TOTW 13 - The Flywheel of Continuous Accelerated Progress

As we pause to survey the evolving landscape of technology, a fascinating pattern emerges. It's akin to a perpetually spinning flywheel, where disparate technological elements coalesce, propelling humanity to new heights. Allow me to elucidate.

Rewind about three decades to my thesis days: "Optimising Neural Networks Using Genetic Algorithms." The potential complexity of neural networks we could train back then was laughably limited. I vividly recall an assistant at university, in a near state of panic, pleading with me to run my simulations (a.k.a. training sessions) at ungodly hours. Why? The computational demands rendered the Unix systems about as responsive as a sloth on a lazy Sunday. Fast forward to today, and it's the exponential leaps in hardware capabilities that have breathed life into the complex neural nets of our time. Hence, hardware progress is fuelling neural net advancements.

These sophisticated neural networks are now turbocharging scientific research, outpacing human capabilities and speed by light-years. Take GNoME (Graph Networks for Materials Exploration), for example. This brainy system unearthed 2.2 million new crystals, with 380K stable materials – a feat equating to roughly 800 years of human knowledge! The scale of this acceleration is staggering. The ICSD database's 20K experimentally identified, computationally stable crystals have now ballooned to an astonishing 421K, thanks to GNoME. In essence, AI systems are the nitro boosters to our scientific research rocket.

And what about the fruits of this labor? Some of these newfound materials could revolutionize hardware development. Imagine chips etched at the 2nm process, or materials with superconducting properties, ushering in the era of mainstream quantum computing. The possibilities are tantalizing and endless. Hence, new materials discovered are set to revolutionize hardware development.

So there you have it, the loop is closed. A glimpse into how AI could be the linchpin in our current technological epoch, possibly the catalyst for an accelerated progress unlike any we've witnessed in recent decades. It's a scenario where AI not only complements but accelerates our evolutionary journey.

But here's the rub: all this progress could be for naught if we, as humans, succumb to folly – be it territorial squabbles in Ukraine or using AI for nefarious purposes in conflict zones. Let's hope our collective wisdom prevails, steering this "Flywheel of Continuous Accelerated Progress" towards a future that's not just technologically advanced, but also peaceful and exhilarating.