Artificial intelligence is in the news. Well, it has been in the news for quite some time, but the interest in the subject seems to be exploding as of late. “Computers govern how long the microwave heats food or the dryer spins clothes,” I just read in one of the leading newspapers. “Can they learn to form ideas and theories about the world around them, as well?” What a jump! From “governing” household appliances to “theorizing” in one sentence! Even the best and the brightest dabble in the subject nowadays. To my disappointment, I just discovered that Susan Blackmore has recently extended the list of replicators in evolutionary processes, genes and memes, to “technological memes” or “temes.” According to her, they consist of digital information stored, copied, varied, and selected by machines. I quite like her work, but this strikes me as a step into the void. And all I read in this embellishment of evolutionary theory is the fear of the unknown. The way I see things, the simplest way to stop machines from theorizing is to switch off the electricity. Or to bring down the electrical power supply by any means available. Bingo! Only try doing anything of the sort with genes. By comparison, microbes can survive the temperatures, radiation, and durations of interstellar travel. The way I see things, again, electrical power is the crown of technological development that will not survive either the ravages of climate change or the coming glaciation period that will follow soon afterwards. It will take a hundred-thousand years or so for the conditions to become favorable to electricity one more time. In the meanwhile, genes will do well, whereas memes will be plugging along at a snail’s pace. Tribal life is all too simple for such extravagances, anyhow. Pace Blackmore, est modus in rebus.

Addendum I (October 1, 2015)

I sent this piece to Blackmore as soon as I posted it on my blog, but I got her reply only today. She started by reiterating her argument about temes, the new replicators: “I keep wondering what will happen as they evolve, and we provide more and more space for them to evolve in.” After all, intelligence comes about by the agglomeration of lots of comparatively simple neurons involved in controlling an organism, she argued. “Is there any equivalence here?” she asked concerning machines. And then she turned to my point about electrical power. “As for turning off the electricity,” she wrote, “global destruction could do it for us, but as long as even one copy of all the Internet protocols survives, and a few people have solar-powered devices, the thing will—like genes—keep going.” Simply put, she thinks of temes as hard at work already. Not convinced, I realized that we would not get very far by arguing about any of the above. But I remembered our exchanges in the past quite fondly (“The Ultimate Rebellion,” October 21, 2006; and “Its Other Name,” April 2, 2008). It was Zen Buddhism that provided the connection. All I can hope for concerning Blackmore’s temes is that machines will also be able to reach enlightenment sooner or later.

Addendum II (October 2, 2015)

As a matter of course, I sent the first addendum to Blackmore. “Thanks,” she responded right away. “But you really should ask permission to post parts of someone’s (thought to be) private email. Don’t you think?” This surprised me no end, but she continues. “And the reason I only replied today is because I got back from my email-free summer holiday late last night. Not quite fair to imply that somehow I am slacking.” Her conclusion surprised me even more: “Ah well—the modern world!” Flabbergasted, I replied at once. “Sorry to have annoyed you,” I started. “I thought you would not mind sharing your thoughts in this way.” And I added that there was not a hint of slacking on her part in what I had written about our communication. “Sorry, again,” I concluded. Still, I did not remove the first addendum from my website. My, as it were, friendship with Blackmore was over, and for reasons I would never have guessed. And this addendum will seal it for good. What I thought was a kindred soul turned out to be something entirely different, and rather opposite. After this unfortunate exchange, I felt a bit more alone on this planet than ever before.