A.I. (artificial intelligence)......saviours of a flawed mankind?

In 1949, Gilbert Ryle, a British philosopher, coined the term "Ghost in the Machine" in his work: "The Concept of Mind".

The Ghost in the Machine... can be referred to as "consciousness carried in a physical entity", but also as a machine with a mind/will of its own, aka, independent of a human operator's intentions, and a ghost in the machine is also a term computer programmers often use when a program runs contrary to expectations.

Many of us have probably experienced the following scenario: you are using your electronic device when suddenly something unexpected happens...... it shuts down for no apparent reason, the camera on the computer unexplicitly lights up, a key on the keyboard only works intermittently, etc.etc.

If you are like me, then you "talk" to your computer or other i-thingy when stuff happens...

Foolish I know, but for me it seems to be a knee-jerk response to ask the i-thingy/computer... "-Why are you doing this???"

My first experience with the term  "Ghost in the Machine" was HAL in the movie "2001-a Space Odyssey", and HAL was quite the malevolent being which has undoubtedly coloured my perspective on "A.I."

In a chat room recently, I was asked by someone: "Do you believe that A.I. is going to save humanity, since humanity seems hellbent on destroying itself?"

In all honesty, I had never entertained that thought until I was asked the question. I asked my son for some info on the subject and when I asked him if A.I.'s more commonly than not are portrayed as malevolent entities in the movies, he answered that he wasn't sure about "pop/blockbuster movies" but that that was not the case in Japanese animation and or Manga.

In Japanese animation and or Manga, the A.I.'s are often portrayed as beings in search of their own humanity, so rather than being portrayed as malevolent beings, they are portrayed as benevolent beings.

I have watched a few movies with A.I.'s: The Terminator, I, Robot, Blade runner, The Matrix, Ex Machina, Metropolis, Tron, Bicentennial Man, A.I. (and probably a few more that I can't remember right now), and although I enjoyed watching those movies, I never pondered any further on the subject. Having been asked a question about A.I. saving mankind, then thinking on it, I came up with no answers, only questions...

Does humanity need to be saved from itself? Will technology advance to a stage when A.I.'s will become "better" humans than humans?  Will flawed human beings be able to program machines to be flawless? And if so, what will happen to us flawed human beings? Can machines be programmed to "age"? How we experience and interact with the world around us has a lot to do with at what stage of the maturing/aging process we are. Will there be teen aged A.I.'s? Or baby ones?

Can intuition, consciousness, mind, thinking, emotions, imagination, love, compassion, etc.etc. be programmed? A sperm penetrating an egg, why does that create, and how, does that create a new life? What is "life force"? 

Can "life force" be programmed?

Okay, I am now beginning to feel as if I may have opened Pandora's box...so Imma go ahead and close it.

It seems to me that technology has the potential to both harm and or enhance our lives. At the same time as communication has become easier in many ways, paradoxically, social isolation has become an increasing problem according to statistics. One may even ask how this is possible with a myriad of social networks available 24/7 all over the world.....apparently however, on-line communication falls short in comparison to face-to-face communication. If we want to connect with someone on a deeper level, body language and the sound of a persons voice is important (so they say). 

Since we are not A.I.'s (you're not, are you?) but garden variety humans, it can be helpful to ask ourselves a few questions: do technologies help us to build/form meaningful relationships? are we able to communicate, listen, interact, "better" with others because of technologies in our lives? do technologies increase or decrease our compassion and concern for others? If we find that we miss out on face-to-face interaction and deeper connections with others because we spend most of our time in front of or on an interface, we may need to re-evaluate.....

To comfort someone suffering, human arms are usually best for the job, to be there for someone feeling isolated, being present in both body and mind is usually most helpful, to share a joyous occasion with someone, showing up with a balloon and or a bunch of flowers is often well received.

