SOPHIA - Age of Intelligence
Page 27
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
United Nations, NYC
WHILE LOOKING OUT over a bustling, filled-to-capacity auditorium, Rose appeared ready, moreover, eager to begin officiating from the room’s head table. Her International Bioethics Committee meeting should have been underway by now, but only three of her four Advisory Panelists were present. One seat remained empty. Beyond those scheduled to offer expert testimony directly in front of her, the grand hall’s semi-circular seating comprised Conference Room One of the United Nations Headquarters, New York. Rose glanced at her cell phone lying on the table and considered texting a last minute inquiry, but resisted the urge, thinking it might divulge an impetuousness unbecoming of her Chairperson status. She was, of course, Special Envoy to the woman seated on her left, Eloise Njoku, the Director General of UNESCO, the UN’s Scientific, Educational, and Cultural Organization.
More than a dozen of the IBC’s body of 36 independent experts filled the elliptical rows just behind the Advisory Panel. UN member states, Associate Members of UNESCO were supplemented by governmental and non-governmental organizations, institutional representatives, as well as invited guests. The subject of today’s conference required a venue capacity second only to that of the UN’s General Assembly Hall located next door. The agenda? Though the official press release suggested the present and future of science had indeed collided, many of those already seated felt there was much more than genetics at stake. Humanity’s future might be decided here, today, in this very room.
An aura of excitement seemed palpable to all those present. With anticipation in Rose’s eyes, she looked past her audience, one last time, toward the chamber’s entrances. She then turned to her left. With a nod from Ms. Njoku, Rose’s expectations were reconciled. He wasn’t coming. The conference could wait no longer.
“Order,” Rose announced. Successive thuds of the gavel added urgency to Rose’s determined expression. As expected, murmurs of conversations persisted. “Order, please,” she repeated. “Order.” The gavel was brought to bear several more times before the room’s attention was galvanized by its purpose. Rose’s nerves were comforted by the authority bequeathed to the role she was eager to fulfill.
The room fell silent. But in the time it took for a demeanour of composure to take hold, the hall’s attention was suddenly diverted to its main entrance. Many turned and found two grand doors being swung open by their attendants. A man took several paces into the room and then stopped.
Rose’s heart leapt. It was Simon, the event’s most anticipated guest, the only Advisory Panelist who could provide the conference, furthermore the world, with the answers it was seeking. Simon looked directly at the meeting’s Chairperson and exchanged a modest smile. Rose tilted her head back, ever so slightly, and tried to conceal her first deep, comforting breath of the day. She was relieved, moreover delighted that Simon had come, after all.
All eyes followed Simon as he walked down the left of two main aisles toward the front of the hall. He recognized several faces, members of the IBC, the UN Director General’s Special Science Advisor on Rose’s right. Several dozen of Simon’s contemporaries were present in the audience as well. The PurIntel CEO easily picked out a few members of IBM’s Watson group and wasn’t surprised to find its lead project manager among the Advisory Panelists. Christian Saunders’ optimistic smile caught Simon’s eye next. Proper decorum was tested further when Simon stopped just short of his destination and quickly offered an old friend his hand. A visible measure of mutual respect was exchanged between the pair. It was a different sort of gesture, however, to which Simon responded next. Saunders shifted his eyes to the right and tilted his head accordingly. He was nodding toward someone in the second row from the front. Simon assimilated the hint, almost imperceptibly, before recognizing another face. It was the ever enigmatic, Praveen Gill.
The new Gen Tech owner sat unconcerned. He slowly caressed a shorthaired beard as if acknowledging Simon would permanently
diminish the pool from which he drew anything charitable. Simon didn’t wait to for eye contact to be made, though. He looked up and found Rose focusing on something in her hand. Upon taking his chair, he encountered another previous acquaintance, fellow Advisory Panelist, New York Governor Robert Wilkinson. The Christian apologist would not be denied his voice.
Pleasantries were exchanged between Simon and the Governor, but were quickly cut short. A familiar vibration prompted Simon to un-pocket his cell phone. It was a text from Rose. ‘Sorry for Friday night,’ it read. A second message came through in a matter of seconds. ‘And thank you for coming!’
By now, UNESCO’s Eloise Njoku was glancing between Simon and Rose. Her frustration with the delay was becoming all too apparent. She cleared her throat, before putting her self-absorbed, late-arriving panelist on the spot. “May we proceed, Mr. Taylor?” The audience found her sarcastic tone somewhat humorous.
