The next generation Internet is going to blow our minds.
We are participating in the construction of the global brain. This is a concept that was first espoused in the early days of AI, dating back to the 1940s. It picked up steam in the 1990s as the Internet started to unfold.
As we progress deeper into technological advancement, we are seeing this accelerate before our eyes. It is something that is changing society and, ultimately, humanity. There are a number of components all feeding this.
Web 3.0 is a major step in this process. Due to the inclusion of a number of technologies, including AI, BCI, and robotics, we are looking at the next phase of human evolution. Some consider this another leg in the planet, after the geosphere and biosphere.
The digital and physical worlds are uniting. This much is certain. It is a collective that humanity is creating, with each action it takes.
We will see the next 30 years operate as a culmination of the last 80. The 3rd generation Internet is where our world truly goes digital.
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Web 3.0: The Construction of the Global Brain
Blockchain is crucial for this endeavor.
Before getting in this, perhaps we need to answer: what is the global brain?
The global brain is a neuroscience-inspired and futurological vision of the planetary information and communications technology network that interconnects all humans and their technological artifacts.
It goes on to say:
As this network stores ever more information, takes over ever more functions of coordination and communication from traditional organizations, and becomes increasingly intelligent, it increasingly plays the role of a brain for the planet Earth. In the philosophy of mind, global brain finds an analog in Averroes's theory of the unity of the intellect.
Most who subscribe to the global brain theory break things down into three components. This is where we see different tentacles arising in the focus.
They are:
- Organicism: the idea that the human species as a whole is structured like a living system (i.e., a superorganism developing a socio-technological nervous system).
- Encyclopedism: the idea that our species is building a global database of all information and knowledge (i.e., a memory for the collective species).
- Emergentism: the idea that a global consciousness/awareness is emerging as a consequence of our increasing interconnectedness.
One of the keys to this is the idea of distribution. The linked article is titled "Global Brain: Foundations of a Distributed Singularity". Many have heard of the technological singularity. This is a concept espoused by people like Ray Kurzweil and other futurists.
The idea here is that we will reach a point where computer knowledge is advancing at a pace far beyond what humans can even entertain. This is why some, like Elon Musk, feel the only hope for the future is to connect with the AI.
It is also why I think that distribution is crucial. Here is where the focus again shifts to blockchain.
Blockchain: The Basis For A Global Brain
If we want distribution, this means we are going to have more than just Big Tech involved. At the moment, this is where most of the data is placed. In turn, we see the development on those networks, with the first layer being AI features. This is proving to be a "rich get richer" situation.
For the last year or so, I have stressed the importance of democratized data. It was something is becoming glaringly obvious. Blockchain is one of the foundations of Web 3.0.
Researchers, theorists and digital philosophers of the global brain are not crypto people. They are not historically involved with blockchain. Some, like Ben Goertzel, are starting to advance this concept. He is the one behind SingularityNet, a decentralized AI network.
A component mentioned above is Encyclopedism. When one reads this, it is likely that something like Wikipedia comes to mind. It is a part of the ever growing database of information.
The challenge is we are looking at something that is controlled by a few people. This is not the foundation for the distributed singularity.
A better example of this is Bitcoin. That is a network that nobody controls. All the data generated, in this instance financial, is available to anyone. That is the true evolution of where things need to head.
Of course, finance is one piece of human functionality. We have many other areas of interest including news, sports, hobbies, business, and love. The last 30 years saw an explosion in the information online. However, almost all of it is controlled by some entity.
Everything we see regarding the digital world is part of the global brain.
A few areas worth mentioning:
- semantic web
- recommend engines
- open source online courses
- 3D/4D printing
- ubiquitous computing
- automation/robotics
- wearables/smartphones/mixed reality
- BCI
As always, we come back to who is going to control this? Are we looking at a future where Big Tech, i.e. a few dozen companies, control everything?
The metaphor of the global brain is something that makes a great deal of sense. From this point, we can easily follow the concept of control, or lack thereof. Which direction will things go?
That is up to us. It is imperative for people to understand we are all involved in this. The global brain includes all of humanity. Nobody is exempt who is online. Each action we take is adding to it.
It truly is a collective initiative. At this point, it is not something we decide to do. It simply is.
We are feeding it daily. Every actions that is tied to a database is part of the global information system. This is then used to generate more information, primarily through AI features and services.
This is an overarching concept of what Web 3.0 will look like.