Big Brother Australia Looking to Monitor Full Spectrum Communications

Nicholas West
Activist Post

The most expansive set of surveillance powers since the attacks of 2001 are set to be rolled out in Australia unless there is overwhelming public resistance. 

The new proposals are being issued by the intelligence community itself, and involve collecting data on every Australian's telephone conversations and Internet usage, then storing it for two years. 

In tandem with data collection and storage, Australia's intelligence community wants more access to social media in a sweeping overhaul to current restrictions that is reminiscent of America's move under its own comprehensive media monitoring initiative. 

Navy Successfully Tests Autonomous Drone Landings

Nicholas West

"History" was made in mid-May as Northrop Grumman's X-47B unmanned drone made its first launch at sea from the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier. While the Navy says it wasn't intended for the immediate war environment, it was heralded by the commander of the Naval Air Forces, Vice Admiral David Buss, as a monumental achievement:

Today we saw a small, but significant pixel in the future picture of our Navy as we begin integration of unmanned systems into arguably the most complex warfighting environment that exists today: the flight deck of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

Now, the Navy is announcing the successful landing of the same aircraft upon a moving flight deck at sea to which it returned after being stationed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.

That event, as you will see below, is thought to herald the arrival of the autonomous drones of the future.

DRONE Webseries, Ep. 2/4: Who Gives the Orders?

Nicholas West

This four-part series, which will continue over the coming two weeks each Thursday on YouTube HERE, began as humanoid robot soldiers redefine the landscape of the battlefield in 2023 ... and one of them is on the run.

In part 2, we get a glimpse of the human programmer behind unit 237 and the commander who wonders how a robot can make the decision to run.

The introduction of the programmer raises a question that the U.S. government has been trying to answer: How can robots be developed that will never question orders? This is the mission of programs like MUSIC, which incorporates Future Combat Systems to create a matrix of computer-to-robot interaction with humans on the periphery at best:

The objective of the FCS effort is to develop lightweight (no individual element greater than 20 tons), overwhelmingly lethal, strategically deployable, self-sustaining and survivable combat and combat support force, systems and supporting technologies for the 2012-2025 timeframe and beyond.... (Source) 

Part 1: DRONE: Rise of the Autonomous Super Soldier

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New Wave of Mini Robots Has Arrived

No name yet for this bot;
see it in the video below ... if you can
image source

Nicholas West

Beyond the economic debate of whether humans will officially be outsourced to robots -- or not (maybe by 2045) -- there is no question that the military-industrial complex loves the idea of creating robots that can serve the battlefield and beyond. Here are some of their current favorites.

• PETMAN humanoid robot
• Sand Flea jumping robot
• Robobee - pollinator/surveillance
• Cryo - robot jellyfish to patrol the oceans
• Cheetah - designed to chase human prey (and now has had a cub)
• Big Dog - Heavy lifting, like throwing cinderblocks, and transport

But, just as with drones, the next phase of miniaturized robot tech is offering some insane possibilities. The video below shows a new bot that Singularity Hub defined as "freaky fast" -- like the equivalent of a human running 120 mph.

DRONE Webseries, Ep. 3/4: Executing Prime Directives

Nicholas West

This four-part series, which will conclude next Thursday on YouTube HERE, began in part 1 as humanoid robot soldiers begin to redefine the landscape of the battlefield in 2023 ... and one of them is on the run. In part 2, we caught a glimpse of the human programmer behind unit 237 and the commander who wonders how a robot can make the decision to run.

Part 3 continues to explore the connection between the programmer and the robot that he has evidently worked to set free, which has put him on the commander's kill list. 

As the programmer begins to ask questions of the "drone" unit 237, a series of answers appear begining with understanding its role:

Q: Number and purpose
A: To serve and protect the interest of The United States of America. To follow the orders of my superiors while at all times adhering to code 24-C of prime directives as established by United States Government.

The central issue becomes what the prime directives are, and the importance of who is doing the programming when a machine is set only to execute the parameters it has been given. With the rise of autonomous drones and machine warfare, the questions we ask today may be answered sooner than we think.

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Can Robots Bring Jobs Back to America? (Infographic)

Nicholas West

A new infographic from KUKARobotics.com (one of the world's largest makers of industrial robots) argues that robots could actually return the manufacturing base to America. There is clearly a need for a revitalization of manufacturing, since the industry has declined in the U.S. more than most experts have thought; in fact, more in the last decade than in the Great Depression of the 1930s -- 33.1%, or 5.7 million jobs lost. (Source)

However, as I detailed in my article 5 Ways Robots are Outsourcing Humans in the Workforce, it seems likely that with the rise of autonomous robotics that robots will be replacing humans even in skilled areas, much like what is being developed for the battlefield. These skilled jobs are a cornerstone of the argument in favor of robotic manufacturing.

