skynet (google) of the future ?

Hari Seldon a psychohistorian and mathematics professor predicted the future by studying the behavioral patterns of living beings. He analysed the data in short and his analysis proved beneficial for the foundation's birth and activities in helping the living race sustain.


Skynet on the other hand a self-aware AI system built to aid humans, overpowered them and caused a lot of trouble.

Of course this is all science fiction in popular culture. But if you read In the plex (a book about google) this will feel like a really possible future. Considering google is all about data, studying human behavior over the internet and recognizing patterns, I am pretty sure our future is no less than interesting. Of course I am hoping with all the great possibilities it will be better and not skynet-ish. Though the possibility itself excites me. (HUGE Judgement Day fan alert!) 


With me spending so much time on the net, I am sure the engineers at google will have an algorithm ready to serve self obsessed people like me, about my behavioral pattern :P And I like that possibility even though its hugely prying. But if I gave approval may be they could do it. And that is google's biggest existential crisis. A company run by über geeks, always striving to follow the 'don't be evil' motto.


But all that apart it was a relief to know that the place is run by people whose moral values are like those of montessori kids, who believe in asking questions and working hard to build complex systems to make information relevant, reachable and useful. The sheer technological (mathematical) stuff going on at google is awe inspiring. Some of the ideas and projects going on there make science fiction seem real. And if I am to naively believe that the geeks running the company stick to their value sets, it will be a wonderful future.


A very interesting read. Technology, geekism and management wise. 
Makes me like google, apart from the simple reason, that they have made life easier on many fronts. 
It will not amaze me if google gets hard wired in my system in coming years. Specially, since I have stopped struggling against the wave of the digital revolution and embraced it quite happily.


~nightflier


P.S. Story behind the book - The book was recommended to me almost 2-3 months back. But it's pretty expensive which would have totally affected my monthly book budget. So I joined Tender Leaves, my new library! :D And voila, grabbed it pronto! Had to finish it asap as the librarian himself wanted to read it after me!