Love, compassion, and tenderness I reckon is hard to program, so until then, human expressions of such rule........(is the best)

"The question of whether a computer can think is no more interesting than if a submarine can swim."  (Edsger W. Dijkstra)

on Expressing oneself....

A solitary figure walks across a snow covered frozen lake. Who is he? Where is he going?

Why is he alone? 

For years, early every morning I would drive to the beach and go for a long walk along the waters edge.

Except for on a few occasions, nothing out of the ordinary used to happen. Allow me to share one of those exceptions with you...

Not far in front of me, there they were, two men carrying a sofa, and a woman carrying a floor lamp.

They walked to the waters edge, put down the sofa and the floor lamp facing the ocean.. The men sat down on the sofa, the woman somehow magically turned on the floor lamp and then sat down on the sofa as well. 

Something so ordinary; people sitting on a sofa with a lit floor lamp behind them; suddenly extremely out of the ordinary due to where this was taking place. What a lark!! and for me, a mind bender.

My whole approach to painting changed. I realized that as an artist, I had the freedom to paint any kind of image....the word "real" no longer came with any restrictions other than whether I would be able to technically produce my "mind's" image or not.

"You're a "message" artist" one of my friends told me. "A what?" I asked. "Most of your paintings seem to have an underlying message" she answered. 

Expressing ourselves, according to research, is paramount to our well being. We do so in many ways: talking, writing, painting, dancing, gardening, working out, etc.etc.etc. Some suggest that the need to express ourselves comes from an "inherent" need for belonging; we want to know about others and we want others to know about us. ( Hence the "success" of the internet?)

Most commonly we express ourselves by using words; written/signed or spoken; but in my experience, there are times when words just somehow are not enough. Which is when the "arts" can come in handy. "A picture paints a thousand words".."music is the language of the soul"..."dancing can improve your mental health"...and so on. As well as expressing ourselves by "doing" (whatever it may be), at times others "doing" may be just as effective: listening to music, viewing other peoples works of art, reading other peoples writings, watching movies, performing arts, etc.etc.

Unfortunately, we also express ourselves in less life affirming ways: through the use of hurtful words, shouting, screaming, aggressive and hostile actions, breaking and destroying things, abusive actions and words, etc.etc...

How we express ourselves, can often depend on how aware we are of the underlying emotions that are driving our behaviours, and the good news is that there are different possible ways of finding out what our underlying emotions are. Between an event and a response, there is a fraction of time in which we have the chance to choose how we will respond......  Dr. Phil: "When you choose the behaviour, you choose the consequences."

That fraction of time between the event and the response is when we can: count to ten, take a deep breath, consider the consequences should we lash out etc., consider postponing a response until a calmer time, choosing our words carefully, and so on. We may not be able to control/handle/subdue our emotions at all times, but, more often than not, we can choose how we are going to express them.

Expressing ourselves is important for our well-being, so spending some time figuring out constructive and life-affirming ways of doing so, may be worth while.  

"Everyone has their own ways of expression. I believe we all have a lot to say, but finding ways to say it is more than half the battle." (Criss Jami, writer)

"If you could say it in words, there would be no reason to paint." (Edward Hopper, artist)

"Where words fail, music speaks." (Hans Christian Andersen, writer)

ps. the above painting is an imagined depiction of a Russian soldier on his way home, finally.

If a fly on the wall could speak.......

 "Oh, I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that...."....a common expression. What if flies could read and write and write down their observations in a book for us to read?

What would be their observations of human beings?

"Testaments according to the Flies On The Wall", entry 342617, as observed by Buzz.

Humans, when in groups, often behave differently then when they are alone, and when there is a multitude of them congregated, it can be difficult to ascertain what the outcome of such will be.
These are my observations of five different human groupings.

Sports. Human beings take this very seriously, so seriously that at times sports arenas can become "battle fields". I have observed occasions when the mood of a crowd has rapidly changed from an atmosphere of joy and conviviality, to that of anger and seething hostility in the blink of an eye. My observation is that humans don't like their teams(tribe) to lose, they seem to invest so much of their own emotions into their teams that they take it very personally when or if, their teams lose. I have also observed that this seems to happen mostly when teams are involved, when the sport involves individuals competing, this seems not to be the case. 

