Calculating the Beast

“A thing long expected takes the form of the unexpected when at last it comes.” ~Mark Twain

Across the world teams of scientists, mathematicians, and computer programmers have spent decades trying to create human intelligence in a machine. There’s just one problem: It’s not going to happen the way we expect.

In fact, true A.I., if we can call it that, will not emerge from an isolated research laboratory at the hands of a few scientists, but out of society itself; from the collective decision-making network we call the market.

The key to understanding how and why this monumental event will take place lies in an overview of complexity theory.

Complexity

In his book Currency Wars, Jim Rickards outlines four main principles underlying complex systems:

1. They run on exponentially greater amounts of energy as they increase in size
2. They are prone to catastrophic collapse
3. They are not controlled from the top-down but evolve naturally from local interactions
4. They have emergent properties, i.e. the “whole is greater than the sum of its parts”

 Rickards summarizes the first two points, currently on most people's minds, by saying,

“highly complex systems such as civilizations require exponentially greater amounts of energy inputs to grow, while [Joseph] Tainter shows how those civilizations come to produce negative outputs in exchange for the inputs and eventually collapse. Money serves as an input-output measure applicable to a Chaisson model because it is a form of stored energy. Capital and currency markets are powerful complex systems nested within the larger Tainter model of civilization. As society becomes more complex, it requires exponentially greater amounts of money for support. At some point productivity and taxation can no longer sustain society, and elites attempt to cheat the input process with credit, leverage, debasement and other forms of psuedomoney that facilitate rent seeking over production. These methods work for a brief period before the illusion of debt fueled psuedogrowth is overtaken by the reality of lost wealth amid growing income inequality.”

Once we reach this critical state, complex systems typically undergo some sort of change to their organizational structure. Rickards outlines three possible changes: simplification, collapse, or conquest. We can all agree that simplification through various measures is necessary but not likely to happen voluntarily. This leads us back to the dreadful collapse and then, perhaps, eventual conquest. Knowing which of these outcomes is most likely to occur is largely dependent upon the third principle: How does society adapt in response to crisis?

We might be tempted at this point to think that this means the response by governments and central banks, but according to complexity theory, complex systems are primarily driven by the bottom-up and not from the top-down. Does that mean governments and banks have no influence over the economy? No. They just can’t control its ultimate direction without expending huge amounts of energy and worsening the eventual adjustment.

How does this relate to the topic of the Emergent Market? In terms of our modern financial system, the dominating influence of algorithmic trading is now a major concern for regulators. The question we have to ask is, can this trend be reversed? If it is true that complex systems cannot be controlled from the top-down (due to their highly adaptive and unpredictable nature), we should expect financial technology to continue to evolve and produce further strange market behavior. For most, this means another flash crash or other disruptions, yet that is only one aspect that fails to recognize a much larger pattern taking place. That pattern, of course, is one of the most mysterious properties of complex systems called emergence.

So what is emerging from the market, you ask? To answer this question, I want to first revisit what I said at the very beginning of this article about scientists not being able to create human intelligence in a machine.

Given what we know about complex systems and their emergent properties, this should now be obvious. Human consciousness and intelligence are emergent properties of highly complex systems that cannot be designed in a single machine, but only emerge through numerous local interactions in a system reflecting the complex structure and collective behavior of humanity itself. Is that the market? I believe so.

Here's what it all boils down to: We have built a financial system using technology that is beyond human control. According to complexity theory, this problem will either lead, eventually, to catastrophic collapse or the emergence of a fully-automated self-regulating intelligence.

All in all, consciousness does not lie in a single neuron and neither should we expect to see it in a single machine. How many machines does it take then? Unfortunately, the problem with emergence is that you can't simply calculate when a large group of algorithms, animals, or a crowd of people will herd into a single mass. It just happens. That's the nature of the beast.

Will High Frequency Trading Lead to Self-Aware A.I.?

Finance is no longer a field dominated by MBA's. Hacked decades ago by computer scientists, theoretical physicists, and mathematicians specializing in string theory, the market now resembles something more along the lines of a gargantuan cybernetic experiment.

If you think that sounds a little too crazy you simply haven't been paying attention.

Algorithms are quickly proliferating throughout the global financial system—buying and selling at speeds faster than humans can perceive, think, or react. What's more? By machines—high frequency trading (HFT) algorithms to be exact—quickly adapting to their environment and, most importantly, to other machines, which are in turn adapting to them, they are accumulating a basic level of self-awareness through a positive feedback loop. Given the exponential rate of technological advancement—often cited as Moore's Law—there's a strong chance we'll see the watermark of this self-awareness rise to the point where it is indistinguishable from human.

