What is consciousness but a string of thoughts, emotions and feelings. A computer can name the thoughts, and connect them in a link of connected dots, like a particular human brain. But it cannot feel, touch or smell.
Yes, it can name the feelings like – awful, painful, awesome or delicious. But it cannot really feel. Not as of now, at least.
In the very near future, it will be possible to download everything a human brain has thought about a particular subject through his or her writings, speech, comments, likes, shares, photo albums and posts on social media and devise an AI avatar of him or her.
The Alexa of a MK Gandhi thus would be able to talk about things such as slavery, racism, religion or God, but never will be able to express the emotions, the man felt about the same. Also machine learning would turn useless on current topics such as what if a Gandhi Alexa is questioned about his thoughts on Facebook addiction.
However, these AI avatars will be the closest we will be able to experience the great minds in our homes and living rooms. They would be the best possible AI inventions for our kids. Download the Gandhi app for an Alexa or Google Home and your AI bot would become Gandhi for the day. Or Abraham Lincoln on another. And an Albert Einstein on the third.
Want to teach your kids a thing or two about cricket or golf? Download the Sachin Tendulkar avatar or a Tiger Woods one, and learn about what challenges they faced and motivation to play that sport. The AI avatar toys could be the best way for our Instagram friendly kids to learn in the classrooms or living rooms of the future.
The AI avatars, would also form a source of revenue for the celebrities and authors, who would like to generate royalties from each download of their AI avatar app, or a hardware piece, they sell. These could contain their own voice, visuals and even live feed once a month.
Feeling sad? A virtual Britney Spears could sense that on your face and sing you a peppy song! Or in the mood for some inspiration, download an Andrew Carnegie lecture series and tell the Alexa to talk about money, wealth or relationships.
The flip-side? With everyone in it to make money, from the celeb, the software or hardware company to the distribution agency, the real person behind the great mind, you wish to keep in your living room, would never come to light. The failings, the pain, the mistakes the person made would be hidden, to make the products more sale-able.
Only the good thoughts, that are sale-able would be presented, making the celeb lose his or her human side in the annals of history.
(Feedback: authored@startupanz.com)