School yards. My observation of school yards is that they too can be likened to "battle fields". There are different "tribes" and each tribe seem to have very specific rules as to what is acceptable or not in order to belong to each tribe. Taste in clothes and music, length and style of hair, interests and social background/status, seem to be very important for each tribe. These tribes seem to keep their distance from each other although occasionally there seem to be altercations between them. Note worthy here is that in the school yard, there often seem to be individuals who don't seem to belong to a tribe but spend their free time at school on their own. If this is by choice or not, I don't know.

Interest groups. My observation of Interest groups is that it consists of a group of humans who together seek to change something, they share goals and aspirations, and often seem to support and encourage each other. For this group, taste in clothes and music, length and style of hair, social background and or status seems to be of little importance. What seems to be important, judging by  my observations, seem to be to be both a strong individual and a "team" member.

A Mob. My observation of a mob, is that a mob is a congregation/crowd of humans who are discontent with something and gather together to voice their opinion. My observation is that discontent is what seems to motivate and drive mobs. Often rioting, looting, property damage and other forms of destruction, follow in its wake.

Humans seem to prefer to belong to one or another kind of group, but the most important group of them all, seem to be the one they call "family".
I have saved my observations of this group to be the last of my observations, because this seem to me to be the most mystifying and complicated of the groups I observed.
There seem to be many configurations of what humans call a family but the most common seem to be: a mother figure, a father figure, and one or more children.
My observation of different families is that there seem to be quite distinctive roles that applies to a family's dynamics: the adult humans (mother/father figures) are the decision makers, and the children are to go along with the decisions until they are deemed as "adults".
I observed families in which the driving force seemed to be love and tenderness, mutual respect and togetherness. And that togetherness seemed to be reinforced every time the family members congregated. Although the parents were the decision makers, they took the time to listen to their children's wishes.
I also observed families in which there seemed to be little togetherness, rather, each member seemed to do their "own thing" (a common human expression) and if they congregated, it seemed as if it was
more by accident than by choice. The parents were the decision makers and their decisions were non-negotiable, regardless of any protestations by the children.
The dynamics within the different kinds of families were at times perplexing, and among the most perplexing, were the "machine" families, and with "machine" I mean families who seemed to be run like "well-oiled machines". Every member in this kind of family had a very specific role to fill, each one had a specific schedule to follow, each one had specific tasks to be performed each day, each one had expectations to fulfill, like cogs in a machine each one of them had to stick to their specifications or the machine would stop working.
If the dynamics in a "machine" family are very specific, in a "dysfunctional" family, (and this seems to be a rather common kind of family grouping) the opposite seem to be the case. My observation of a dysfunctional family is that in a dysfunctional family, boundaries seem to often be ignored and or dis-respected, there is often conflict, misunderstanding, and a lack of togetherness in this kind of family grouping. Often one (or two) of the family members will take on the role of trying to hold the family together by being the peace keeper(s),  but more often than not, this seems to be at the detriment of that member's own well-being.
As an observer, it is hard to really understand this need humans seem to have of belonging, because even though they seem to put much value in belonging, they also seem to put much value in being separate, self-sufficient, and highly functioning individuals. As an observer, I can't help but wonder if it could not be possible for humans to be both; and with that I mean; to be a separate, highly functioning individual, who also belongs to a family and or a group?
I have observed individuals who behave one way in his/her family group, and totally different in another group setting. I have observed humans who seem to find strength in their own company, but who seem to have trouble with fitting in with a group. I have observed humans who seem to struggle with their own company but gain strength from being a part of a group.