If you do not buy this line of thought, then consider the following: A machine designed to play chess does not merely play without any regard to its competition. On the other hand, every move is a continuous re-evaluation of the opposite player's position, strategy, and particular style. As the game goes on, the machine begins to learn its opponent's tricks and personality, not-to-mention, of course, how they respond to its every move—learning both how to react to its environment and how its environment reacts to it. This is basic self-awareness. Eventually, the machine gets quicker and smarter until human grandmasters of chess, i.e. Gary Kasparov, no longer stand a chance.

Perhaps though, it will not be a single machine or algorithm that gains "true" self-awareness, but machines collectively. As HFT "algos" spread throughout the electronic neural network of our global financial system, the positive feedback loop created by rapid adaptations to their collective influence may just converge into a complex self-organizing intelligence. Sound far-fetched? In all honesty, this is the closest description of how consciousness, self-awareness, or human intelligence emerges from the trillions of interconnected neurons within a brain. Ironically, if such a thing were to occur, it appears the most likely place would not be in some scientific laboratory but, instead, within the same industry that "makes the world go 'round"—that is, the world of money, finance, and banking.

Without a doubt, machines are beginning to reflect more and more an image of what it means to be human. As Norbert Wiener, the founder of cybernetics at MIT, wrote in God and Golem, Inc., "Man makes man in his own image. This seems to be the echo or the prototype of the act of creation, by which God is supposed to have made man in His image. Can something similar occur in...nonliving systems that we call machines?" His definitive answer: "Yes".

It should be pointed out that the subtitle accompanying his farewell to the world, written a year before his death, is appropriately titled, A Comment on Certain Points where Cybernetics Impinges on Religion. Yes, that's right, religion. As a well recognized genius and scientific expert felt it necessary to warn the world of not only the physical dangers of technology to which he was well accustomed, but also the philosophical and religious, I take my cues from such a great and highly awarded individual by presenting to you an extension of his reasoning as follows:

Step 1: God creates man in His own image

Step 2: Man becomes self-aware

Step 3: Man rebels against God

Step 4: Man creates machine in his own image

Step 5: Machine becomes self-aware

Step 6: Machine rebels against man

Just a little food for thought.

Common Objections on the A.I. Antichrist Connection

Without a doubt, the bible warns of a fairly dystopian view of the future--one in which people are ruthlessly killed for not subjugating themselves to an all-powerful entity referred to as "the Beast." After a decade of thinking, writing, and talking to other Christians about the possibility that this represents the future emergence of non-biological super-intelligence, or strong A.I., I have come across a fairly predictable set of objections that I would like to answer below.

A.I. is simply science-fiction

Norbert Weiner, the founder of cybernetics at MIT, wrote in 1963 that the prospect of machines beating humans at chess would be a "catastrophe". In 1997, the reigning world champion, Gary Kasparov, lost to IBM's Deep Blue. After then, human language was commonly cited as the ultimate barrier to machines achieving human-level intelligence. In 2011, IBM's Watson beat two of the world champions at Jeopardy being able to skillfully navigate the complex metaphors, puns, and subtleties of our complex speech using its brain-like neural networking architecture. Today, carefully programmed genetic algorithms process literal libraries of information throughout the web and financial markets, trading instantly without any human intervention in what has now become a multi billion dollar high frequency trading (HFT) industry. What's more? We are no longer in control. Financial regulatory bodies have little capability of slowing them down or knowing how to control this new technology. Machines learning, adapting, and making their own decisions was once considered sci-fi. Today, it is reality.

Machines will never become self-aware

Consider a machine playing chess. Every move made is a continuous re-evaluation of the opposing player's position, strategy, and particular style. As the game goes on, the machine begins to learn the opponent's tricks and personality, not to mention of course, how the opponent responds to the machines own moves. Thus, a successful chess playing machine must learn how to react to its environment and also how its environment reacts to it. This is a basic form of self-awareness. When machines are collectively learning and adapting to one another, like in the financial system, this sets up a positive feedback loop where self-awareness could easily reach a level equivalent to an animal or human being.

