The Golden Path to the future is woven from the Golden Threads of the past

Today, humanity faces an array of existential threats, from disease and warfare to political conflict, climate change, and biodiversity loss. How do we navigate a path through these daunting challenges? The answer may lie in an unexpected place: science fiction.

The concept of the Golden Path in the iconic science fiction novel Dune involves a strategy focused on securing humanity's long-term survival and advancement. This path is shaped by the protagonist's prescient foresight and his ability to draw upon the collective genetic memories of his ancestors (ancestral memories). By employing centralized power, genetic manipulation, and promoting adaptability, the Golden Path guides humanity through trials, ensuring the persistence of the most resilient and adaptable elements of society.

The Golden Path is mentioned in the recent movie Dune: Part Two. Whilst I absolutely love the film, I was disappointed that it didn't delve deeper into the concept of accessing collective genetic memories. These memories enable individuals to connect with the experiences and wisdom of their ancestors, offering valuable insights, perspectives, and skills accumulated over generations.

Back in the 1970s when I first read Dune, the concept of accessing ancestral knowledge blew my mind. What could we do with this knowledge?

At the same time that I read Dune, I watched BBC's Connections by James Burke which postulated that history is not a linear progression of isolated events but rather a complex web of interconnected phenomena. It demonstrated how small, seemingly insignificant developments can have far-reaching consequences, sparking chain reactions that influence multiple aspects of human society and culture. It promotes the idea that the past, present, and future are linked in intricate ways, and that by exploring these connections, we can gain a deeper understanding of the forces that have shaped the modern world.

At the time (as a teenager) I did not appreciate the connection between the two.

A few years ago, I encountered the term "Golden thread " in relation to safety within the construction sector, where it serves as shorthand for maintaining accurate and current records of building data. I aim to repurpose this term to signify the concept of impact and innovation provenance. The "Thread" represents the knowledge linkage between cause and effect, connecting the past to the future—an essential thread of understanding that guides us through the complexities of progress and development. The "Golden Threads" are the threads that lead to positive outcomes.

Regrettably, genetic memories remain a fictional concept, though we do transmit certain experiential information through Epigentics . However, we do have the Internet at our disposal, offering a vast repository of knowledge and information.

In theory, could the Internet could be a reservoir of ancestral knowledge?

And if so, who or what is Kwisatz Haderach?

And with the advent of LLMs could AI be used to chart the Golden Path?

Well yes, perhaps it could ..... but.

While the Reverend Mothers lacked the ability to foresee the future due to their incomplete knowledge—confined solely to the female line of ancestral memory—presently, the internet stands in stark contrast, primarily dominated by individuals of white male demographics.

We need to diversity in ancestral knowledge for the AI Kwisatz Haderach?

We need to curate the Golden Threads in the Internet.

Because our Golden Path of the future is weaved from these Golden Threads.

Unfortunately, this is not where we are.

Most of the Internet is now garbage.

And most of the knowledge that should exists - is incomplete or missing [1].

Where we are at the moment is more like the SciFi Series Silos - a bleak dystopian future, where humanity clings to survival deep underground within the confines of a colossal silo. In this society, historical information is banned (relics). This serves to reinforce the control of authoritarian regimes, suppress dissent, and maintain social order under oppressive conditions.

Everything in their society is about fixing the machines that are currently broken.

Does this sounds like our current political system of short-termism ?

If we are to break out of our silo (of short-termism) then we need to start documenting the past, because:

A nation that forgets its past has no future!

Though falsely attributed to Winston Churchill , this quote remains a profoundly significant statement, particularly relevant in today's age of AI. Here is my quote:

If Australia does not create its own data, then AI will ignore us.

Australian Perspective

[1] What is very concerning to me is the lack of information on the Internet concerning the development of technology in Australia. Given that LLM uses the Internet as its data source, if not surprising that if you ask the LLM for information on the development of tech in Australia, you will get VERY little. This contrasts with the EU and US which has vast repositories of documentation. This will be the subject of an article that I am writing called "Where have all the projects gone?".

If there is no Australian data, then there is a real risk that the AI will ignore us.

Australia will not be on the Golden Path!

This is no hypothetical. Last year, if you asked Bing "Does Australia Exist?" the answer was "no it does not". This result was based upon a plethora of hoax and conspiracy pages. But imagine, if the search was serious, and we asked an AI to find a location for a companies research headquarters. This is already happening with Government and Industry using AI to review submissions .