The future of AI, machines, and technology: Where do people fit in?

The 1950s brought with it a growing fascination with computers and robots. There have been countless movies, books, and nightly news articles on the subject in the past fifty years. Some have been delightful tales, but then others the horrific demise of mankind. No one can truly predict the out come of the future. Nonetheless, technology will evolve in the forcible future.

The comic strip detective, Dick Tracy communicated with a transmitter on his wrist. Most people chuckled saying, Yeah right! But then came the first cellular telephone and most people said they have to have one of those. Today we can in one stop at an electronics store come away with a cell phone smaller than a pack of cigarettes, GPS, programs for our computer which talk to us, programs which convert our words to text, a home computer which can run a small country, and more.

The University of Arizona and MIT are working on Artificial Intelligence. They have learned an AI which is bipedal learns at a greater speed than one with only an upper torso. It is too early to say, cyborg? The replication of humans is not going to take place today, but other technologies which will divert man from his centuries long path are.

I remember when the computer age began and people began worrying about computers replacing their jobs. There was a push to re-educate blue collar workers for the industrial labor force. This has been a blessing depending on which side of the issue you stand. The re-education has brought down the price of electronic devices. In a world where everyone wants these time and labor saving devices in their homes it has been a benefit.

The automobile and machine tool industries have seen a major change in the way which cars and machinery is made. General Motors for one re-engineered the assembly line replacing workers with robotic. Mazak machine tool company operates a plant where computers, robots, and automated machinery manufacture CNC lathes. The facility employees, I believe, only seven human employees.

So where does this leave the blue collar workers of the world? I don’t believe we will be left in the blizzard to look through the window at the blazing fireplace. There of coarse will be times of transition. I do believe we as a race will move forward into a new universe of possibilities. We will no longer be restrained from exploring our outer and inner space: “We stand on one planet and look to the next”.

As technology grows so does our ability to cure the sick and feed the hunger. This is a double edged sword in a sense because people are living longer. This in itself is not a problem, just the opposite; but it does add a straw to the camels back. Thus technology must keep step with people and visa-versa.

In the end we as a civilization must temper our intelligence, knowledge, and egos and not begin to replace God with ourselves. If we allow this to happen all of mankind and its technology will not be capable of stopping the inevitable chapter in Earth’s book.