Next World

The man was very centered.  He was clam and thoughtful and smiled when he spoke.  His ideas appeared well thought out and he was dressed for the occasion.  A nice business suit is definitely appropriate for an appearance on 60 Minutes, still among the most watched television programs.
The man is an expert.  After a few niceties, he uttered a profound thought.  "It's probably the most important invention since electricity," he said.
The man is a successful Chinese businessman.  He is not both enamored by and involved solely with his expertise: A I...Artificial Intelligence.

The TV interview was punctuated with images of video screens that reduced people walking down busy city streets to numbers and black and white descriptions of their clothing.
The man said, "it's coming whether we like it or not," in many ways.  He was convincing.
The man explained that we do not want to think for machines, rather we want to teach them to think for themselves.
The man is from a country with 5 billion people.  Each one has a face that can be used as an individual identity.  The computers can quickly measure the size and shape of an individual nose the exact distance between the eyes.  The man made it sound like this precision is something that is so precise that the computers are to be trusted.  He also mentioned that data is now his countries most valuable resource.
The man's name is Kai-Fu-Lee and he is known as "the oracle of AI."
Before his interview was concluded, Mr. Lee left us with a comforting thought.  He agreed that computers will never be able to think like humans.  He conceded the argument that they will ever have the internal and emotional workings of people.  BREATHE...
Fortunately, people of my age bracket will not have to worry too much about this world that is sure to come.  Mr. Lee thinks much of the major changes...those that will engulf about 40% of the jobs now available to humans, are between 30-50 years away.
My first impulse is Resist!  But then I won't be around to feel many of the upcoming consequences.  Still, my perspective becomes even more valuable because of that.  I may even be able to see the value of my life , as it was and continues to be, through a new lens.
The man scares me, but his smile is so pleasant.  A Zen koan?