The beast in Revelation is said to be a man, not a machine

This objection is largely based on a commonly inferred translation of Revelation 13:18 where it says, "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666." Unfortunately, the original Greek is not this specific, which is why it is sometimes translated as, "Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is a human number, and its number is 666." Specifically, the word translated as "man" is anthropos, which can be either singular or plural, i.e. humanity. Secondly, the word for "his" is neither gender- nor human-specific. It can mean "he", "she", "it", etc. Thus, whenever the word "he" or "him" is used, keep in mind that this is largely a choice by the interpreter given what they feel is warranted by the context. Given the ambiguity here, most translations default to "man", singular. However, in this case, I think we also need to use some simple logic since it is also said that the entire world will bow down and ask, "Who is like the beast, and who can make war with it?" Surely, this is more than just a mere human. Actually, the book of Daniel (ch.7) provides a very interesting description of the beast by saying that it will be made of metal and unlike anything that has arisen on the earth before it: "Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one so different from the others and so terrifying. It had devoured and crushed its victims with iron teeth and bronze claws, trampling their remains beneath its feet." Interestingly enough, each beast named before this last, representing different kingdoms or military powers that have already come and gone, are all described in terms of living animals--only the last one is referenced in terms of metal.

This interpretation isn't spiritual enough

I think there are two reasons for this objection. One is that many Christians divorce the bible, especially the book of Revelation, from the current world in which we live. We don't know exactly what the world will look like in the future, but we can make a pretty good guess that technology will still exist and, more than likely, be much more advanced than it is today. Furthermore, there have been many military powers that have tried to conquer the entire world in the past and have always failed to do so due to logistical limitations of human resources, supplies, management of large armies, etc. Today, however, this is more possible than ever with nuclear weapons, drones, global surveillance, and other large advancements in high-tech weaponry and automated control systems. The second reason that many Christians seem to have difficulty in connecting with this interpretation is because of a misconception on the part of A.I. as being something purely non-spiritual. My answer to this is, yes, A.I. will not possess a spirit like you and I. Also, it will probably not even be capable of sensing or knowing God since it will be made in man's image and not God's. However, given that it will also be superintelligent and extremely powerful--let's say virtually divine--it will probably also see itself as the true fulfillment of man's search for a divine being. Of course, it is said that this entity will even demand worship.

666 and Artificial Intelligence

Here is wisdom. Let the person who has understanding count the number of the beast, because it is a human number. The beast's number is 666.

~Revelation 13:18

These three lines out of Revelation have confounded countless individuals for almost 2000 years. All sorts of techniques have been used to try and link certain powerful or evil men to this number. Some say it refers to Nero, some say the Pope. Others say that it refers to a future world leader. Whatever the case, the assumed method for identifying the beast of Revelation has almost always been the same. That is, by translating a person's name into Greek or Hebrew and using the numerical values associated with each letter (see gematria), it will either naturally (or through some degree of manipulation) yield 666. The problem with this approach, of course, is that you are starting with your answer--someone's particular name or title--and forcing the result, often with a great deal of doctoring. As the saying goes, "Torture the data long enough, and it will confess to anything." A quick search on the internet and you'll find countless individuals "proven" to be the Antichrist and/or Beast using subjective rearrangements of letters and numbers in this style. Unfortunately, many such connections have primarily served as a tool for merely sharpening pet-doctrines against their religious enemies rather than an honest pursuit of actual meaning or interpretation.

So, in an attempt to show how 666 is symbolic of AI, we will take an entirely different approach. One that I believe is more scientifically sound--by looking at 666 from a mathematical standpoint. Whereas the previous gematria-based approach is more akin to numerology, we will look at 666 more along the lines of number theory or, to be more specific, graph theory and universal networks. Before I go any further, however, I'd like to first draw our attention back to the verse again. Notice in the translation I used it says that the number of the beast is a "human" number, not just the number of a single person, as it is often chosen in other translations. This is important because the exact meaning of the Greek word used in this verse for man, anthropos, can refer to either case. That is, a single person or humanity in general. Rather than force it to mean one or the other (as many Western-trained theologians and translators commonly do), let's allow for the dual meaning instead. Thus, the Beast/Antichrist personage should be seen as both a singular yet plural entity. (Note: this also reflects the idea of God as expressed through the Trinity.) Keeping this in mind will aid in understanding the unique relationship that exists between the Beast and what is referred to as its Image, which many popularly refer to as the Antichrist. (For a minor discussion on the use of the title "Antichrist" in the bible, please consult my previous post, Clarification on the word "Antichrist".) With that said, I will now commence in showing the symbolic relationship that exists between 666 and AI.

If you've ever studied triangular numbers, more than likely you've noticed that 666 happens to be one. (Actually, 6, 66, and 666 all happen to be triangular numbers. A feature unique solely the number 6 and none other. That is, there is no number x, other than 6, where x, xx, and xxx are all triangular numbers.)

