Should the World Be Run By a Giant Computer?

Should the World Be Run by a Giant Computer?

Photo Credit: Wikipedia
Photo Credit: Wikipedia

“Every problem is a technical problem.”

Do you think that’s true? Is every problem a technical problem that has a technical solution?

I don’t think so. In fact, the biggest problems in life, while they all have a technical dimension, really hinge on preference. War and Peace? Usually about who gets to live in the same spot of land and control its resources. Can a giant computer decide that? How? By flipping a coin? How much should I spend on painting my house? Can a giant computer determine that? How about what color I should paint it?

This is not a problem a computer can solve, without heavy reliance on a random number generator. Or a program that presets the preference according to the values of the programmer. Heads I win. Tails you lose.

All those things that most of us wouldn’t let a giant computer decide are also the things that should not be a matter open for the public to vote on. Why? Because they are not a technical problem with a single technical solution. They are a matter of personal preference. There is no right answer. There is only the answer that seems right to each of the participants.

Who should own a piece of land? How is that decided? How much do you want it? How much does someone else? Whether the field of battle is a real war or an economic bid, there is no right answer. There is only how much each side is willing to sacrifice in order to gain control.

What color should I paint my house? Should a giant computer decide that? No. Should everyone on the planet be given a vote on what color my house should be? No. It should be up to me alone.

If I hire my neighbor to paint my house the color I want, how much should I pay him? Should a giant computer decide? No. Should everybody on the planet get a vote, including my neighbor and me? No. I get to decide how much I am willing to pay. My neighbor gets to decide if it’s enough for him. If it’s not enough for him, he won’t paint the house.

When I lend money to a neighbor, who should decide what interest I can charge? A giant computer? No. Everybody on the planet, including my neighbor and me? No. I should get to decide what interest I want. My neighbor should decide if he’s willing to pay that kind of interest. And nobody else gets a vote!

A Simulated Conversation with a Zeitgeist Supporter

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Who should decide?

Do you think the world should be run by a giant computer?

  • No.
  • Yes, if I get to program it!
  • Yes, if a Liberal Majority gets to program it.
  • Yes, if a Conservative Majority gets to program it.
  • Not unless it’s a Mac.
  • Not unless it’s a PC.
  • Not unless it is programmed to be Politically Correct.
  • Other.

Please answer this poll in the comments section.

While the number of people who currently believe that the world should be run by a giant computer is fairly small, the number of people who believe that every problem is a technical problem is much higher. Most discussions of issues like communitarianism versus individualism, or the price of oil, or who should wear a seatbelt, or which breed of dogs people should be allowed to own, or how fast anyone should drive a car down a lonely stretch of road at night, revolve around the notion that there is a “right” answer, if only we could all agree. But the fact is, these are NOT technical problems with technical solutions. It’s a matter of preference!

(c) 2009 Aya Katz

About Aya Katz

Aya Katz is the administrator of Pubwages. When she is not busy administering, she sometimes also writes posts like a regular user.
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