Conclusion: Human groupings are very complex, and hard to understand. Human beings are very complex, and hard to understand, and yet, there is no denying, .....observing the human species is something I find highly entertaining. It is an enigmatic species, wrapped in a coat of mystery, and more often than not, stuck in it's self-made paradox.
Buzz

The benefit of having dreams and aspirations....

Do you have a dream? Or, did you have a dream? And what I mean here with "dream" is obviously not our nocturnal journeys set in the subconscious, but rather, dreams as in aspirations.

Four nervous boys stepped on to the "America's got Talent" stage. Simon Cowell asked them where they were from, and one of the boys responded: "Atlanta, Georgia". "Why are you here?" asked Simon. The boy answered: "I was born very poor, my mother, me and my three brothers and sisters grew up in a one bedroom shack on the outskirts of Atlanta. I love music, I am passionate about it, and although I was born in to a choke-hold, that don't mean I have to stay there."

There are a number of sayings about where and how we are/were born: "he was was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, she was born on the wrong side of the tracks, he was born with a stick up his butt, she was born with a chip on her shoulder, etc.etc." I have to admit, I have never heard the expression "born in to a choke-hold" before, but it instantly triggered my imagination.

Born in to a choke-hold? I could think of a number of different situations that could perhaps be defined as choke-holds such as: poverty, abuse, famine, war, genetically inherited illnesses, parents with mental illnesses, parents with addictions, all manners of body issues such as blindness, deafness, etc.etc. 

But it was what the boy said after "choke-hold" that really grabbed my attention...."that don't mean I have to stay there". (Oh, by the way, the boys succeeded to get through to the next round, they sang up a storm and the audience as well as the judges loved their performance.)

There are millions of babies born in to choke-holds every day, some overcome those choke-holds as they grow up, but some, for a myriad of reasons, ... don't.

This is where having a dream can come in handy in my view. Envisaging in one's "mind's eye" the possibility of breaking free from any kind of a choke-hold, seeing the future as full of opportunities, possibilities, and potentials rather than that of pitfalls, obstacles, and dead-ends, can be very empowering. These dreams do not necessarily have to be "big" ones such as for instance: becoming the president of a country or a multi-million dollar corporation, invent a cure for all cancers, design a quantum computer smaller than a match-box, etc.etc. they can be smaller: to find a good job, to get a collage degree, to learn a new language, travel, raise a functional family, etc.etc.

Many of us, when faced with difficulties and hardships, often find ourselves getting stuck in a loop of thoughts regurgitating all the things we can't do rather than focusing on what we can do.

As far back as I can remember, my dream has been to become a professional musician and composer. My aspiration was not to become rich or famous, rather, it was to be able to play and compose beautiful music that people could connect with. When I was 15 years old, I did a sort of a piano audition for a man who was a flautist of some re-known. Very matter of fact, he told me that I was un-talented and did not have what it takes to become a professional musician, little less a composer. My heart sank as he said those words and I felt crushed to the very core of my heart and soul. Well, for a few hours that is....however, my dream was much stronger than his words. I disregarded his words, and followed my dream. I became a professional musician and composer, and when my son was still very young I fulfilled my ultimate dream: to perform my own jazz compositions in the USA with some of the jazz greats.

There are many wonderful aspects to having dreams/aspirations: it can provide focus, motivation, determination, tenacity,  assist us to be forward-looking, solution seeking, and experience a deep sense of purpose and meaning to our existence. 

Our aspirations may be more of a day-to-day kind: "today I will not sweat the small stuff, today I will be more compassionate, today I will be more patient, today I will focus on what is good in my life, today I will focus on the things I can do rather than what I can't do, etc.etc."

How we feel, is often the result of our thoughts, so if we want to change how we feel, a good place to begin is to change our thoughts. 

"What if I don't have a dream or aspirations, what then?" you may ask.

Is there something you would like to achieve, something you would like to change, something you would like to learn more about, something you aspire to? Spend a little time thinking on those things and you may discover that you do have some aspirations....and perhaps even dreams.

