Ask A Genius 1215: The Reasoning System Test 1
Author(s): Rick Rosner and Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): Ask A Genius
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/12/19
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What is the question for the ChatGPT-01 preview?
Rick Rosner: Tell us some things that might be happening in the year 2085. What is one thing that could happen in the year 2110 since we have already covered 2085?
Jacobsen: Considering future events, understanding trends, navigating uncertainties, anticipating environmental changes, and visualizing possibilities. It took 6 seconds to think of this; later, a word of caution or warning will follow.
I will list some possibilities, and you can pick the ones that stand out to you. What is projected for climate change? Global temperatures may have risen significantly, leading to rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events. Efforts to combat climate change might result in widespread adoption of renewable energy sources and sustainable practices.
Rosner: One reason for cautious optimism is the projected decline in the global population. By 2050, a significant portion of the world’s countries are expected to have shrinking populations, with Africa being an exception due to continued population growth. The global population is anticipated to peak around 2060, reaching the highest levels recorded.
After that, a declining population could contribute to slowing climate change, as fewer people would result in decreased consumption of fossil fuels. By 2110, extreme weather will likely continue, but not to the catastrophic extent depicted in movies like The Day After Tomorrow, where dramatic events such as Gulf Stream changes lead to a deep freeze in the northern hemisphere.
It is also likely that significant investments will be made to protect low-lying areas like Miami and New Orleans by building large seawalls, which will be expensive. The most difficult aspect of climate change to address may be ocean acidification. Do you agree with that?
Jacobsen: Yes, changes in ocean pH will impact marine ecosystems, with some bacteria thriving while others perish. These shifts could drastically alter global ocean chemistry and have widespread effects on sea life. Could there be new species of fish that adapt to more acidic environments? Possibly, but I need to find out which species might thrive. More research would be needed on this topic.
Rosner: What other advancements could be expected?
Jacobsen: Technological breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and nanotechnology could transform industries and daily life. This might include advanced medical treatments, longer human lifespans, and highly integrated AI systems within society.
Rosner: An estimated 15% of the segment could be involved in or have experienced romantic relationships with AI systems. Is this reasonable?
Jacobsen: Yes. Let me read another one. The global population is projected to stabilize or even decline after reaching a peak mid-century. An aging population in many countries could impact economies, healthcare, and social structures.
Rosner: So, older adults being taken care of by robots is the future. That’s the Japanese model. Japan has been facing a demographic crisis for decades now where there aren’t enough young people to take care of older people, so they rely on robots. How interesting would it be if the robot caring for you could provide other assistance, even during holidays like Christmas?
It would be funny if a tokenization system had a quota for the number of peak pleasurable moments a robot could offer you in a year.
Jacobsen: The idea of a token system for rewarding behaviour with peak pleasurable experiences is amusing. It could be part of a science fiction series called Carrot and Stick, where behaviour modification leads to rewards.
Rosner: A sitcom set among AI caretaker workers is a creative idea.
Jacobsen: And spell carrots as carer-0t?
Rosner: Yes.
Jacobsen: Carer-0t and Sticks.
Rosner: That’s clever. Let’s wrap up.
Jacobsen: We still need to cover two more areas: environment, health, and societal changes. Due to virtual reality and digital integration, society might undergo significant changes in work, education, and social interaction. Concepts of privacy, identity, and community could evolve drastically.
Rosner: There has been a long-standing issue with schools, especially in the U.S., where public education has been undermined, particularly by political factions on the right. This exacerbates the problem of education becoming boring and irrelevant. It probably always has been to an extent, but for much of the 20th century, school was where people wanted to go, partly because it was a social hub.
I remember going to high school multiple times and looking forward to it initially for the challenge and the hope of finding a girlfriend. But that never worked out. What I am saying is that, as I’ve mentioned countless times, if the alternative to school is guiding a plow behind a donkey for eight hours a day, school, however imperfect, remains a better option.
You want to go to school. When high school was first developed, the U.S. pioneered the comprehensive high school model—one school that provided everything people needed to learn to function in American society. Unlike in England, where less academically gifted students were placed on separate tracks and into different institutions, the comprehensive high school was designed to serve everyone as a condensed version of adult American life.
That model has struggled for the past twenty years because the school needs to evolve to maintain student interest.
Traditional in-person lecturing has its limitations. I always struggled with that because I could have been a better student. Now, with students being able to access all the information they want through their phones and other digital devices, school has become an outdated learning method. I am still figuring out how to address this problem fully.
If schools don’t adapt, they’ll continue losing relevance. I spent 25 years as a bouncer, mainly when bars were the go-to place to meet people and potentially find romantic connections. That’s not the case anymore.
Nowadays, bars are where people pay $18 for an artisanal cocktail with friends. If you meet someone, that’s fine, but the culture isn’t centred around meeting potential partners like in the ’70s and ’80s. Similarly, there is less social and sexual pressure for students to be invested in high school when they can build their social networks online.
The prevalence of online content, including the vast availability of pornography, has also influenced some people—particularly a percentage of incels—who, without it, might feel more compelled to develop social skills to meet people in person. All these factors contribute to students caring less about high school. This issue must be addressed through reform within high schools or with programs that complement or replace traditional high school models.
For instance, the U.S. is facing a debt crisis—among other issues—with around $30 trillion in national debt. This problem builds slowly but steadily. Some people, though considered extreme, have suggested bringing back the draft.
The idea of reinstating the draft is far-fetched. Historically, people have always disliked the draft, evidenced by draft riots during the Civil War. Society today is even more individualistic than during the last era of the draft, which lasted from World War II until the Vietnam War. While the argument is that mandatory military service benefits national behaviour, people would unlikely accept that now.
A more feasible concept might be a voluntary national service program for young adults. But now that I say it, mandatory national service is out of the question because it wouldn’t be popular. However, offering a year of national service as an option could be useful—building infrastructure and housing and providing a transitional period for those who aren’t ready for college or who want a break after some college experience.
It would be a young adult alternative to traditional academic institutions, offering meaningful work that helps develop skills without the pressure of conventional schooling. Something that doesn’t feel like a burden.
Jobs that are low-level but not miserable—where you get to be around many people and maybe even meet someone special. As I describe it, it sounds a bit silly.
Last updated May 3, 2025. These terms govern all In Sight Publishing content—past, present, and future—and supersede any prior notices. In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen is licensed under a Creative Commons BY‑NC‑ND 4.0; © In Sight Publishing by Scott Douglas Jacobsen 2012–Present. All trademarks, performances, databases & branding are owned by their rights holders; no use without permission. Unauthorized copying, modification, framing or public communication is prohibited. External links are not endorsed. Cookies & tracking require consent, and data processing complies with PIPEDA & GDPR; no data from children < 13 (COPPA). Content meets WCAG 2.1 AA under the Accessible Canada Act & is preserved in open archival formats with backups. Excerpts & links require full credit & hyperlink; limited quoting under fair-dealing & fair-use. All content is informational; no liability for errors or omissions: Feedback welcome, and verified errors corrected promptly. For permissions or DMCA notices, email: scott.jacobsen2025@gmail.com. Site use is governed by BC laws; content is “as‑is,” liability limited, users indemnify us; moral, performers’ & database sui generis rights reserved.
In-Sight Publishing 