Is not the internet a source of intelligence for anyone who is connected? My friend didn't know much about pregnancy - and it was not more than 15 minutes during which he could get enough and relevant information on the topic. What do you call this extra source of knowledge that is available on the Net?
Now comes a twist. If the Internet had a life of its own (in fact, it does have, to a large extent!), 'it' knows a lot more than any single individual. Right? And if this information could be understood well by the machines (after all, the whole of the Internet lives on numerous computers), given the fact that most of the relevant knowledge is 'well-organized' or being attempted to make it better organized, how much more powerful is the Internet than any group of human beings!! And add to the fact that this body of knowledge is being updated every moment, with predictions that the whole online knowledge base can double in just about 11 hours. Much of this knowledge is just data, including personal and critical information.
I am more amazed than scared. I am visualizing the Internet as a big 'speaking tree' which has answers (both right and wrong) to almost everything. And is the 'speaking tree' evolves to a 'decision making tree' (which is damn simple), and then to a 'thinking and decision making entity', things start becoming interesting. In today's times where a micro-processor can easily program itself, things do not look difficult when the Internet is something that simulates/emulates a human. (Simulating a dog is far interesting - I find humans are a crazy species!) Later, based on reaction based decision making, this evolved entity may or may not be great for humans! Also, if a human can control this new entity, this would be a new situation - humans are one of the greatest enemies of themselves. Remember the comparison between a human and a virus in the movie 'Matrix'?
Imagine typing in some stuff to search on the Internet, and getting a message like 'why do you think you want to know about this?'!! ;-)
Now comes a twist. If the Internet had a life of its own (in fact, it does have, to a large extent!), 'it' knows a lot more than any single individual. Right? And if this information could be understood well by the machines (after all, the whole of the Internet lives on numerous computers), given the fact that most of the relevant knowledge is 'well-organized' or being attempted to make it better organized, how much more powerful is the Internet than any group of human beings!! And add to the fact that this body of knowledge is being updated every moment, with predictions that the whole online knowledge base can double in just about 11 hours. Much of this knowledge is just data, including personal and critical information.
Imagine typing in some stuff to search on the Internet, and getting a message like 'why do you think you want to know about this?'!! ;-)