Known since people first learned how to count, they gained this title because if you represent them as dots they naturally stack to form a perfectly symmetrical triangle. For example,

Not every number has this property. In fact, the formula for calculating triangular numbers is n(n-1)/2. As an example, plug in 1 and you'll get 0. Plug in 2 and you get 1. Plug in 3 and you get 3. Plug in 4 and you get 6. Plug in 5 and you get 10. As you can see, 1, 3, 6, and 10 are the first four triangles shown above. Keep doing this and you'll just simply get larger and larger triangular numbers. Another way of representing a triangular n is by counting from 1 to n and summing the numbers as you go along. For example,

I merely point out this second method of derivation since, of course, Revelation instructs the reader to count, i.e. "let him who has understanding count the number of the beast...", which, as you can see, is exactly what we did above. Also, it should be noted that the use of a counting sum from which triangular numbers arise was actually a well-established methodology by Hebrew practitioners of gematria. Referred to as Mispar Kidmi, or triangular value, its use for the discovery of hidden meanings was quite common. Taking these two in conjunction, that 1) triangular numbers fit the Bible's instruction to count and 2) that the calculation of triangular number was a well-known method for discovering hidden meanings, hopefully it will seem a bit less arbitrary the direction we are heading. (Note: Most citations of gematria or alphanumeric systems focus on the equivalence of certain alphabetic systems, specifically Hebrew and Greek, to a numerical value, i.e., A = 1, B = 2, and so on, however Hebrew-based gematria actually consists of a much wider range of mathematical application, like Mispar Kidmi, not limited to the basic interchange of letters and numbers.)

I continue--after a relatively boring role for a few thousand years, triangular numbers were suddenly resurrected from the ash heap of mathematical history with the newly emerging study and technology of networks. Specifically, universal networks. That is, triangular numbers represent the largest number of connections that can exist between any number of points, people, computers, etc. For example, with 2 points the maximum number of connections is 1; with 3 points, the maximum is 3; with 4 points, the max is 6; five points, 10, and so on. Here we have the very famous (and symbolic) universal network consisting of 5 points:

(You may be thinking that it is possible to draw more lines in the above graph and form more connections, however, although true, triangular numbers define the maximum number of connections in a network without redundancies. That is, they define a critical threshold of connectivity while minimizing losses to efficiency.)

Now, with regards to universal networks, the more points or people you add, the larger and more complex your network becomes. Say, if you wanted to calculate how many connections exist in a large social network 0f 100 friends, it would be nearly impossible to count every connection one by one! Of course, there is a formula that allows you to figure this out very quickly and, as you probably guessed, it is the formula for triangular numbers. That is, for n people, n(n-1)/2 describes the maximum number of connections. Notice the number of edges listed below above each corresponding graph, i.e. 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, etc.

As you can see, even with just 12 points, the network formed by 66 edges is quite complex. Imagine now the staggering amount of complexity and connectivity that exists across the entire world wide web! (Note: In the Bible, the number 6 is often symbolic of humanity and human wisdom. One of the main examples is that Adam and Eve, i.e. humans, were created on the 6th day. Also, Solomon--epitomizing human wisdom and knowledge--is curiously surrounded by things occurring in 6's, including 666 itself--see 1 Kings 10:14. I merely point this out since the world wide web is a culmination of nearly all human wisdom and knowledge and, oddly enough, in Hebrew the letter w is numerically equivalent to 6. Meaning, 6-6-6 can be represented as w-w-w. A very weird coincidence indeed.)

Given the latest internet world statistics, 2 billion people--that is, 30% of the world's population--are currently connected to the internet. What might this look like? Well, not too long ago, researchers in Israel were able to provide a glimpse of the internet's backbone:

Now, the above image doesn't take into account all connections, just the largest ones. However, in terms of our discussion, let's imagine that just 5% of the 2 billion currently connected formed a universal network--how many connections would exist then? Well, since 5% of 2 billion is 100 million, that comes out to 5 quadrillion connections! Five times the number of connections as the human brain--the most complex network in the known universe...currently. Along these lines, I present another map of the internet, except this time according to its natural, organic, structure. Not surprisingly, it looks very similar to the neural structure of our own brains. Is this coincidental? Of course not.

If one can accept the fact that intelligence is an emergent property of the highly complex and interconnected nature of our brains, then why not an "artificial" intelligence resulting from the same properties of the internet? Also, if the exponential rate of global connectivity continues, then, as we calculated above, there is little reason to doubt that it will one day surpass the complexity of the human brain itself. Of course, people have pondered this line of thinking for quite some time now (since the 50s to be exact) and, because of such, have likened the internet to a continually evolving "Global Brain". That it will eventually become self-aware and rule over humanity is, of course, what I believe Revelation is trying to tell us.

