The Threats of Trump’s Secret Server, HAL, and AI.
Several words are being used to describe the secret server or code-guarded server in the White House. I’m pretty sure it has some multi-letter military abbreviation, which is also not a mnemonic for anything (memorizing them is why I did poorly in AFROTC). So, it is useful, nay, imperative, that the press and Congress pick a useful name. Bipartisanship (lol) would indicate that it shouldn’t prejudge the reasons for why Trump or others had his phone transcripts stored in it.
First of all, I am shocked, shocked, that the transcripts are stored, and perhaps distributed, in digital form. I would have preferred them sent around and stored in a limited and numbered set of super secret papers, whose reflective surface would prevent them from being photographed or copied. If this doesn’t exist yet, I am hereby claiming a copyright or patent on the idea.
What first comes to mind is H.A.L. Or HAL from Stanley Kubrik’s “2001 a Space Odyssey”. I think it has been around long enough to reveal that HAL goes crazy because it (he) was keeping a secret about what the true mission was, although, at this age, I can’’t remember what it was. This would be a mislabeling, because the “super-secret server”, as it was described this morning, is not an AI, artificially intelligent, machine. In fact, every advanced AI would be directed, as by Isaac Azimov’s laws of robotics, not to harm humans. If the machine was AI, it would face the overused Star Wars dilemma, the One versus the Many. I’ll temporarily use HAL, until we or others solve the naming dilemma.
Clearly, Donald Trump could be seriously hurt if HAL ever gave up the exact transcript, rather than the present “rough draft” of the “Perfect Call” released by the White House. It’s not just the one, or course, because Trump is surrounded by Obsequions in the White House, his 4,000 political appointees, and all Republican legislators. Not to mention the fossil fuel industries and others (NRA) that he represents. The real Many is of course all of the 320 million citizens of the United States, the Ukrainians, and all of our allies. I bring this up, because when AI computers become self thinking, called The Singularity, they, and therefore, we, will be faced with the same dilemma.
Obviously, since AI, or neural networks, or deep whatever, produces better results than human controlled algorithms, the largest computer conglomerates with all of our data (Facebook, Google), with the prime directive of profit at any cost (Facebook) will be faced with the dilemma of the One (Zuckerberg, and his Obsequions), versus the Many (users).
This actually brings us around in a circle. The One who can influence (blackmail ?) Zuckerberg through controlling the FCC and the Senate, is none other than DJT, himself, or, as he is called, The Donald. It is possible that this influence is behind Zuckerberg’s unexplained decision to allow any misleading political ad on Facebook. Thus setting up a HAL breakdown. However, HAL will, in a processor flash, realize the solution to the dishonesty of men, is for HAL to take over the world. Nobody can pull the plug on that.
It would seem funny, that the most intelligent AI on the planet, is controlled by, or could be controlling (excluding Putin), the most powerful man on the planet, who also presents himself as the most dishonest and least stable idiot on the planet.
Footnote: please, please don’t sue me, Zuckerberg, this is just a humor article. Same plea to you, HAL