What is your view of the facts presented in the infographic below, as well as the article linked above? There clearly is a new economy that has been ramping up over the last few years, so we should be informed about both sides of this argument to avoid getting blindsided by the outcome. Much like the debate about where the Singularity could be taking us (fear or not fear), our high tech world is going to change our society for good or ill ... and at an exponential rate.

Now is the time to become informed, involved, and share this information with everyone you can.

Can Google Glass Be Modified to Read Your Brain?

image source

Nicholas West

It's no mystery that tech behemoths Microsoft and Google have been developing gadgets for the augmented reality consumer space. Nevertheless, Google Glass has met some resistance over privacy concerns, even  reaching the halls of Congress.

If turning the average person into a roving snitch isn't bad enough, another concern was revealed recently: Google Glass can be hacked and modified for facial recognition capability. Stephen Balaban, founder of Lambda Labs stated his intentions to design an alternate operating system outside the control of Google:

By supplanting Glass' original operating system, Balaban has already managed to create a feature that can perform facial recognition using the forward-mounted camera. 

According to Balaban, Google did not react well when he announced his intention to modify their device to recognize human facial features. In response, the company changed the terms of service to ban the practice, though developers at Lambda Labs seemed undeterred. 

"Don't worry, we think it's a core feature. Google will allow it or be replaced with something that does," tweeted Lambda on June 1. (Source)

However, the latest modification could make facial recognition look like child's play; a compatible brainwave sensor that can evaluate mental state, opening yet another pathway toward a brain-computer interface.

DRONE Webseries, Ep. 4/4: The Experiment Concludes

Nicholas West

This four-part webseries posted to YouTube HERE, began in part 1 as humanoid robot soldiers begin to redefine the landscape of the battlefield in 2023 ... and one of them is on the run. In part 2, we caught a glimpse of the human programmer behind unit 237 and the commander who wonders how a robot can make the decision to run. Part 3 continued to explore the connection between the programmer and the robot that he has evidently worked to set free, which put him on a corrupt commander's kill list.

Now as the series concludes in part 4, the central issue moves from who gives the orders and who is responsible for programming prime directives, to the revenge unit 237 exacts upon the commander who gave the illegal orders.

The DR0NE webseries did not examine many of the wider ethical considerations previously suspected, but rather turned out to be a very well-made, slick sci-fi short. However, the topic of machine warfare, particularly autonomous drones, has been introduced in a popular way, which hopefully attracts new readers to this information.

To combat the centralized control over future tech, we need to educate ourselves about the positive functions of technology that threaten the global elite -- 3D printing, for example -- which offers the potential to tip the balance of power back into the hands of local communities. Naturally, as with the Internet, the establishment is cracking down to maintain control. We must become informed and active faster than ever before.

Read other articles by Nicholas West HERE

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Robo Raven: New 3D-Printed Drone Mimics Nature

Nicholas West

The march toward developing drones that mimic nature continues unabated. Robobee has received a lot of attention lately for taking flight as a possible replacement pollinator for the declining natural bee population, while also offering the dual-use swarm surveillance and weapons' capabilities sought after by the military.

The latest drone to come out of development utilizes 3D-printed components to produce a first of its kind: independently flapping wings. So effective is its mimicry, that product developers documented Robo Raven being attacked by a real hawk in the promo video below from Maryland Robotics Center:

It is the independently flapping wings enabled by 3D fabrication of its overall structure that offer this stunning level of drone evolution:

U.S. Government Invests in Robot Personal Trainers for Children

Nicholas West

The evolution of humanoid robots continues to quicken with greater strides being made toward applying artificial intelligence to create emotional robots.  

The commitment to reverse engineer the human brain coupled with the exponential increase in computing power is now forcing the discussion toward the social impact robotics is beginning to have as humans and robots begin interacting with greater frequency. 

Consequently, newer robots are being produced with the intention of manipulating emotional triggers that guide human-to-human interaction. It's all part of a move to make robots seem less creepy and more like real members of society. Researchers are taking multiple angles to establish these connections. The U.S. government is now getting involved with a $10 million investment into developing robots that can serve as personal trainers for children with the stated intention to "influence their behavior and eating habits." 

U.S. Navy Integrates Autonomous Drones With Manned Missions

image credit: Alex Millar/U.S. Navy

Nicholas West

"History" was made in mid-May of last year as Northrop Grumman's X-47B unmanned drone made its first launch at sea from the U.S.S. George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier. While the Navy says it wasn't intended for the immediate war environment, it was heralded by the commander of the Naval Air Forces, Vice Admiral David Buss, as a monumental achievement:

Today we saw a small, but significant pixel in the future picture of our Navy as we begin integration of unmanned systems into arguably the most complex warfighting environment that exists today: the flight deck of a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

This test was followed by the successful landing of the same aircraft upon a moving flight deck at sea to which it returned after being stationed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md. That event, as you will see below, is thought to have heralded the arrival of the autonomous drones of the future.