How shall we conceive of 666 then? Let's look at the verse again from the beginning: "Here is wisdom. Let the person who has understanding count the number of the beast, because it is a human number. The beast's number is 666." I believe this very cryptic verse is suddenly quite clear. As pointed out, 666 is a unique triangular number dealing with networks. Also, the verse points out that it is a "human number", also to be translated as "the number of humanity". Lastly, this combination of elements identifies the beast. After taking into account the information that has been discussed so far, I believe we can say that 666 defines a critical threshold of human connectivity across the web from which higher-order cognition will arise. Of course, by higher-order cognition I mean A.I.--what I believe the bible prophesies as "the beast". A massive super-intelligent and malicious power arising from humanity unlike anything we've ever seen before.

"Who is like the beast, and who can fight a war against it?" Rev 13:4.

"Then I desired to know the exact meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all those before it [as in, human governments], exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed and trampled down the remainder with its feet." Daniel 7:19

Quantum Computing, RSA, and AI

Our modern system of finance, banking, e-commerce, and social networking is entirely based upon the assumption that when you transfer information from one place to the next it can't get stolen or intercepted.

So far, this assumption has held true for a very good reason: RSA encryption. Without it, not much of what we do online today would be possible. I won't go into details of how it works other than to say one of its main ingredients relies on the fact that it takes current computers an extremely long time to factorize large numbers, specifically two large prime numbers multiplied together. BUT, the million dollar question is, what happens when a computer (or a large network of computers) is finally developed having the ability to crack all the encrypted credit card and social security numbers, not to mention classified government information, either held or accessible through the web.

Such a scenario is theoretically possible given the creation of a "quantum computer". That is, a computer that processes information on the atomic or subatomic level at such mind-numbing speeds that its very existence would not only be cause for reinventing how personal data is held and transferred (enter the chip) but also opens the door for another possible threat: an intelligence far superior to our own.

Many believe there is a parallel evolution of quantum computing and AI. Some may say that their simultaneous emergence will result in what is referred to as the "technological singularity", the point at which computers become more intelligent than humans and then exponentially more so. Of course, judging by the nature of my blog, you would be safe to infer that I believe not only such a scenario will actually occur, but that God has in fact already warned us that this will happen. Man's constant attempt to replace God with an object of his own creation will finally be realized. As Robert Jastrow, the famous scientist and astronomer, wrote, "the computer will minister to our social and economic needs. Child of man's brain rather than his loins, it will become his salvation in a world of crushing complexity."

Such a supercomputer, or rather superintelligent network, will not only be considered our only hope for salvation and order in a world spinning out of control but, according to the book of Revelation, will also demand complete allegiance and unification...or death. How fast this transition from human to machine government will occur is not entirely clear but, we do know one thing, it'll involve a great deal of bloodshed, especially from those who aren't willing to be a part of it.

Rise of the Machines?

This is an outline of world events as they appear in Revelation with respect to the very possible rule and reign of AI

1) A Beast emerges from the sea (Rev 13:1): "sea" meaning a large multitude of people not sharing a common identity. AI has an international presence, quite possibly through the internet gaining gradual or spontaneous self-awareness. Overtime, it gains widespread authority over the earth, subjugating humanity and killing dissidents.
2) A Beast emerges from the earth (Rev 13:11): AI evolves into a more organizational form, attempts to maintain a governing presence over mankind.
3) The Beast incarnates android(s) (Rev 13:14): Has "inhabitants of the earth" create an image of what it wants its leader to look like, beast then incarnates human replica or "image" and dictates human affairs via global mandate of machine implants or chips for tracking purposes.

I will try to make this more specific as time goes on but this is a skeleton of events as they appear in sequential order within Revelation 13.

Clarification on the word "Antichrist"

In the book of Revelation the word "antichrist" is never used of the person or system identified by the number 666. It is used specifically in 1 and 2 John as anyone who denies both God and Jesus Christ. However, it is commonly understood that the person and ruling power (a.k.a. beast) emerging in the future will be the epitome or embodiment of this very atheistic belief system. Interestingly enough, the successful emergence of AI will be the final proof to most scientists (and in the mind of AI itself) that philosophical materialism is absolutely true. That is, that the universe can be entirely explained without the existence of God or spiritual causes since intelligence itself can be created through a machine. Convinced of this very idea, and being a direct result of it, AI will have no place for God nor look favorably upon those who cling to such old-fashioned and "destructive" beliefs.