Intelligence and knowledge are at the root of all human progress—from the discovery of fire and the invention of the wheel to the development of medicines and computers. Every bit of wealth ever created has stemmed from intelligence and knowledge, driven by the minds of researchers and innovators.
Governments are beginning to recognize a truth that businesses have understood since the Industrial Revolution: that power isn’t about force and coercion. Instead, as Sir Francis Bacon said in 1597, knowledge is power. However, that statement is not entirely accurate: It is the right knowledge applied that is power.
Since the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment, the application of knowledge (and thus its power) has been accelerating. In today’s world, this exponential growth is fueled by extraordinarily advanced levels of automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence (watch some YouTube videos for evidence).
We are now in the age of artificial intelligence (I prefer the term “e-intelligence”), and our ability to access and utilize vast amounts of knowledge far surpasses any single human’s capacity. AI is advancing at a remarkable pace and we are only scratching the surface of its potential.
Governments are waking up to the power of knowledge. For decades, Israel has recognized this, recruiting the brightest minds and providing them with the resources necessary to expand knowledge for purposes of national defense and survival. The U.S. and China are now racing to develop superintelligence, including quantum computing and ever more powerful hardware and software.
When we do reach superintelligence, what will happen? The power of ideas and philosophy—whether rational or otherwise—will determine how it’s used. It can be used to make unimaginable, vast improvements for us all, or….
Carl B. Barney
August 2, 2024