Have you ever wonder what had we achieved since the first computer was born? Where are we now and where are we heading when it comes to technology advancement? What is the end game?
If we were to look at the whole tech industry in a wider perspective through times, we can break it up into three major eras over a span of around a hundred years. We had witnessed the born of the first computer up to what it is today, a network of connected systems. We are heading towards the era of Artificial Intelligence, where machines would take (or already taking) over human beings in most of the operational and routine jobs, and even surpass the capability of human beings in some fields.
Let’s take a brief walk through these eras.
During the internet boom, a huge amount of information was loaded onto the World Wide Web. What we have now is a vast sea of data over the web. The problem is information overload. Too many fake data and false information over the web. We need to clean up the atmosphere. This is where there the blockchain technology came into the picture. Blockchain puts the trust element into the information sea.
The promise of the Blockchain – the trust machine.
The trust machines make sure that identities are real, data are true and genuine. In other words, the trust element and immutability of Blockchains make data integrity stays intact. Why is it important to filter out the fake data? It is the preparation for a prompt and accurate decision making when we enter the era of A.I.
Blockchain is only part of the journey. Yet, it is an important one.
Without genuine and trusted input, the outcome will be disastrous for any A.I. system.
At the time of writing, in the year 2018, we are in the Blockchain boom. We are also putting learning ability into machines and connecting almost everything to the systems. The media called it the fourth industrial revolution.
Are we building a self-learning system that is so powerful that someday it may be a threat to the entire human race? Are we building a system similar to the Skynet as portrayed in the movie The Terminator?
While every possible security measures must be put in place to minimize the risks, such as the Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics, no one can guarantee that one day the computer systems we built becomes self-aware and when it felt its existence threatened by our race, it will launch the first assault. Will Judgement Day come? Only time will tell.