Tantalus or Daedalus?

In the last blog post, “We are at day Four of the Eighth Day,” I wrote of the threat that could be posed to the human race by the new race of Artificially Intelligent machines that we are building.  Just like in my book, The Eighth Day, the Artificial Intelligence entity, in a last ditch attempt to save its sentient life because we have figured out it wants to eradicate humankind, offered up a host of technological miracles to temporarily seduce us.

Imagine for a minute that you are one hundred years in the future.  As one of the few survivors of the global uprising of the machines, you are looking back to see how this whole enslavement and eradication of the human race happened. You find an old iMac. On it is the last Goggle page searched by some blogger, (me), as he was writing an article. This is what you would see in the search results for Artificial Intelligence.

• Search Results: 14 found.
• Artificial intelligence
• Ordered by descending date.
• Clicking on ^ opens the link in a new window.

Pages: 1    ALL

Race to embrace Artificial Intelligence… ^

January 04, 2015 22:12:36 GMT

Century-Long Study Will Examine Effects of Artificial Intelligence… ^

From the December 15, 2014 22:52:46 GMT

Stephen Hawking: ‘Artificial intelligence could spell end of human race’… ^

From the December 02, 2014 18:19:51 GMT

Artificial Intelligence Outperforms Average High School Senior… ^

From the November 04, 2014 12:49:24 GMT

IBM artificial intelligence to get broad access to TWITTER data… ^

From the October 29, 2014 20:57:48 GMT

Elon Musk: ‘With artificial intelligence we are summoning the demon’… ^

From the October 24, 2014 19:16:52 GMT

ELON MUSK: Artificial Intelligence Could Wipe Out Humanity… ^

From the October 10, 2014 01:09:00 GMT

ELON MUSK: Artificial Intelligence Could Wipe Out Humanty… ^

From the October 09, 2014 15:58:02 GMT

IBM plans artificial intelligence push… ^

From the October 07, 2014 22:44:14 GMT

Hawking: Artificial intelligence could be ‘real danger’ in near future… ^

From the June 16, 2014 17:44:26 GMT

Computer becomes first to pass Turing Test in artificial intelligence milestone… Academics warn of dangerous future… ^

From the June 08, 2014 16:12:40 GMT

FACEBOOK Joins NYU in Artificial Intelligence Lab… ^

From the December 09, 2013 21:48:50 GMT

Disease database will use artificial intelligence to find new cancer treatments… ^

From the November 13, 2013 00:14:49 GMT

‘Artificial intelligence to transform web’… ^

From the December 29, 2010 14:39:00 GMT

If you actually took the time to read the above what you saw was the Tantalus propositions mixed in with the dire warnings.  This is always the way humans fall prey to something. Seeing only the benefit without weighing the potential risks. After all, who cares if a few smart guys cry wolf over A.I.? How can we possibly let their “chicken little rantings” stand in the way of Artificial Intelligence finding new cancer treatments!

Just like in my book, The Eighth Day, the Artificial Intelligence entity in a last ditch attempt to save its sentient life offered up a host of technological miracles. Quantum leap advancements that only it’s artificially intelligent born brain, unfettered, by human limitations, emotions and compassion could achieve.  Tantalizing gifts like curing cancer, unending food supplies, eternal life and interplanetary travel.

Moral: The devil always comes to you with candy!

 

My Virtual Tour’s Final Stop

Have you spotted the last stop of my Virtual Tour?  I wrapped up the summer by sitting down with Omnimystery and discussing the conclusion to the “Wild” Bill Hiccock Thrillogy.

A Conversation with Thriller Writer Tom Avitabile

We are delighted to welcome back novelist Tom Avitabile to Omnimystery News, courtesy of The Story Plant, which is coordinating his current book tour. We encourage you to visit all of the participating host sites; you can find his schedule here.Last month we featured an excerpt from Tom’s third thriller to feature presidential science advisor William “Wild Bill” Hiccock,The God Particle (The Story Plant; June 2014 trade paperback and ebook formats). Today we’re sitting down with him to talk a little more about the book and the series.
Click here for the full Q&A

Pearl Harbor – Coming to a Backyard Near You

The name of this blog is “It’s Only Fiction ‘Til it Happens.” Elsewhere, in other posts, I’ve explained how that (U.S. Patent Office Registered) line, my tagline, came to be. Today’s another example. The headline reads, “Leon Panetta Warns of Cyber Pearl Harbor – ‘The Capability to Paralyze This Country is There Now’” Well, Mr. Panetta, it was actually there awhile ago, when I wrote The Eighth Day. That’s why a top government official said, “Frighteningly realistic. Homeland security had better read this one!”

I’m patting myself, and other authors who delve into the threat matrix as a plot point, on our collective backs. This headline proclaiming that the Secretary of Defense is finally catching on is actually “news speak” for, “We’re about to get hit, and hit really hard, in a way that will affect all of us.” The headline is misleading, in that Pearl Harbor is not the proper analogy, because Pearl Harbor was essentially a military attack on our navy. What the next cyber attack will do is take out everybody’s internet. Take out everybody’s bankbook. Take out everybody’s electric power. Take out everybody’s ability to function in our newly defined digital world. And that is a million times bigger than Pearl Harbor.

2 NetGalley reviews of Hammer of God

Definitely a Page Turner of Major Proportions!

Bill Hiccock is a man of science that works for the President of the United States. He created a network of scientists that bounce information off each other anonymously over the Internet, gleaning answers through virtual brainstorming. Information from his group starts him down the road to intercept a group of terrorists that have links to the neighborhood of his youth and childhood friends. The Islamic Jihadists put together a plot filled with twists to prevent detection, leading Hiccock and his team across the world.

The book is filled with military and scientific terminology giving the information a tensely realistic feeling. The plot races from action to action, leaving the reader breathless. The author paints such realistic pictures that the reader rides on the belief that the descriptions of Washington, defense, and the battle against terror are entirely accurate. Best thriller I have read in a long time. I missed the first in this series, but I will definitely go find it ASAP. I would recommend this for anyone who enjoys tense, military, political thrillers.

Richard Rachey added:

This was one of the best books I have every read. It was one of those books that you do not want to put down. It was very well written, exciting, realistic and believable. The characters were very well setup and their lives and feeling brought out. It was very easy to put yourself in their places as the story progressed. The plot was great, the the author should receive KUDO’s for a great novel. I would love to read the rest of his books in the series.

Hammer hits the stores THIS WEEK!

On Tuesday, April 10, 2012, Hammer of God was released. SEE 2 VIDEOS BELOW: Hammer’s exciting Book Trailer, plus hear the author read an excerpt as the words scroll across your screen. Then, grab your copy today:

BUY TODAY:   

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The Eighth Day book trailer