Ask A Genius 1218: Futuristic Trendy Trend Thoughts
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/12/22
Rick Rosner: Several trends are competing to change, improve, or disrupt the world. Many of these are well-known, so people almost distrust them because they’ve been discussed so extensively. One major trend is the combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing, which could lead to massive disruptions. Another is AI-driven disinformation, cyber warfare, and other related challenges. Climate change remains a central issue, heavily politicized, with people either deeply concerned, skeptical, or a mix of both.
Other notable trends include declining fertility rates, increasing lifespans, and rising wealth inequality. These trends are interconnected, sometimes reinforcing one another and working in opposition. For instance, in 2024, there were national elections in 33 countries, and in 27 of those, incumbents lost—highlighting political volatility.
Globally, we’re witnessing a noticeable rightward political shift coupled with widespread anger, intolerance, and increasing selfishness. Social media, driven by algorithmic AI, often amplifies these dynamics. So, what can we conclude about how these trends interact? Human behaviour is increasingly influenced by algorithms deeply embedded into daily life.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Even homesteaders—who strive for self-sufficiency—are indirectly affected by these forces in ways they might not recognize. It seems impossible to escape their reach entirely.
Rosner: We are now on the threshold of no longer being the most intelligent entities on Earth as AI and other technologies advance rapidly.
Much of what’s happening today stems from human technological dominance, which has shaped global systems for over a century.
Jacobsen: However, the speed and nature of the issues created by technology are changing rapidly. Are there any other major trends we’ve overlooked? One significant area is human augmentation. We will likely see more serious efforts at augmenting animals—or non-human species—which raises profound ethical questions.
Rosner: This is a key theme in my book: exploring the implications of implanting chips in animals to enhance their abilities or understanding. For example, people often compare the intelligence of dogs to that of a two-year-old child. But such comparisons are flawed—dogs are fundamentally different from toddlers.
Imagine chipping animals to provide them with information feeds that make their reality more comprehensible—essentially granting them a more human-like perspective. Humans possess a global understanding, encompassing not just events but their causes and context. In contrast, animals rely on a pragmatic, immediate understanding of how events directly affect them. They cannot form a unified perspective on the “why” of things—the who, what, when, where, why, and how.
Jacobsen: If animals were to be chipped, how would it work? The chip would need to connect to modules providing analytic capabilities they don’t naturally have—like a verbal processor. Rosner: Initially, an animal’s understanding of words might be external to its consciousness and mediated through the chip. Over time, as the animal interacts with the chip, it could develop neural pathways enabling some internal comprehension of language.
Still, the chip’s data processor would handle most of the work. The challenge would be ensuring the chip integrates seamlessly into the animal’s cognition while balancing its natural mental processes with external processing power.
Do animals need some external device strapped for processing, or could it work wirelessly, like Bluetooth? I’m not sure. I need to think about this if I’m going to write about it. But, yes, you’re right—we’re likely to see more enlightened animals, for better or worse.
Jacobsen: And then there’s the possibility of genetic modifications. It’s not hard to imagine someone using CRISPR to create viruses to alter people, whether for good or bad.
Rosner: Take, for example, the ridiculous conspiracy theory from RFK Jr. claiming that COVID was engineered to kill Chinese people while sparing Jewish people. That’s just creepy, nonsensical garbage. However, the idea that CRISPR could be used to engineer viruses with sinister or uplifting intentions is within the realm of possibility. If someone decided to make people smarter through genetic tweaks, they might release a virus designed to achieve that goal.
And who knows what unintended consequences could follow? If such a virus targeted humans, it could spread to animals, making them smarter. Is that plausible? It’s a fascinating speculative fiction idea. It’s Writers have explored similar ideas in science fiction for decades.
There have been many stories about people becoming smarter—or dumber. Remember the novel IQ 83 from about 40 years ago? It was a terrible book, but the premise was that a virus made everyone stupid. The story explored how humanity would survive when even the world’s greatest geniuses had their IQs cut in half.
I think Clifford Simak wrote something similar in Brainwave—or maybe it was Poul Anderson. That was from 60 years ago or so. Everyone’s IQ, including animals, was multiplied by five in that store. The implications for society and the world were huge. Back then, stories about IQ were an easy way to frame speculative ideas.
Jacobsen: People have been writing about these concepts for a long time. It’s fascinating to think about how such ideas evolve.
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