WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE
The semester is ending, and the last entry in this blog – at least the
last requested by our teacher – is regarding “Where do I go from Here”. Quoting literally: “What would your dream job
in Computing Science be? What topic would you like to learn more about? What
classes are you looking forward to taking? Are there areas that you wish this
class would have covered more deeply?”
Well, it happened that I spent lunchtime chatting with three of my
colleagues, undergraduate students. One
from Computing Sciences, the other two from Veterinary and Agronomy. A very interesting chat, which completely
changed what I had in mind to write this article. Beginning with the title, “I” became “we”.
At our lunch meeting, all of us, except one, agreed that machines are
capable of learning, act intelligently and make decisions, self-preservation
and auto-repair, build another machines…
The discordant voice argued against machine learning and intelligence,
which he thinks would be just a pathetic mockery of human mind’s capabilities.
I then presented some of the ideas I read in Erich Fromm’s books[1]
(at least, as I understood it) – that a significant share of human beings do
live, also, without exercising their learning capabilities and intelligence. I think that computers are not – still – able
to compete with human geniuses, but they already are, in several areas, better
than the “average” human.
After this conversation, I started to think about some points, some
beliefs, some understandings, I have:
·
Just as a book is a record of the author’s
thoughts and feelings, a software is also a record of its author(s) personality
traits. The software records, usually, a
narrower area from the authors’ personality than a book, but, even so, no few times,
it reflects not just “logical reasoning”, it is shaped also by emotions and
world vision.
·
Unlike a book, a computer acts and interacts
with the physical world. In that sense, a
computer is a “being”.
·
We humans are the computer’s “Gods”. We created them according to our
likeness.
·
The likeness is imperfect. But not, as my colleague said, regarding
“intelligence”, or even “creativity”[2]. No, I
think that we can’t “imprint” in our technologic creations is what we can’t
explain about ourselves! I think we
could use the word “soul”, but not in a theological sense[3]. I mean here, by “soul”, our emotions, our
sub-conscious, our existential doubts. We
can’t program ethics, or philosophy, because we don’t know “the truth”, or “a
safe way to the truth”, in these areas.
·
Computers – I mean hardware and software – soon
will be reproducing themselves. Creating
new hardware and also new software – software perhaps, very likely, impossible
to understand for us humans. Then they
will have become a new “species”.
·
We will share the world with this new species. What are our future prospects, if our
super-powerful and soul-less creatures escape our control?
Furthermore: I do believe that this “future” is happening right now!
Supercomputing thru parallel processing, interconnectivity, internet of
things, artificial intelligence – all this is going to change the world, change
radically, and only one thing we can take for certain –it is that we can’t predict the results of
these changes!
My dream? Well, I want to be
Sarah Connor! :-)
I’m kidding, just to try to hide my embarrassment with the nature of my
ambition…
I want to learn about the human soul.
About ethics. About
happiness.
Not in order to program computers in these areas. No. To
keep them away from it! To be able to
clearly understand, and explain, and persuade people that we can’t delegate pursuit of happiness to computers! Computers must be our tools, not our guides!
Can it be different in the future?
Of course, that’s what Science do, it moves forward, everything can
change! But I can’t see this changing,
not in my lifetime.
Well, besides prevent humanity of being the slaves or the defenseless
preys of machines[4],
what do I dream as an IT professional?
I want to help using computers in the areas they can bring the greater
good. And I want to excel in my job, my
art, I would call it. Never stop
learning and improving, be in the cutting edge, feeling that I'm helping to shape
my profession – that would be wonderful!
I feel this like a kind of loving relationship with my science, with my
art – because, as I said, I think that software development is not only engineering
but has also a creative, artistic component.
Furthermore: I would like to leave a legacy behind my existence, a
legacy carried out thru my professional capabilities. I don’t want to be famous, not as an
individual. But I want to do something
more meaningful than increasing the profits of some company.
I’d be so glad, so happy, if someday I do work in a team whose goal would be
preservation of life, decrease of suffering!
Pain is part of life, is unavoidable, we need to accept it. But, even so, every gesture that relieves
pain is very meaningful, and very rewarding.
As I said: I don’t dream about being a hero, I don’t want to be
famous. I just would like to be able to
die knowing that what I did for a living helped somebody, someday, being a
little bit happier.
There’s another kind of legacy I’d like to leave. I’d like to share whatever knowledge I
have. I already did this, not just as a
programming instructor, but as a software developer. For example, when running my own small
software house, I had to guide young employees and interns. More than one of them, several years after
they left my company, meet me and said “thank you for helping me start my
professional live, I learned a lot with you”.
I felt fulfilled! And I feel that
it’s not just about me and them, it’s a flow, and we are part of it! They already shared their knowledge also.
People who I did not know can be right now using some technique I showed my
pupils – or even some technique my ex-pupils created based on what I showed
them. I don’t care if they don’t know my
name; it’s a journey, we are passing on a torch, a flame; knowing that I did my
part makes me happy.
“Oh my God, Pedro, can you please plainly say something about your
practical and immediate plans regarding your professional life? Instead of playing the “tavern philosopher?”"
Well, I can try! :-)
I’m good with databases and with programming logic, and I like to work
using this aptitudes.
So I think that what makes more sense to me is trying to learn and grow
in the Data Science area.
Since I want to do something more meaningful than selling soaps, I will
look for a job in an area linked to health, or safety, or environment.
And, if I could work, at the same time, as an IT professional and as a
teacher, that would be perfect!
[1]
Man for Himself, an Inquiry into the Psychology of Ethics; Escape From Freedom (see (http://www.amazon.com/Man-Himself-Inquiry-Psychology-Ethics-ebook/dp/B00BPJOD8K/ref=asap_B000APK2LW?ie=UTF8
and http://www.amazon.com/Escape-Freedom-Erich-Fromm-ebook/dp/B00BPJOC7W/ref=asap_B000APK2LW?ie=UTF8
).
[2] When
we leave the terrain of the simpler algorithms to enter into heuristics, the
programmer can’t preview his creature’s behavior; I think this is one of the
aspects of “creativity”.
[3]
Because religion is a matter of faith and due to this intrinsically
un-explainable and un-understandable.
[4]
Yes, I’m completely aware of how ridiculous this can sound. I’m also completely aware that I am the naïve
kind of man who is deeply moved by heroic melodramas.
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