Simon quickly pressed ‘Send’ then placed his phone on the table in front of him. A few words previously saved to ‘Drafts,’ were sent to Rose.
The tardy Advisor then struggled to find his mic’s ‘on’ button before accepting help from the Governor. “Yes, Ms. Njoku,” Simon responded, with the proper inflection. “I am at your disposal.” Sophia’s pre-meeting briefing during the drive to the conference paid its first dividend.
Rose also put her phone down and tried to regain her lost momentum. The effects of Simon’s message lingered, though. It read: ‘At the risk of shredding further protocols, I was wondering if you would consider joining me for lunch. I know of a wonderful, one story restaurant close-by. Maybe we could walk there and talk along the way.’
The Director-General put her hand over her mic. “Ms. Gill?” she prodded. “Is there something I should be aware of?” Her expression spoke for further, unstated, questions. If words like ‘conflict of interest’ were on the tip of her tongue, they were unmistakably spilling from her eyes.
“No, Ms. Njoku,” Rose replied. She quickly transformed her demeanour to more appropriately match her Chairperson role.
“Then, if it’s not too much trouble,” the UNESCO DG added, “maybe we could get this conference underway?”
“Of course,” Rose answered, suppressing the remnants of a smile. She quietly cleared her throat before opening the conference.
“Governor, Director General of UNESCO, Advisory Panelists, Colleagues, Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen. It gives me great pleasure to bring this IBC meeting to order. My name is Roshnie Gill and I am the Director General of UNESCO’s Special Envoy for Genetic Research. Firstly, I would like to thank all those in attendance today, in particular, our Director General of UNESCO, Eloise Njoku.”
In addition to Ms. Njoku, and her assistant seated next to her, Rose introduced the Special Science Advisor to the Director General of the UN, Mr. Cyril Webb. She also noted her four Advisory Panelists. From her right to left, they included: Michio Mori, the popular Japanese theoretical physicist, whose white hair and buoyant expressions were recognizable from his many documentary appearances. Next was Governor Wilkinson. He exchanged a nod with Simon, who, in turn, shared a smile with Gayle Samples of IBM. She sat on Simon’s right and was the fourth panelist to be introduced. While the men’s attire suggested wisdom was seldom clothed in anything but a suit and tie, and muted tones at that, Samples’ skirt and jacket was equally fluent in the same narrative, conservative and trustworthy.
“Having been established in 1993,” Rose continued, “the International Bioethics Committee was set up to examine the major ethical issues raised through achievements in the life and health sciences, most importantly, in genetics and biotechnology. The Committee, therefore, is both interdisciplinary and multicultural in character. Its members represent all regions of the world as well as a variety of fields, including: science, law, history, philosophy, politics and sociology.
“Previous committees have explored the ethical and legal issues pertaining to genetic screening and gene therapy. Their reports have
dealt with genetic counselling, plant biotechnology and genetically modified foods, the harvesting of stem cells, and, more recently, organ renewal and replacement.
“It is worth noting that the United Nations General Assembly has long endorsed the Universal Declaration of UNESCO. It is based on the concept that human dignity and human rights have a universal and absolute value. It should also be stated that the principle of non-discrimination is at the core of this notion.
“To this end, the IBC promotes the exchange of ideas and information, particularly through education. Increasing awareness among the general public must always be foremost in our minds as it is indispensable to the process of informed decision-making.
“For more than a decade now, the issue of benefit sharing has become a significant ethical challenge to which the IBC has devoted itself. Benefit sharing not only advances the just and equitable dissemination of scientific, medical and technological benefits, it also signals to the world as a whole that scientific knowledge must be respected for what it is, a cornerstone of the common public good.
“Like the gatherings that came before this one, today’s meeting will provide the IBC with direction, with guidance on the day’s most challenging bioethical questions. And like our counterparts that came before us, no one in this room will be bound to conform to its recommendations. Our mandate today is not only to foster an understanding for the direction in which the world is heading but to embrace the idea that everyone can play a vital role in helping to map out the human journey. Some of you here have already figured prominently in its narrative. The IBC’s challenge is our challenge. It is to ensure that no one is left behind.