The Navy is now announcing the successful integration of autonomous drones alongside manned aircraft for ongoing regular carrier missions. 

An (Augmented) View of a Future in "Sight"

image source: extremetech

Nicholas West
Activist Post

Literature, TV, and movies have always had among them cautionary tales of science and technology gone wild; whether it is the technology itself that takes on intelligence, or through the nefarious deeds of covert elite forces using technology to enslave the rest of humanity.

Some researchers believe that the vast majority of these works have been a coordinated method of predictive programming that has been deliberately introduced to ensure that we are softened up for a reality that would at first seem inconceivable, but when later mirrored in the real world becomes easily accepted as the obvious evolution of an advanced society.

The following short sci-fi film is not making any great leaps when it demonstrates a future of augmented reality through the (contact) lens of a computer app-driven interface.

Will You Welcome and Love Your Robot Overlords?

Nicholas West

There is no question that robots are evolving at warp speed. As computer power grows exponentially, and political and military commitment to neuroscience is established, robots are taking on an increasingly humanoid form in both appearance and thought. Transhumanists like Ray Kurzweil have been very open discussing their plans for The Singularity - the moment when computer intelligence surpasses that of humans to such an extent that humans become practically redundant, perhaps as soon as 2045.

Robots are already having a massive economic impact on the planet, but now are poised to evolve to where they will begin to impact social interaction. This fact is embraced in the presentation below by Aaron Saenz from Singularity Hub given to the BAASICS conference one year ago as an "an ongoing effort to bridge the gap between science and the arts..." As Saenz highlights in his accompanying article, even his predictions from a year ago are now outdated. Keep this in mind as he dismisses with mockery and laughter any concern one might have about runaway technology. After all, the concept of having an overlord should be welcomed, no?

As a people then, the only real question remaining to us is the big question I presented at BAASICS: when the robots take over, what will they be like?

Another question might be: when the robots take over what will we be like?



Source article:
http://singularityhub.com/2013/07/16/welcoming-your-new-robot-overlords/

Related Activist Post Articles:
Top 10 Reasons We Should Fear The Singularity
Top 10 Reasons We Should NOT Fear The Singularity

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DRONE: Rise of the Autonomous Super Soldier

image source: Android World

Nicholas West

A dystopian science fiction plot has indeed entered our reality whereby machines have not only supplanted humans on the battlefield and in the workforce, but they can now work together and make decisions on their own.

Autonomous machine warfare is here. And similar to all military experimentation, the technology has a coincidental way of trickling down to be experienced by everyday citizens and consumers, such as augmented reality applications.

The foundation for drone bombings abroad is the very same that is ready to escalate across the Western world. Fleets of weaponized surveillance drones with the ability to communicate amongst themselves and wage war independently is part of a project called MUSIC. It integrates unmanned and manned aircraft in combat, and has been displayed as a showcase of aircraft interoperability.

These aircraft also possess the ability to exchange and use the information as needed, whether it is to conduct surveillance or reconnaissance of a given area. This interoperability creates a Universal Ground Control Station, or network of drones and their payloads. (Source)

This is what is open to the public now. Imagine 10 years from now. A new webseries called DR0NE postulates some of what we can expect.

New Military Lasers Could Heat Earth's Atmosphere And Create A Giant Surveillance Lens In The Sky

By Nicholas West

One thing that can safely be said about the military-industrial complex is that they are never short of ideas. Often outlandish and costly ideas, but they do offer up a continuous stream of mind-melting possibilities. Case in point: heating the Earth’s atmosphere with lasers to create a “giant magnifying glass” for enhanced surveillance.

One of the more recent military trends is the development (and imminent implementation) of lasers and electronic warfare. The concept has appeared in new proposals for drones and anti-drones that utilize the electromagnetic spectrum for “death ray” weapons like the Falcon Shield and the High Energy Laser system.

Now, scientists at BAE Systems, one of the largest defense contractors in the world, is looking to combine the use of lasers and advanced optics to literally manipulate the atmosphere into becoming both a surveillance device and a “deflector shield” to protect against the laser weapons of the future. The system is called Laser Developed Atmospheric Lens (LDAL).

This is the nature of military conflict and one of the prime reasons why the world seems to have new security threats each and every day. As new weapons are developed, nations respond … then new weapons need to be developed. It is one endless problem-reaction-solution loop that only serves to benefit those who are invested in each of the three components. At the very end, of course, are the citizens of the Earth who are left to absorb the fallout of pervasive surveillance and an ever expanding military presence in their lives.