Will Isaac Asimov save us all?

I'm posting the the written version of my video essay since I have been having problems with the upload to Youtube. Initially this topic was going to be a post entry in the blog, but when I saw the AI in the possible contents for it, I decided to make it a video. So without further ado here it is.

Today I'm here to tell you how Isaac Asimov is going to save the world as we know and let me tell you a little about him, in case you don't know him. He was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards.

Getting back to this about saving the world, I know It could sounds stupid when you heard it, but it's not like he is going to come out of his grave, flying with a big A on his chest, no. What I'm talking about are the 3 laws of robotic made by him and John Campbell. These are a set of rules, introduced in his short story called "Runaround" from  1942, made to be followed by robots with artificial intelligence, as a protective action for humans. They were the first measure in the area of the Machine Ethics, and such laws are:

        1.- A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to

            come to harm.

       2.- A robot must obey the orders given to it by human beings, except where such orders

           would conflict with the First Law.

       3.- A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict

           with the First or Second Law.

According to Asimov, the laws were made to counter a "Frankenstein Complex", where the machines made by humans could rebel and rise against them. And in such case, if the robot broke any of these rules, it would kill itself.

It's because of the complexity required by these laws that in terms of reasoning, is needed a highly advanced artificial intelligence to accomplish them. So even if this is made for a far away future, is necessary and imminent to think about this kind of issues. Robotic is rapidly becoming one of the leading fields of science and technology, so that very soon we are going to coexist with a whole new class of technological artifacts. In fact we already are, if you take in count cell phones and computer, even if they don't have a complete artificial intelligence and... a body with movement, technology is on its way to reach it.

Actually there are a lot of robotic projects being funded. For example, one of them is the robot designed and developed by the Japanese corporation HONDA, called ASIMO, which is n acronym for Advanced Step in Innovative MObility. Coincidence? I don't think so. By the time is the most elaborate humandroid ever constructed and the result of nearly thirty years of research. It can talk and move y itself. being able to perform various movements, such as walking, running, climbing steps and even jumping in one leg, also it can seize, punch, carry, open and turn on a diverse array of objects.

So what does it tell us? We are closer to artificial intelligence of what we think, without even realizing it, and perhaps one day these 3 laws could save lives. Because you never know what could happen. Yeah today Furbys are fluffy toys and tomorrow they will be killing machines with a desire to conquer us all. No but seriously, we may never know when AI could become a double edge weapon, because if science fiction has taught us something is that we have to be aware of our own creations.

That's the importance of these 3 laws, in form of a encrypted code in the brain of every robot with AI, and why only 3? There could be dozens of them, covering others subjects of importance, not only harm and death, even Asimov added and changed their own laws in his book, but always with the first 3 as a base.

So it's very important that artificial intelligence have an ethical behavior, but it's not only worrying an ethical behavior in robots, but also in us like humans. We as masters and creators of future AI, have to be responsible for their actions and use and even our. After all we wouldn't finish like the people in the movie Wall-E, don't we? So in conclusion, even if Asimov's Laws aren't apply exactly like he wrote them, we can definitely say that he was the pioneer in the field of machine ethics.

Uncertain Science Fiction

I know it is an "old" topic that was already mentioned in the main blog, but I think it is very interesting and I have never thought about it until now.

It's no secret that science fiction stories have inspire people this last century to create a pretty good number of artifacts, in fact many of the technology we are currently using, originally started as a concept view only in sci-fi.

Some good examples of this, that I recognize from the books I have already read, because they are quite a lot believe me, are the rocket (H.G Wells - The War of Worlds), the submarine (Julio Verne - Twenty Thousand leagues Under the Sea), surveillance (George Orwell - 1984) and Cloning (Aldous Huxley - A Brand New World). Pretty sure at least in a 90%, that all these concepts were seen firstly in its respective works, and then a few years or decades later they were made a real thing.

So even if science fiction authors are not instructed completely in physics or engineering (and I know there are exceptions I now), these can contribute in a big way as starters of great inventions and current technology.

But what happen with the concept of science fiction that we had of this objects? Because after science fiction is the "what if" in terms of technology. And the answer is quite obvious; it is no longer sci-fi. As I like to call it, it is an "Uncertain Sci-Fi", it is never the same, it is changing thru time unlike other genres.

If you want to write, draw, or film a work of this kind, you can't put in it elements that were considerate 50 years ago futuristic, because most of them are already real, and it would be just realistic, unless you add something that is not in our hands by the time, in that case you will be doing exactly what Verne, Wells, Huxley and other authors were doing is their times, you would be contributing to create new science fiction and possibly a future reality.

So what is next? Just the time and the Science Fiction will say it.

"Science fiction is any idea that occurs in the head and doesn't exist yet, but soon will, and will change everything for everybody, and nothing will ever be the same again. As soon as you have an idea that changes some small part of the world, you are writing science fiction. It is always the art of the possible, never the impossible" -Ray Bradbury

Bonus Track Top 5 Sci-Fi Songs

Still Alive - Jonathan Coultron (Glados, Portal)

So I forgot to mention this awesome song in the last post, and as a huge fan of the Portal saga I had to put this somewhere.