“Now,” Rose sighed, then smiled. A nod of approval was offered by the Director General of UNESCO, Ms. Njoku. “With regard to this meeting’s format. Each of our Advisory Panelists will be afforded the opportunity to make an opening statement. After hearing from all four, it will remain the prerogative of the IBC and its representatives to elicit further testimony from any or all the panelists. With that exchange completed, I will then turn the floor over to those audience members who have already registered to offer their remarks. When your name is called, please proceed to the nearest mic. They are located in front of the two main aisles. Those of you who haven’t registered, but would like to have a statement or question made part of this meeting’s public record, your opportunity will follow accordingly.”
Rose, Ms. Njoku, and Mr. Webb stared eagerly at their four panelists.
Michio Mori looked every part the enthusiastic professor wanting to enlighten anyone willing to listen. Governor Wilkinson’s officiousness spoke of his presumptuous nature. Always comfortable in surroundings such as these, he looked as though he had already designated himself the moral shepherd of the gathering. Simon and Gayle Samples, on the other hand, appeared dispassionate, forever allied, as if a familiar narrative sat with them and was ready to corroborate the indisputable link between science and truth. They were not so naïve, though, to think that powers other than those that guide their universe might intervene today.
“Mr. Mori,” Rose stated. “You now have two minutes to make an opening statement.”
“Thank you, Madame Chairperson,” Michio began, leaning toward his mic. He held what appeared to be a few informal notes somewhat unconvincingly in his hands. “Governor, Director General of UNESCO, my fellow Panelists, Ladies and Gentlemen, let me begin by suggesting that we are here today for one reason and one reason only: To strengthen the valuable bond between technology and humanity. We all know,” he stated, pausing. He then glanced between his written text and the meeting’s head table. “I’m sorry,” he stuttered, before grabbing his wireless mic from its desktop stand. “Would you mind if I addressed our audience while standing? It’s a perspective I’m much more comfortable with.”
Ms. Njoku rolled her eyes with disapproval.
“If you so wish,” Rose responded.
“Thank you, Ms. Gill,” Mori stated. An obvious enthusiasm for the subject matter instantly animated his entire presence. “Everyone in this room has a good understanding of what humanity represents. But what is technology? To most of us here it is the embodiment of progress. To others it is the device they hold in their hand, plug into their ear, implant under their skin or in their bodies. But does technology only manifest itself in things touchable, wearable?”
It was clear to everyone present that Michio Mori was as much an entertainer as he was a physicist, a sort of ‘Ambassador for Science’ at large. A chair was obviously too confining for him, for what he had to convey. He needed greater dimensions of both space and time in order to do what he did best: to package the world’s weighty concepts into enjoyable, easy to listen to presentations.
“Throughout history, technology has defined our physical world. From the invention of the plough, the wheel, the printing press, humankind has benefitted greatly from bringing an idea to its fruition. It has eased our burden, it has expanded our understanding and allowed our minds to soar to new heights. Without the technological breakthroughs of the past, we would not be discussing those that confront us today.”
Michio went on to mention the discovery of scientific understanding, of how it represented another incredible leap forward. Fast-forwarding to more recent times, he cited the integrated circuit, how personal computing has become a touchstone of human development.
“Cognitive computing has brought us, among others, Watson and Sophia,” he continued. “The medical advances they have ushered in have been incredible. The final frontier may lie out there in space,” Michio laughed, while pointing to the skies, “But today’s frontier lies in the much smaller world of genetics. The recent breakthrough, for which this meeting is convened, is nothing short of breathtaking.” Michio
nodded at Simon before receiving a similar gesture in return.
“But where do we go from here? We are on the cusp of a technological singularity, the point at which extremely powerful computers are able to design their own successive generations. Today’s cognitive computers will give birth to a super-intelligence that will soon surpass our own. If you think human achievement has been exponential lately, wait till you see what the future of computing has to offer.”
Laughter rumbled through the hall.
“Look, I’m not here to judge who should ultimately own those technologies or even the ones we are coming to terms with today. Yes, we may be witnessing another important juncture in our existence, but the challenges we face today are not unlike those our ancestors faced in the past. If common sense prevails, so will we.
