Artificial Intelligence and the Engineering of humanity: questions on "quality" and on "better"

“We are living in a fake world; we are watching fake evening news. We are fighting a fake war. Our government is fake,” 

.....

"But we find reality in this fake world. So our stories are the same; we are walking through the fake scenes, but ourselves, as we walk through these scenes, are real. The situation is real, in the sense that it’s a commitment, it’s a true relationship."

quote by: Haruki Murakami

link: Transhumanism...what a word

link: 'cosmetic neuroscience'

A friend posted these articles on G+.

All stuff we go through, read, see, feel.

We have been given tools which change our life so much

more than we wish to notice. They give us fake lives and we have fake 

talks. We forgot to communicate, we 'post' and 'share' and 'like'.

And we cannot be astonished that commercial and military powers

want to use these tools to make us more efficient and obedient  

workers, soldiers and customers. 

quote:

"Die ich rief, die Geister
werd ich nun nicht los."

J.W. von Goethe, Der Zauberlehrling

We must keep in mind, at the same time, that these tools are very real

and very powerful, there is a small step between the invention of the 

nuclear bomb and the ongoing though fascinating development 

artificial intelligence.

The stupidity or say the suggestibility and fickleness of human beings 

paired with fear of dying and vanity is so well known throughout 

history:

power uses this since the beginning of the forming societies,

even already in the most primitive groups,

the principles of  advertising create new normative ways

and people walk them, get other lips, breasts, eyelids, faces,

and they will get genetically engineered clones implanted.

when they are told that it is good "quality", they will pay and function.

they will see it in the beginning as a privilege even.

I have not the slightest doubt about it.

The multiplicators of new terror will come out of the upper middle-

class, they are proud they can pay for buying a 'better' future.

They already take every drug on the market available for better mood,

better concentration, better sleep, less pain, better sex, longer life 

expectancy,

it is only a matter of selling and defining the word "better". 

commercialism creates our new norms, and this is said only

half-truth:

it not an -ism selling, not just the mercenary companies, no, it is 

directives from those who hold the real power.

It is not all just fakes, it is lies and lies.

And hidden violence.

We can see that we have no access to nuclear weapons

and we have no access to the new IT developments nor to the

real sources of the internet:

we may try to form groups influencing outcomes or

at least going in open opposition where necessary.

but we cannot turn back the wheels.

and i think we shouldn't even try.

Mainly we should look for alternatives, keep an open eye

and effect change where we can in our small way, join others 

where possible. 

There are some interesting groups reforming the use of internet in 

many ways.

And keep learning, keep asking, not to be ruled by new technical

possibilities but knowing them so well that we can deal with them

at our best possible ability in our present stage in life.

See: R.Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, 1974:

Not to turn away in romantic disgust and comfortable indifference 

but stay in the moment, do what has to be done in full awareness,

deal with what occurs here and now, in daily acts and in attitude.

Not to forget is to go public, to find the knowlegable non-fake 

persons influencing decision makers in industry and politics.

We can ask them on long term perspectives and outcome,

we can try to find the non-chameleons, the stubborn ones.

Though a lot is a fake world, we are not all slot machines,

and we can play a different tune.

And most of us can read.

It is not that i set much hope in a use for the common good

of new technologies, but they are some strong forces world-wide

pleading for it and countries and governments trying to improve the 

quality of life for their citizens.

One is we should not despair and say all was better 'before',

i guess this kind of saying has never been proved true yet.

We have to live with what we have as wisely as we can.

and..indeed in a world of weapons sales, wars and exploitation-

what can we expect?

the good and the bad are always both there, and the

step from one to the other is so....tiny, often hardly recognizable.

in all construction there is imminent destruction,

and the 'maker' trying to rule the world will also bring its end nearer.

we can see it day for day. greed is stronger than reason or so it

appears.