1998 Artificial Stupidity

1998 Artificial Stupidity

We have artificial intelligence. So why not artificial stupidity?

Organic or native intelligence and organic or native stupidity have been more or less in balance in influence if not numerically forever.

Artificial intelligence presumes that intelligence is a non-renewable resource and we must make machines that can both out think and out remember anything now available including ourselves.

But what about that natural balance which has been keeping us moving forward and expanding but more or less not so fast as to destroy people and the planet?

It's obvious that we need machinery that will keep that balance in… balance. Hence, we need machinery to put the brakes on artificial intelligence and keep moving ahead at the right speed.

What would such Machinery do? It would start by forgetting things that artificial intelligence remembers. Another important feature: it would slow thinking down. And finally, it would allow the machinery to do as we all do now naturally and that is not learn from our mistakes or history.

It sounds like a hard project but it really isn't. All you have to do is take your run-of-the-mill artificial intelligence machine and loosen some screws or spill coffee on some of its circuit boards.

Maybe it would spawn 3 new Industries instead of just one: making AI devices, SI devices and retrofitting both.

Think of the benefits. Think of how this would improve the employment picture. Oh yes, there are those who think there is enough stupidity in the world without adding to it with or without new technology. And granted an argument can be made for that but we have to be prepared for the future.

Natural or organic stupidity could not possibly keep up with artificial stupidity. We need to do the job equally fast on both sides of the equation.

Unfortunately, there aren’t a whole lot of people working on artificial stupidity. All our institutions of higher education are way behind the curve on this one. And there are people who will say, institutions of higher education are pretty much way behind the curve on everything. This is not true. Well… one can hope.

But the way to get colleges and universities onto a new trend is to give them what they most love, grants and donations.  Think of it. You could have your name enshrined forever on a building!  Example: The WestraDamus School of Artificial Stupidity.  Or at least endow a chair:  The Quantum McParticle Chair of Applied Artificial Stupidity at the WestraDamus School at Pepperdine University, or PU as it and some other schools are nicknamed.

There’s a big future here. The next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs or Ira Intel is lurking in a laboratory near you!

GRAPESHOT:

-There’s a coven of people who believe the artificial stupidity machine already has been invented and they call it a game console.

-One of the early precursors of the artificial stupidity machine was the player piano, but at least that had a purpose and didn’t dominate one’s entire life, just the living room --- and the people next door.

I’m Wes Richards. My opinions are my own but you’re welcome to them. ®

Please address comments to wesrichards@gmail.com

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