Artificial Intelligence is the new wave of 5G, 6G networks and thus, our future. New phones, communication networks and technology are continuously evolving. It is almost impossible to keep up; a new phone is a relic by the time you take it out of the package.
Technological Advancement
Technological advancement has sped up at an incredible rate since the inception of the internet. The biggest innovation in telecommunications has been the smart phone. Smart phones have changed our world. Since the unveiling, there have been consistent upgrades, competition for better displays, speeds and features however with each iteration, there has been little novel enhancements. Slightly faster, retinal display and photo storage upgrades are consistent areas of improvement.
Our Future
We will live in a new world in ten years. Artificial Intelligence, or machine learning, is going to be integrated into smart phones through a 5G and 6G network. Our future will include machines not as tools, but as colleagues. This may sound like science fiction however it is already in production. Our future is called the Automation Era.
Currently a large majority of the population has a cell phone and if it is connected to the internet, it likely uses the 3G or the 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) wireless network. These types of networks require large, high-powered cell towers to radiate signals over long distances. There is a new network called 5G that is already being researched and developed in the US, Japan, South Korea and China. I will begin by explaining how 5G differs from 4G.
What is 5G?
The 5G network will greatly increase speed and responsiveness as well as enable much more data to be transferred over wireless systems. Maybe you can send a large video or many photos. Perhaps you’ll be able to stream HD movies seamlessly or send them. The newly released 5G network will transmit wireless signals using a large number of small cell stations in places like light poles and building rooftops. Instead of cell phone towers, small cells will transmit information at an extremely high frequency. High frequencies mean higher radiation, which is absorbed through the human skin. Many are concerned about health risks when it comes to the 5G network innovations.
5G will require at least 800,000 new cell antenna sites. These will be in much closer proximity to homes than cell towers. Many of these cells will be in the form of satellites. A team of 250 scientists and physicians signed a 5G Appeal that calls for a halt of the roll out of 5G due to serious health concerns. 5G will increase exposure (substantially) to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) which have been proven to be harmful for humans. They are urging governments to fund research needed to adapt biologically in order to ensure health and safety while using a network at these new frequency levels.
Artificial Intelligence is 6G
In looking at now vs the future, 5G is already in production and soon to be released. AT&T released a 5GE network however that is simply a different version of 4G. It is not truly utilizing 5G technology because the infrastructure is not in place yet. Assuming 5G technology is on the way, the next phase of our world is artificial intelligence through a 6G network. All things connected; human and machine. It is called the Internet of Things or IofT.
In the United States, the Department of Defense has a unit called DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). They are focused on advancing neuroscience, defense innovations and military operations. Qualcomm is an industry group that’s been formed to support DARPA with access to rapid prototypes and manufacturing of neuro-engineering components. Qualcomm’s group chief technology officer believes that 1G is for your voice and ears. 3G through 5G are data for your eyes; a visual service. 6G will go beyond the head mounted displays and introduce the world to direct neural interface.
The 6G Neural Connection
A direct connection between your brain and your phone. We are talking about low power brain implants hooked up to ultra-high speed 6G data networks. That’s not all. Give your brain a moment to tell itself it is not being implanted with anything. Yet.
The hype around 5G technology is in ‘edge-computing’ that will push more intelligence toward devices. The possibilities for smart cities, smart factories and autonomous vehicles (self-driven) are all being researched. These are possibilities with 5G and we haven’t even explored the world with a 6G network.
If This Then That
As an example of smart technology, I use an app on my iPhone called IFTTT; If This Then That. It allows me to connect anything on the internet with anything else on the internet. I have programs for when my lights go on and off, when my home heats up or cools off and geo-fencing. I programmed Siri to set certain light scenes in response to weather patterns, commands or other parameters. My most nerdy program is one whereby my living room and kitchen lights flash multiple times when the International Space Station goes over my house. It’s a hit when I host a dinner party. I’m popular af because of it.
6G and the Internet of Things
Automation of our world through direct neural interface is what 6G technology is attempting to do. Machines will be capable of incredible automation. It will penetrate deeper into society than anything we’ve seen so far. Let’s return to the concept of Internet of Things for a discussion on how 6G technology could impact our world. The IofT is a vision of connecting all machines, appliances, objects, devices, humans, insects and our brains. It’s much deeper than my example of IFTTT. IofT will use artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality; robots, microchipped humans and augmented humans.
