The American Polity and Technological Singularity, 1: AI's

As this is the summer, I try to put Science (and science fictional) theories into Real Politics.


Here is an earlier post I did on The Technological Singularity. This summer, I'll do a little more detail (among the political, historical, and Goth posts).


What is the Singularity?

"The Singularity is the technological creation of smarter-than-human intelligence. There are several technologies that are often mentioned as heading in this direction. The most commonly mentioned is probably Artificial Intelligence, but there are others: direct brain-computer interfaces, biological augmentation of the brain, genetic engineering, ultra-high-resolution scans of the brain followed by computer emulation. Some of these technologies seem likely to arrive much earlier than the others, but there are nonetheless several independent technologies all heading in the direction of the Singularity – several different technologies which, if they reached a threshold level of sophistication, would enable the creation of smarter-than-human intelligence"

The Singularity/American polity posts breaks into three parts, which will be discussed month by month throughout the summer:


I. AI's (tonight)

II. Uploaded Minds (July)


III. Using American Politics to get there (August)


Now, let's go into the next frontier!


The best science fiction book and movies offer a hint to the future. Here are a couple of Artificial Intelligences that were imagined:

Ash, Alien



Bishop, Aliens



Holly and Talkie Toaster, Red Dwarf 



David, AI 



Now that I have shown you the future from the terrifying to the funny, how do we get there?

Giving Voice to the AI's: Voting and Census

In the American polity, if you can exist, you can be counted. If you can be registered (with a photo ID), you can vote.  Would it apply to AI's?

If a thinking AI exists, would it be counted?

I am not talking about AI's part of other computers, but walking, talking, thinking AI's.

In William Gibson's Sprawl Trilogy, there was the Turing Police to stop AI's from gaining sentience.  Depending on the political party in charge, the Turing Police will or will not exist.

An AI that can think, reason, walk and talk should be counted -- if it can be self-sufficient, why shouldn't it be counted as a US Citizen?  And what about gene-splicing clones or adaptations of humankind? Those I leave to the bio-ethicists.

If the AI can be counted and think for itself, why shouldn't it be allowed to vote?

Now the question becomes, which party will help the sentient AI's and which will harm?

Party Time: AI's and the Two Party Polity

As a political activist who understand the philosophy and people behind them, let me say if you were an AI, your (artificial) life would be a nightmare under Democrats.

Democrats believe in the overwhelming power of the State to fix things.  Sometimes the fixes cause other problems (see: Welfare, Urban neighborhoods)  In the early years of the Republic, Democrats made slaves of other Americans, imagine using the power of the State against "Things,"

In the Republican half of the Polity, when we cry "Freedom," we actually believe in it.  Democracy Overseas was supported full throatily by the Bush Administration, Gay marriage passed in a Republican backed State Senate;  and who supported getting rid of slavery in the American polity? Guess who?

An AI under power of Democrats would be slaves to the State, and the same AI under Republicans would be free to go about its business. 

A thoughtful AI who contributes to bringing mankind further along the intelligence ladder needs to survive and thrive.  President Obama has shut down the frontier -- only Republicans will open it again.  And the AI's should be participants in mankind's journey. (Hello Moore's law!)

My question: Describe the future as an AI under a Democratic and Republican Administrations.

The Singularity will rise!