If you have never played the game let me make a little synopsis for you:

The game features only 2 characters during the entire gameplay. You play as Chell, the last test subject trapped in the Aperture Laboratories, controlled by the sadistic and sarcastic AI machine called GlaDos. The objective is to complete all the test chambers that GlaDOS controls, with the help of your portal gun, which is the result of the research made by the laboratory and the reason because there were subjects testing this device. Both "live" in the facilities after she/it become corrupt and killed every test subject and worker in the laboratory. Although she/it is designed to appear helpful and encouraging,  GLaDOS's motives are hinted to be more sinister than her helpful as the game goes on and as a reward for complete all the test chambers she promise you a cake.

Believe me I tried my best to not spoil the game, even if the title of the song and the lyrics are already big ones, regardless of this, if you like puzzles, challenges and a funny and great story I invite you to play the game, you won't regreat it.

Getting back to the song, it is played when you complete the game and explain (kind of) what happened with GlaDOS after the game's final. This song is definitely my favorite videogame song ever, and I must say that Jonathan Coultron did an excellent job capturing GlaDos's personality, I can't even ask for more.

Top 5 Sci-Fi Songs

There are a lot of songs about space and time travel, alien abduction or AI , more than I can count with my fingers, which was a really big surprise for me when we talked it in class. Some of them bizarre,  others poetics, and even others that will make you think if the creators were on drugs when they wrote them, but here I'm going to focus in the related sci-fi songs that I like the most, directly from my playlist. Obviously there are going to be several songs that there are not going to be in the list that you could considered inflatable, so remember, this is a top 5 of my favourites sci-fi songs, so... with this know, let's begin:

5. The Final Countdown - Europe    

Written by Joey Tempest, this could be easily the most famous sci-fi song ever. You just need to listen a few seconds of the intro and it is done. This song talks about leaving earth, looking for Venus as a final destination of a space travel.

The truth is that is not necessary a lot of interpretation to comprehend completely this song, it is pretty literal, but you can't deny the fat that it has a very sticky chorus and intro.

4. Subterranean Homesick Alien - Radiohead

Being the third song of the album OK Computer and written by Thom York, it is based in personal experience of the singer. Aliens hover over earth looking down, and watching us, while Thom dreams he could join and explore the universe with them, but then he realizes that no one would believe him.

3. Spaceman - The Killers

 From the album Day & Age, in this song Thom's desire comes true for Brandon Flowers, who is abducted from his bed to an alien spaceship. Exited for the idea of a interstellar travel, is disappointed when he realizes he was just an alien experiment and now he is back in home, where nobody believe what happened to him.

About the music video, let's say it is quite... weird and it does not have much to do with the song, unless you use some elaborate metaphor for all the things (if you can call them things) there are in the video.

2. Soma - The Strokes

If you read Brave New World , then there is not much to say about this. This song makes a direct reference to the hallucinogenic drug developed by the World State, which is self-medicated to eliminate signs of stress and depression.

Although the first stanza talk about Soma, the meaning is getting lost as the song progresses. The chorus which appears twice in the song is apparently ambiguous, while the rest of lyrics seems to speak of the savage and his relationship with Lennina.

1. Citizen Erased - Muse

According to Matt Bellamy (lead sing of the band), this song is "an experience of what it feels to be questioned. I spend more time than most people being asked about purpose, and it's a strange feeling. I don't really have the answers and I have to respond on the knowledge I have obtained so far, but the problem is that it gets printed, and something else has come along that's made you completely disagree with what you said".

But for a lot of fans (including me) this song, regardless for Matt's interpretation, it is based in one of the most greatest works of science fiction: I'm talking about Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four in which citizens are erased and lies control society. Other rumors said that this topic is already in at least two more song of the band. 

Despite the fact of its content, musically this song is my favorite because of the riffs and the piano outro and the use of falsettos. And all this made this song the best single that the band has ever released.

My book: Brave New World (Catching Up)

Maybe it is not the most original book that I could have chosen, but it is very important for me, as much as its content or as a catapult to the unknown world of science fiction for me back then, when I decided to read my first no assigned book for my teacher, yeah guess which one. For the first time in my life I began to be aware of my own future in this world and the future of the world itself.

Aldous Huxley puts us in a reality in which there are no diseases, wars are over, nobody is poor, and EVERYONE is happy. Pretty much we are in heaven, don't we? And personally, despite what many others would say, yes, it is heaven on earth. But here comes the truly one million dollar question: how much and what do we had to paid to get this happiness? It was a very expensive price, we had to disclaim literature, arts, culture, philosophy and family. People live in default castes, child are born in test tubes, they are conditioned to do an specific job for the rest of their lives and they love it. If they feel the slightest signs of stress or sadness, they take Soma and all the bad feelings fade away. Love ceased to exist long time ago and now there is only the sexual desire. 

In words of the own Mustafa Mond, resident world controller of Western Europe: "People are happy; they get what they want, and they never want what they can’t get. They’re well off; they’re safe; they’re never ill; they’re not afraid of death; they’re blissfully ignorant of passion and old age; they’re plagued with no mothers or fathers; they’ve got no wives, or children, or lovers to feel strongly about; they’re so conditioned that they practically can’t help behaving as they ought to behave. And if anything should go wrong, there’s soma."

All of this made me question many things, specially this last quote. How far or how close are we to this future? (I'm sure that is not the exact same future we are ahead, but maybe it is, anyway that is something for another blog) and what should we do to avoid it? Perhaps this could be the way to stop all the child's death in third world countries, the wars in the middle east and the thousands of illness that exist today (sadly the list goes and goes, it would never end). And the truth is that these are questions that I keep making to myself until today.

Testing

So yeah, that's all for now, I guess.