Most kids have "dreams", and if a child is asked: "if one dream that you have could come true, what would that be?" more often than not, there will be an answer.

Personally, I believe that no matter what age, having dreams and aspirations can be very beneficial to our well being. Why? Because they offer a sense of purpose and meaning to our lives.

"Consult not your fears but your hopes and dreams.

Think not about your frustrations but your unfulfilled potential.

Concern yourself not with what you've tried and failed in,

but with what it is still possible for you to do." (Pope John XXIII)

Are we on the verge of a new cold war?...........

In 1945 the WWII ended, but it was sadly also the beginning of another war; The Cold War.

In 1949, a movie titled "The Third Man" was released. It was a British film Noir, directed by Carol Reed, and written by Graham Green. Acting in it; among other greats; was Orson Wells (depicted in the image), and the story: Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to a shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime. The movie is full of conspiracy theories, mystery and full-blown suspicious-ness toward everything and everyone.

This image, a poster for the movie, (although I have changed the text from German to English for the purpose of this post) was one of the posters I made for an Exhibition titled: "Cinefiend, a tribute to movie poster art".

The Cold War era some say began in 1945 and ended 1991, but considering what is happening right now with so many countries poised and armed with nuclear weapons stomping at the bit, I can't help but wonder if we are not now entering another Cold War era.

Why was it called the Cold War? In an essay titled "You and the atomic bomb" written by George Orwell and published in 1945 in the British newspaper "Tribune", he allegedly first used the term "cold war". In the essay Orwell contemplates "living in the shadow of the threat of nuclear warfare" referring to such as "living in a permanent state of a cold war with one's neighbours".

As if life is not difficult enough for many of us, it seems as if those in power now see fit to add the fear of a nuclear war to it, I mean, really?! Poverty, starvation, millions of people facing incredible difficulties and hardships due to having had to flee their war torn countries, etc.etc. was not enough? 

Massive un-employment, factory shut-downs, rising numbers of people losing their homes, governments squabbling over issues without finding any solutions, an increasing level of in-equality between the "haves" and "have not's",  such realities are not as important as who has the most or biggest bombs?  At this point in time, considering the posturing by a a number of world leaders, I can't help but wonder if they have learned nothing from the bomb blasts in Nagasaki and Hiroshima.

We; mankind; are doing a brilliant job at slowly destroying the very planet we are living on, a planet that has and still do provide us with so much, and yet, having no evidence that another planet just like Earth exists, some of us are still behaving as if there is one.

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good people to do nothing", suggested Edmund Burke. For some of us the words "good" and "evil" may stick in our craw, so let me re-phrase: "All that is necessary for adverse/disastrous/terrible events to take place, is for people who knows about such, deem such as un-acceptable, yet chose to do nothing."

I am what they call a "baby-boomer", which means that "living in the shadow of the threat of nuclear warfare" is a shadow that has loomed large over me for most of my life. As a teenager, and through my early twenties, I used to take part in protest marches against Nuclear armament. We believed that if enough of us united in protest against the use of nuclear weapons, we would be able to make those in power take notice and hopefully rethink the use of them. And now....? There are so many adverse/disastrous/terrible events taking place across the globe it can be hard to know where to begin...., but, of all the threats against earth and her/its inhabitants/life forms (ALL, from the largest to the  microscopic ones) in my view, the threat of a nuclear war tops them all.

So what can we do about it?

Like in the 1960's, we can make our voices heard and with the help of technology we can organise protest marches world wide in a few hours. We can contact politicians, or other government officials both federally and locally, we can blog, we can Facebook, we can make flyers, etc.etc.....we can care and find some small way in which we can do something that supports peace and the well being of our planet.

"The human race cannot coexist with nuclear weapons." (Iccho Itho)

"It is my firm belief that the infinite and uncontrollable fury of nuclear weapons should never be held in the hands of any mere mortal ever again, for any reason."  (Mikhail Gorbachev)