Written by John Ink2Quill

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