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No.5 - Technofear

Why is it everyone seems to think something or someone is taking over? If its not the Russians or the Martians then its hardly likely to be your highstreet cash dispenser. However it is popular to fantasise about potential invaders, and computers have joined the line with films such as Terminator and War Games.

The term "Technofear" refers to the phobia of machinery taking over our lives, or at least affecting it. Any hippy would gladly tell you that the revulution has started and a diet of fresh vegetables is the short-term solution, but is there any substance to such attitudes?

The Terror

However, what perhaps you didn't know was that when you use your credit card, other information apart from the details of the transaction is disclosed, for example your present location. In theory, if you had access to this data, you could create a trail of all the places you used your credit card, making it possible to track you down. If using credit cards was the only event in which your present location is noted, then this wouldn't be anything worth worrying about. But as almost everything you do (that makes use of digital technology) has the potential to track you in this way, it is quite feasible that one could create an alarmingly accurate "vapour trail" of your movements. From sending e-mail to withdrawing cash, from signing in a library book to buying a car; everything stored on those little CPUs, and this data can be used malevelontly or otherwise.

Such ideas however are highly unlikely as individual systems are not connected together in one great big network, otherwise things could really get dangerous. Oh hang on, that's the internet isn't it?

Yes the Internet could bring more harm than good. As more and more computers get on-line, the more data we are chucking on the Free Parking space ready for someone to grab. Remember its not only household PCs on the net these days; banks, colleges, librarys and even internet shopping could potentially mean our every move is recorded and stored on file.

This idea of constant vigilance fits in with the Orwellian attitude in his book "1984", where the society is run by terror and everyone is watched. "Big brother is watching you" was the line, and fear of the secret police who were contantly monitoring eveyrone kept the people oppressed and in check. Given that all our actions are recorded by machines, this future may not be so far fetched - you would just program a computer to print off all the records about someone, their movements, hell they could even record those security camera images if they wanted to!

You may argue that we live in a democracy and there isn't the oppression of communist states. True, but that doens't necessarily our movements are not recorded in such a way by computers and it doesn't mean that they are not used for "higher purposes". It might be more than a co-incidence that Jack Straw procrastinated the Freedom of Information bill, as it would have exposed the MI5 organisation - who most probably listen in to our phones, e-mails and monitor our tracks.

The Bug

However some people appear to believe that the Mellenium Bug and the Apocolypse are the same thing. There have been reports of some Americans (it had to be Americans didn't it really) already storing up food, moving to the hills and buying a good gun. Apparently they reckon that on the first day of the new mellenium, the world will sink into anarchy. But I don't want to see Brookside that much.

Seriously, I myself cannot see how the bug - and let's be clear - a computer mishap, can start world war 3. Fine, electronic circuits may become confused about what date it is, but this will not cause your toaster to grab a shotgun, vacumn cleaners from robbing banks or your PC to get in bed with your wife. Get a grip.

However, for extra safety and security many professions are actually falling for this hyped superstition. British airways for example will not fly overnight on the Mellenium, although this statistic is slightly marred by the fact that everyone will be out getting pissed anyway.

Robots and Artificial conscienceness

Again, this notion is becoming more and more feasible with the advancement of technology. Robots are being designed to learn from mistakes, and given the right programming a robot can find its way through a maze through trial and error - by learning. This concept of learning is really taking off in a big way; Artificial intelligence (or AI) now has its own mini-industry, with some programmers dedicated to mimicing human thought through AI. AI is becoming used more and more in computer games, from Half-Life, to Civilisation 2. In Half-Life, the routine "shoot every bugger in sight" is releived slightly by the implementation of good AI. Through complex programming, the Half-Life creators have developed soldiers who fight as a unit, communicating your position and using grenades to flush you out.

As remarkable as this intelligence is it still is no real match for the human mind - ask anyone who owns HL and they'll tell you they finished it in a month. The problem lies with the fundemental fact that AI cannot operate outside of its original program - the only way those soldiers can act is by the way their program dictates they act. When greeted with a new situation outside of their programming for which there is no commands, they can't do anything - either malfunctioning or doing nothing at all. In the same way, enemy tribes in Civilisation 2 become very predictable and this spoils the game.

It is this problem that faces modern AI programmers - how to get a computer to learn all by it self without the programmer adding commands all the time. However, the complexity of the task is mind-boggling.

Just think about all the decisions you make everyday. The first, "Shall I get out of bed now, or have a snooze?". The outcome of your decision is based of a multitude of things, from how you feel to whether there is a smell of bacon downstairs. A computer, based on the pure logic of binary notation (1 for yes 0 for no) would have to be programmed to say something like "If there is the smell of bacon or If i feel like it then I'll get out of bed". Fine, but given that there are millions of tiny factors that define our thoughts and decisions, an IF statement would have to be infinately long. Multiply this infinity by the infinity of the decisions we make each day, and you get, er, um , infinity squared - a big number.

So really all the talk of man creating an artificial conscienceness that thinks for itself is really vainity, when in reality only a divine intelligence could come up with something as complex as the human mind.

The worst problem of course is when you make this artificial conscienceness, you would have to program a personality - otherwise you'd end up with a robotic snooker player.

Conclusion

Or not.

I hope that this essay has comforted you enough from being able to take money out of a cash dispenser, without snatching your hand away as if it were the jaws of a snarling dog. -Dan