What is an Augmented Human?
An Augmented human being is an individual with some form of technology implanted or integrated into their biology to enhance human characteristics and capabilities. Before we all panic about this concept, let’s remember that an equal amount of fear and resistance came with previous technologies similar to this.
Eyeglasses, for example, were invented centuries ago and groups opposed them because they believed them to be heresy. We also have versions of ‘augmented humans’ right now; pace makers. A pace maker uses electrical pulses to regulate the heart rate of someone who suffers from a cardiac condition or irregularity. These innovations don’t seem as invasive as a brain implant. If one looks at it from the perspective of what we have now then augmented human beings are walking around our entire planet. And they are no less human for having utilized medical innovations such a pace maker.
Humans and Machines as Colleagues
Virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality have been merged and titled XR. It encompasses wearable displays of alternate versions of reality. Currently this is a one way connection. The internet does not interact with us; we watch that which we choose to watch online. The future is a bit different because the network will be interacting with us as much as we are with it. With these new autonomous systems, people can effect change in their virtual world. The mind will be like a mouse on your computer. Conceptualizing this reality includes self-driving vehicles via artificial intelligence sensing, telemedicine, advanced 3D simulations and holographic radio. Holographic radio frequencies allow control of the entire physical space.
When 5G becomes more prominent, it will have an impact however nothing close to what the 6G network research is looking at. The predicted release of this technology is over the next ten years. By 2030, you may not drive anymore. You will use quantum computing. Artificial intelligence will be embedded in society on so many levels that it will barely be noticeable that it didn’t exist before. The Internet of Things means everyone and everything is connected. Instantly. Human and machine.
AI Next
DARPA announced a multi-year investment of more than $2 billion in new and existing programs called the AI Next campaign. The research and development into human-machine symbiosis sets a goal to partner with machines. DARPA is focusing its investments on a third wave of AI that brings forth machines that understand and reason. Marcus Weldon of Nokia Bell Labs, says that 6G will be a “sixth sense experience for humans and machines” where biology meets AI.
In early 2018, the University of Oulu in Finland announced funding for their 6G Flagship Program to research materials, antennas, software, satellites and more than would be required to launch 6G technology. The group has made significant advances in predicting the possible usage of 6G. A summit was recently held in Levi, Finland where a group of researchers published the first official paper on 6G technology. The next summit is already open for registration. Here is an event summary. Perhaps you’d like to take a vacation to Finland next March?
6G Flagship is a downloadable PDF from the summit. This document was released in September 2019 and is the most recent technological update on 6G innovations. It discusses how 6G technology is expected to seamlessly integrate with our senses and motor control. Finland is one of the front runners in research of 6G technology and integration. The purpose of the summit was to ask the most basic questions required before releasing anything of this magnitude; What is it and why does the world need it?
Health concerns
The primary health concern about wireless networks is radiation. A network uses a certain frequency. Our body has a certain frequency. Even the Earth itself has a frequency, known as the Schumann Resonance. Cellular networks could act as tuning forks because our bodies are constantly responding to shifts in frequencies and conditions. Prior cellular generations have expanded the use of the radio spectrum from microwave frequencies up to millimeter wave frequencies which is what 5G will utilize. They are very high frequencies that can move data extremely quickly. If we introduce a 6G network, it will require submillimeter wave frequencies. They are the last of the seemingly safe frequencies that can be used for communications before hitting x-ray, gamma ray and cosmic ray wavelengths (which carry considerable radiation).
Advancement or Threat?
Ultimately we’re moving into a world in which no one knows exactly what the impact will be on humanity, society and biology. Genes, bytes and neurons are integrated into systems that can handle both biological senses and machine learning. Although we are years away from a global release of the 6G network, the 5G network is just around the corner. What does this mean for us as human beings? Artificial intelligence is both an unbelievable advancement and a significant threat.
Do we need connection through each and every living cell, device, machine, object, insect and animal on planet Earth?
I don’t know. What do you think?
“Concern for man himself and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors…in order that the creations of our minds shall be a blessing and not a curse to mankind.” – Albert Einstein, California Institute of Technology, February 16, 1931
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