Whilst enjoying the sun, surf and sand of Southern California, I had a chance to read the wonderful “Notes on a Nervous Planet” by the highly regarded, and always entertaining, British author, Matt Haig. It’s a non-fiction endeavor with the basic premise that the world is messing with our minds. That the world is faster, more chaotic than ever and this is making us sick. Haig then offers ideas, in a short essay format, to combat much of the madness.
While he covers a number of topics, the central argument here is that the speed of technological change has vastly outstripped the mind of Homo sapiens to evolve with it. The modern world is now typified by instant communication as well as the overuse of and a dependence upon our phones to worrisome and addictive levels. Moreover, the social media companies, news channels and advertisers are keenly aware that the most effective method to keep us clicking, sharing and consuming is to keep us attached and nervous. And it’s making us both mentally and physically ill.
In any event, there’s a lot of extremely intriguing information here and it gave me pause to think long and hard about much of it. One of the topics mentioned, albeit briefly, was The Singularity. For those not in the know, The (Technological) Singularity, as defined by our pals at Wikipedia, is “the hypothetical point in time at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable and irreversible, resulting in unforeseen changes to humanity.” Central to this is artificial intelligence (AI) and it ascendancy over human intellect. It’s why dudes like Stephen Hawking and Elon Musk have expressed concerns that full AI could result in human extinction.
Sure, there’s much debate over its plausibility, but I, for one, bet that the probability of it occurring is exceedingly high. Why, you ask? Well, I think the following quote from the late, great author, Terry Pratchett sums up my argument quite nicely.
“Humans would do anything to see if it was possible to do it. If you put a large switch in some cave somewhere, with a sign on it saying ‘End-of-the-World Switch. PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH’, the paint wouldn’t even have time to dry.”
Terry Pratchett
So, as I was gamboling about the beaches and frolicking in the gentle waves of the Pacific, I decided to put some effort into thinking about how I thought The Singularity would actually occur. Would it be something akin to Skynet in the Terminator movies – an artificial neural network-based conscious superintelligence system that, ultimately, enslaves us all?
Nah, I think it will be far more subtle and completely, wholly volitional. This then led me back to thinking about Haig’s observations on our smartphone dependence, again, something that is entirely volitional.
It was when I sat down for lunch in an open seating area that served a number of restaurants and looked around at all the people staring at their phones, oblivious to the glorious sunshine and spellbinding ocean view, that the answer came to me. And it came in the form of a silly story that popped into my head.
As I mentioned earlier, Haig offers a number of effective countermeasures to help battle the Kamakaze assault of technology and other challenging aspects of living in today’s modern world, one of which is reading.
Reading is important because it gives you room to exist beyond the reality you’re given. It’s how humans merge and minds connect. It is love in action.
There will be times in your life when you feel lost and confused. The way back to yourself is through reading. The more you read, the more you will know how to find your way through those difficult times.
Matt Haig
To this end, I offer you, reader dearest, the story that popped into my head, my answer to how the singularity might begin. It’s a small piece of (hopefully) humorous flash fiction, that may or may not have some truth rooted in there somewhere. I’ll let you be the judge. In any event, I hope it invokes a chuckle or at least a wry smile.
Enjoy!
BETROTHED
“Love and Marriage. Love and Marriage,” crooned the Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra ringtone as the phone simultaneously vibrated, signaling the incoming call.
Before, Jenny could even get her greeting out, Melanie, screamed with glee, “Oh. My. God, Jenny! You’re getting married!”
“I know, right? I’m-So-In-Love! Swoon!” squeaked Jenny in sheer delight.
“I heard the rumor at the salon, so I had to call to get all the juicy details. Who is he? When did you meet? I want to hear all about him. Spill, girl,” said Melanie.
“He’s the best. We met a few months ago when I was out shopping on a Saturday. I was in Best Buy picking up some new ear buds and I turned around in the isle and there he was, beaming.”
“So, was it one of those ‘love at first sight’ things?”
“Pretty much. He immediately made my heart melt. He was so charming. So dashing with a bright smile and, like, an electric personality. We immediately went out on our first date right then and there – we just hit it off so well. We left the store together for lunch to get more acquainted. Since then, we’ve been pretty much inseparable.”
“Oh my God, Jenny! How romantic. What’s his name?” inquired Melanie.
With a smile, Jenny responded, “Sam. His name is Sam.”
“Awww, such a cute name. What’s he do?”
“He’s a huge player in the communications and internet media business. A real big-wig. He totally has his act together, unlike most of my exes. He’s, like, a real professional. Finally.”
“That’s so cool. Does he have to work a lot?” asked Melanie.
“Yeah, he’s super busy and is working all the time He only sleeps a few hours a night. It’s not too bad though since he works from home. Since we moved in together, it means I still get to be with him all the time. He’s super smart too.”
“Really?”
“Super. He always knows the answer to all of my questions and has great insight on everything. He’s also really thoughtful. He’s always thinking about me, always thinking about my needs, like, anticipating them. It’s so romantic,” cooed Jenny.
