The answer to Skynet? A democratically controlled supermind.

The plan to stop megacorps from owning superintelligence is already underway.

  • A.I. technology is often developed within the proprietary silos of big tech companies. What if there was an open, decentralized hub for A.I. developers to share their creations? Enter SingularityNET.
  • The many A.I.s in the network could compete with each other to provide services for users but they could also cooperate, giving way to an emergent-level mind: artificial general intelligence.
  • SingularityNET is powered by blockchain technology, meaning whatever 'digital organism' emerges will not be owned or controlled by any one person, company or government.
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IBM says to expect 5 big changes in the next 5 years

Food is about to change.

(Sergey Nivens/Shutterstock/Big Think)
  • IBM's 2019 5 in 5 predicts major changes on the horizon.
  • Food chain technology, from farmers' financing to desktop pathogen sensors, is about to explode.
  • IBM and others have big ideas about reducing famine and food-borne illness.
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Jordan Peterson accepts bitcoin after leaving Patreon

The Canadian professor takes issue with blocking free speech, but is he part of the problem?

CAMBRIDGE, CAMBRIDGESHIRE - NOVEMBER 02: Jordan Peterson addresses students at The Cambridge Union on November 02, 2018 in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire. (Photo by Chris Williamson/Getty Images)
  • Alongside Dave Rubin, Jordan Peterson left Patreon over "free speech" issues to launch their own platform.
  • In the interim, Peterson is accepting bitcoin, which might hint at the "extra features" their platform will include.
  • They point to anti-feminist Youtuber, Sargon of Akkad, as the impetus for leaving Patreon — ironic, considering how often Peterson points to identity politics as a problem.
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Through an encrypted digital ID, Estonians can access about 99% of public services online

The country's paperless system serves as a model to other nations.

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  • A new report from The Associated Press outlines Estonia's most recent advancements in its digital government.
  • Estonia allows its citizens to vote, obtains medical data and register business documents online.
  • Given security concerns and other complications, it remains unclear whether nations like the U.S. could implement similar systems.
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Why Facebook is developing a cryptocurrency for WhatsApp users

The social media company has long been expected to make a move into blockchain.

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  • Facebook is reportedly developing a stablecoin for WhatsApp users in India.
  • A stablecoin is a class of cryptocurrency that's pegged to a stable asset like fiat currency or gold.
  • India currently has more than 200 million WhatsApp users, and it sees more than $60 billion in global remittances every year.
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