Navigating Frontier Technologies: A Deep Dive into 'Unsupervised' and the Future of Blockchain

I recently read Unsupervised: Navigating and Influencing a World Controlled by Powerful New Technologies?by Daniel Doll-Steinberg and Stuart Leaf. A good read on how ‘frontier technologies’ are integrating with each other and the resulting impact on society.

(https://www.amazon.com/Unsupervised-Navigating-Influencing-Controlled-Technologies/dp/1394209908)

The frontier tech discussion includes artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, blockchain, decentralization, virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), as well as the phenomenon of permanent connectivity.?

Doll-Steinberg is no ‘doomer’ but he notes the concentration of power among a few individuals/entities and the lack of proper supervision of these technologies, which will have seriously disruptive impact and pose risks of unintended and irreversible consequences.

The immense costs of developing these technologies will put pressure on companies to show a return on investment and could lead to undue risks being taken in a bid to gain a competitive edge over rivals.

These new technologies are increasingly accessible by individuals, which could lead to exciting breakthroughs in any number of fields. But the potential for the ill-advised use of these powerful tools requires new thinking on oversight. ?

While I enjoyed the book and agree with many of the points it makes regarding the need for regulation, I disagree with the authors’ position that blockchain and tokenization are more transient technologies than AI, quantum computing, AR/VR etc.

For one thing, the immutability of information recorded on the blockchain is the perfect antidote to the vulnerability of centralized data storage. It ensures a permanent, incorruptible record that no bad actor can alter for illicit purposes.

Enterprise blockchain is a foundational technology, providing the essential structure for secure, reliable and transparent micropayments, eliminating the need for intermediaries while preserving trust and integrity.

Enterprise blockchain is also enabling technology, allowing the execution of micropayments at scale, ensuring the viability of applications that require small, frequent transactions—everything from small peer-to-peer payments to microtransactions in digital content.

(https://www.globalbankingandfinance.com/aerospike-powers-bsv-blockchains-teranode-to-achieve-100-billion-transactions-per-day/)

Enterprise blockchain is also teaming up with AI and IPv6 to provide the foundations of Metanet, the cost-effective micropayment system that will restore the internet’s original design as a true peer-to-peer network.

(https://ayre.group/news/articles-by-calvin/metanet-the-better-more-inclusive-and-dynamic-internet/)

Doll-Steinberg believes education is key to ensuring that authorities are in a position to craft tough but fair regulations, while individuals will need to keep abreast of where frontier technologies will have the greatest impact and plan accordingly.

But as the book’s thoughts on blockchain indicate, education is also needed to ensure everyone understands that the not all blockchains are created equal, and that the impact of unboundedly scalable enterprise blockchain technology is here to stay.