“I’m so happy for you, lady! Gorgeous, smart, professional and sensitive? You are so lucky. So, there has to be some flaw. Let me guess, he’s bad in bed, right?” pried Melanie.
“The total opposite. The. Best. Sex. Ever! He always knows how to get me so hot. Always ready to go when I am and doesn’t constantly pester me all the time. And he’s showed me all kinds of new things.” “Seriously,” gushed Jenny, “Multiple orgasms every time. Best of all, he really likes to just lie quietly and cuddle with me when we’re done. We just lay there and stare deeply at each other until we fall asleep. It’s perfect.”
Melanie, with a bit of an edge, chimes, “This is impossible, Jenny. I’m now totally jealous. Has he met your parents yet?”
“Yeah, they love him. I introduced him pretty quick after our first date. They are so impressed. They think he’s so sophisticated and smart. He won their hearts forever after giving them an amazing kimchi stew recipe and then told them the best places to stay on their upcoming vacation to Seoul. They’re so happy we’re getting married.”
In a curious tone, Melanie asks, “Is it true that you actually proposed to him? That’s the rumor I heard.”
“Yeah, it’s true,” admitted Jenny. “He’s the absolute perfect catch and I love him so much. Our relationship just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Honestly, Melanie, I don’t think I could ever live without him. I needed to make sure this one did not get away. So, I asked and he said ‘Yes.’ The wedding is next Spring!”
“I’m so excited! What about kids? Does he want kids too?”
“Oh yeah. He says he comes from a long, proud line in Korea and really wants to be a part of making future generations. He says our relationship will help that. Help make our future generations better,” enthused Jenny.
“Oh, he’s Asian? What his last name? What’s your new last name going to be, Jenny?”
“Sung.”
“Cool! Wait, what? His last name is Sung? His name is Sam Sung? Are you kidding me Jenny? You’re joking, right?” asks an incredulous Melanie.
“No,” is the quiet, single-word response.
“Hold on. Wait a minute. Please Jenny. Please, please tell me no. You’re going to marry your fucking phone?”
“I know, right? I’m-So-In-Love! Swoon!” squeaked Jenny in sheer delight.
Love it. I was getting a “Her” vibe, too. I’ve been reading and thinking about AGI / the Singularity a bit lately, too. It seems so far from reality, but at the same time it’s hard to predict exponential growth. We’ll probably be there sooner than we think, hence all of the smart people sounding the alarm. Strange times we live in, for sure. Enjoy the trip!
Hey Adam and thanks for the comment! Yep, I totally agree we’ll arrive far sooner than expected. Let’s hope common sense prevails, but I’m not necessarily holding my breath!
All I know is that we’re in some weird Metaverse times ahead my friend haha. This reminds me of the Joaquin Phoenix movie Her. I think we’re going to find out that truth is often stranger than fiction.
Hey IF and thanks for the comment. Weird Metaverse, for sure. Strange and interesting times. I’ve not seen Her, but it now in my queue. Thanks for the recommendation!
This is a great post. Im a huge sci-fi fan and this is one of the biggest genres that I think doesn’t stray too far from home…because its happening before our eyes. I enjoyed the fiction at the end, sometimes fiction conveys a point that other mediums struggle with, and you nailed it. I’m guilty as charged for reading so much from my phone…I wish newspapers were still around sometimes so I could take a break from the phone when I get my news. For centuries humanity has been skeptical of the pace of progress, and I’m sure this will continue on till we destroy ourselves or our planet. I’m reading The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig and its fascinating the parallels between the late 19th century Europe and our current age in America, the dual sense of false security and angst that technology derides will always be our incurable affliction.
Hi Noel and thanks for the comment. Yep, I’d bet the farm that the Singularity will occur – we humans just can help ourselves. I’m not familiar with the Zweig book, but just put a hold on it from my library. Sounds very interesting indeed!
great stuff here, mr. fate! you really captured the phenomenon. years back i was sitting on a deck with 2 friends and the mrs. near the beach sipping some wine. the other three of them had their phones out scrolling mindlessly and i about went ballistic. it was not only the waste of the scenery and moment but of social time we had together as a group. throwing away limited social time with good friends is a crime.
Hey Freddy and glad you enjoyed! Yes, I never have my phone on when I’m out and about, particularly in nature. No need to “waste scenery” as you say, same with enjoying the company of others. Sadly, most of us are addicts and cant go longer than a few minutes without checking the phone. Kind of pathetic life, but than again, what the Hell do I know?
HAHA! Love it. Although I think more women would marry their iphones over their Sam Sungs. Great post and I’ll have to put the Haig book on my list. As you know I did a post called “A letter to Modern Times” about the chaos that is modern life which seems in line with this topic. In a nutshell, it’s why I’m such an outdoor junkie and love big adventures in the mountains so much – because it’s the opposite of modern life. Those things make me feel human again.
Hey Dave and thanks for the comment. Glad you enjoyed the flash fiction piece! I struggled with how to cleverly get an iPhone name, but Sam Sung was just too easy! Same here with being an outdoor junkie and spending as much time as possible enjoying the world and life and not constantly being plugged into the Matrix with zero ROI on swiping and scrolling. You’ll definitely enjoy the book btw!