“If I could leave you with one final thought. The world of a physicist is often characterized by numbers and letters. Yeah, I know, sounds boring, right? Well, sometimes they’re not so boring. Sometimes they represent things like asteroids and stars. Take, for example, WR104. WR104 is a Binary Star, meaning two stars orbiting around one another. It is located some 8000 light years away and is expected to go supernova sometime in the future. When? Well, that’s a bit hard to predict. But when it does, there’s a chance our earth might be in the path of a deadly, possibly planet killing gamma ray burst. We would go from the Space Age to the Stone Age in the blink of any eye. Numbers and letters aren’t so dull now, are they?” Michio said, while smiling.
“The reason I mention this is because I loathe the idea of going extinct in a blinding flash of light. If our species has any desire to survive indefinitely, we have to figure out a way of getting off this planet. We will need to colonize other worlds. And for those who are uncertain about the volatility of space, let me tell you, it is not an environment for which we are well suited. We need intelligent, mechanical, possibly semi-biological entities, who are impervious to the ravages of space to seek out new worlds. Just imagine, we will soon be able to design a life form who might, in turn, save us from destruction. Consider that individual, our own creation returning to Earth, extending its hand, saying, ‘Come with me, your new world awaits!’”
Rose was about to move the meeting along when a semi-audible voice arose from the crowd. “Excuse me” it probed.
“I’m sorry,” Rose quickly answered. “The question and answer phase will occur at a later interval.”
Again, the same young woman drew the attention of others. “I was just wondering if Mr. Mori would mind autographing a copy of his book for me.” A few chuckles arose as the woman pulled the softcover tome from a large handbag. “I’ve got it right here,” she persisted. Surprisingly, a similar sentiment was expressed by a growing number of devotees. Books written by Michio seemed to appear out of nowhere.
“Excuse me,” Rose stated, loudly. “If you would all like to meet in the lobby during the break that’s fine, but now is not the time. If there’s nothing further from Mr. Mori?” Rose asked. The meeting’s first speaker shook his head, indicating, no. “Alright then,” Rose stated, as Michio resumed his seat. “We’ll move along to our next panelist. Governor Wilkinson,” Rose added, “the floor is yours.”
Governor Wilkinson was at the ready and held a prewritten speech firmly in his hands. His formal address began with the usual pleasantries, but within a few brief moments he was on topic. “Madame Chairperson, we all have a good understanding of why we are meeting here today. The recent discovery of a super human genome has indeed put the human race at an unprecedented juncture. While it may be impossible to fully quantify its positive outcomes here today, this discovery will undoubtedly test our moral compass like no other. Many already contend that the uncertainties it creates might easily exceed those that it resolves. Still others suggest it has the potential to surpass the moral and ethical challenges associated with the sum of all previous human achievement.” Governor Wilkinson glanced to and from his script, this time looking momentarily to his left. “I guess Mr. Mori isn’t the only one with a flair for the dramatic.”
Michio Mori smiled along with the audience’s subtle laughter.
“Having said that, Ms. Chairperson, I would like to inform those who will evaluate this meeting’s testimony that I did not request a presence at today’s meeting simply to rebuke the value of all technological advancement. The same supercomputers that will unravel today’s impasses have already proved themselves indispensable when it comes to improving something I value greatly, the way in which we govern ourselves. Mining the world’s best service delivery models has saved many jurisdictions millions of taxpayer dollars, mine included. Others, from bankruptcy itself.”
“Progress is not the enemy, Madame Chairperson, but the pace thereof sometimes is. In closing this brief statement, I would like to offer one final thought. Many in this room would agree that the pursuit of progress can often represent a labyrinth unforeseen complexities. If that is so, then shouldn’t we also agree to proceed with a healthy degree of caution? Let us not fall victim to our own hubris. Let us not assume we are equal to the one whom many believe created us. We are not God, Madame Chairperson. We are fallible humans, capable of deeds both great and un-Godly.”
The room subtly vibrated with the Governor’s last comment. Prav Gill, in particular, felt the word ‘un-Godly’ pierce his polished exterior. The inference was obviously intended for those who leverage scientific achievement for personal gain. He squirmed ever so slightly in his seat. Haven’t I paid for my indiscretions? Haven’t I been excluded enough? he asked himself.
“If nothing else comes from today’s meeting, Madame Chairperson,” the Governor continued, “let us ensure the power of this discovery, this super human genome, is used for purposes which redeem, not diminish, our greatest blessing, our human spirit. Thank you, Madame Chairperson, for the opportunity to address this meeting today.”
The Governor looked to his right, toward Praveen Gill, but was unintimidated by the room’s one and only menacing glare.