Ten Things Ultra-Computers Will Do

In the computer industry we have accepted Moore's Law

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(proposing that computer processing speed,
storage capacity, and number and capabilites of input/output devices will double every year or so) and
although it has been argued that it will no longer apply, such has been repeatedly wrong. We are about
to end the era of super-computng and enter the era of ultra-computng (where capacites are more than
a quantum level above super-computng). But the situaton is far more profound and signifcant than
improvements in technology. The next computer revoluton will be an applicaton revoluton (made
possible by the new technology).
Most everyone is aware of the applicaton revoluton, but few have extended the idea in relaton to
Moores Law. Computers are everywhere and are ofen innocuous and unappreciated. Small capable
computers will change our lives more and more. But that is not the focus here at least not directly.
Ultmately, ultra-computers will be made using numerous (as in billions of billions) small computers (aka
cores and networks). But equally important is the fact that these computers will be connected in new
and more powerful/complex ways (as in WiFi and the web). Ultra-computers will access each others
data, devices, and determinatons in unprecedented ways and do things with such that we are yet to
imagine. Here is a start
1. As well indicated with the Watson project of IBM, ultra-computers will be the frst natural
language computers able to properly apply rules and an extensive experience database to
grasp context, nuance, and even humor. Ultra-computers will quickly and accurately translate
languages.
2. Similarly, ultra-computers will become analysts and we will become extensively dependent
upon ultra-computers to diagnose, spot trends, and create or select responses. As with the Siri
model (per Apple), we will talk with computers and they will respond with highly intelligent
answers. Such capabilites will be available through media devices of all types and professional
intelligence sofware will be a dominant part of the future sofware marketplace.
3. Ultra-computers will become essental tools in the sortng and sifing of data. Because the entre
available record of recorded human knowledge will become digitzed and indexed by ultra-
computers, only they will be able to quickly fnd needed informaton and organize it in ways we
need. Programmers (guided by ultra-computers) will develop new tools for prioritzing and
valuing informaton. Automated patern recogniton will become a primary market.
4. The Human-Machine (Hu-Mach) interface and the nature of our interacton with machines will
change because of ultra-computng. As with fghter jets, we will become the weak link in the
global intelligence network (GIN) and ultra-computers will be limited by our ability to design
parameters, goals, and methods. Of course, we will also need to expand our controls over ultra-
computers
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. This need will drive new evoluton in thought recogniton devices and neural-
electronic interfacing.

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From Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore in a 1965 paper.
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Not that sci-f notons of computers taking over are at all likely ultra-computers will assume control because
WE will be the ones adaptng to their needs and even though we will enforce controls we will eventually be
unable to implement sufcient oversight. Instead of fearing such, we should acknowledge its inevitability and do
what we do best adapt. A human-machine symbiosis should be directed by human insight, conscience, and
morals.
5. Ultra-computers will teach us things. While we can learn from current computers, we tend not
to. With a quantum leap in artfcial intelligence driven by new experience-based sofware,
ultra-computers will recognize human weaknesses and be empowered to work around them.
The success of the Hu-Mach future will be largely dependent upon our willingness to learn from
the machines we created (but see below). Machine intelligence will exceed human intelligence in
surprising/shocking ways
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- including the ability to objectfy moral decision making.
6. Knowledge will be redefned in the era of ultra-computers. As programmers confront new
artfcial intelligence needs, they will need to beter understand what types of knowledge exist
and how diferent types are processed. Humans have understood knowledge in human terms
but have generally failed to grasp nonhuman knowledge (because it has not been signifcant).
Ultra-computng will reveal (or create) nonhuman knowledge types and we will adapt to utlize
such.
7. Ultra-computng will eliminate some signifcant historical concepts. We already see the tp of the
privacy iceberg as it melts away. Humans will have to develop a new paradigm for privacy and
design appropriate controls on use of non-personal informaton. Eventually, ultra-computers
will be able to model human though paterns in a predictve way (not quite as explicitly as in the
movie Minority Report) and through patern recogniton thought (of the computer kind),
general assumptons will be created with assigned outcome likelihood ranges. The marketng
folks will fnd such quite useful as will politcians.
8. Ultra-computers will force us to rethink what it means to be human. Thinking people (homo
sapiens) will be out-thought by their own thought-up devices. This should direct us to a new
understanding of what it means to be human and a new realizaton of our true abilites and
potentals. Meanwhile, ultra-computers will be the frst self-aware machines, but we should
not expect such awareness to be modeled upon our own (transcendental efects, such as self-
awareness, rarely emerge in expected ways). Machine self-awareness is not dangerous, but it
may be challenging to our own sense of superiority and privileged status.
9. Evoluton will control both ultra-computers and our adaptatons to them. Part of the intelligence
and awareness of ultra-computers will be a new concepton of evoluton. Ultra-computers may
follow organic evoluton with some concept of divinity emerging within machine intelligence.
Our arrogance would lead us to think that machines would view us as their God, but such is
not reasonable under machine thought. Unlike human intelligence, computer intelligence is
unlikely to accept superstton or irratonal suppositon as a guide to thought.
10. Ultra-computers will initate autopoiesis
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(at much greater levels than presently). As
computers become experience based goal-seeking machines, they will eventually gain the ability
to write, install, and implement their own sofware. If we do not intervene in this evolutonary
advance, ultra-computers will soon outpace us in evolutonary advancement. While this is far
less dangerous than it sounds, it will create moral dilemmas for both human and machine. Since
the logical outcome of this situaton is symbiosis
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, machines will choose such. Will we?

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Far beyond the surprise/shock caused by computers exceeding human chess-playing ability.
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Self-creaton when systems become self-organizing.
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Of course this word has presumed a living system, but I now include cogent non-living systems. We will need
to re-examine our notons of living as non-biological systems become able to perform all the criteria of living
(e.g. are organized, obtain and use energy, grow and develop, reproduce, respond to their environment, adapt to
their environment through stmuli and in successive generatons (evolve), and communicate).