Why is it worth exploring the AI hype on first principles level?

I realised after my last article that the topic of entropy is a tricky one and might sometimes even be unexplored and completely new to many if one has not actively engaged with the theme either academically, professionally or just-for-fun!

So, with this article I want to explore the topic of entropy, some basics and why it is relevant.

Especially, in the age of generative AI.

Also, exploring the AI hype on a first principles level is valuable for several reasons.

By understanding AI from its foundational concepts, we can gain deeper insights, make more informed decisions, and develop more robust and effective AI systems.

One first principles concept is - Entropy.

AI can reduce entropy in various contexts by identifying patterns, optimizing processes, improving decision-making, and automating tasks. While it doesn't change the fundamental laws of thermodynamics, AI can contribute to creating more efficient, orderly, and predictable systems in both information and organisational contexts.

But what exactly is entropy and why is it important.

Entropy and the Second Law of Thermodynamics

The concept of entropy originates from thermodynamics and is a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system. Entropy is not just a vague notion of “disorder”; it has a rigorous mathematical definition in statistical mechanics, where it is defined in terms of the number of microscopic configurations that correspond to a macroscopic state.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics posits that the entropy of an isolated system will tend to increase over time, reaching a maximum value at thermodynamic equilibrium.

This law is one of the cornerstones of physics and has been confirmed through countless experiments and applications. It has implications not just for simple systems like gases in a box but also for complex systems like living organisms and even cosmological phenomena like the evolution of stars and galaxies.

The Second Law essentially governs the “arrow of time,” providing a directionality to temporal evolution.

The increase in entropy can be thought of as a kind of “time-ordering” parameter. If you were to take a snapshot of a system at two different points in time and compare their entropies, the Second Law dictates that the system should statistically be more disordered in the later snapshot.

This gives you a way to distinguish between past and future, thus providing an “arrow” that points in the direction in which time flows.

Another way to look at the Second Law in the context of the arrow of time is through the lens of information theory.

In this view, the increase in entropy corresponds to an increase in the amount of missing information about the precise microstate of a system given its macrostate.

As time progresses and entropy increases, the amount of missing information also increases, which could be interpreted as the system “forgetting” its initial conditions. This is another sense in which time is given a direction — toward states of higher missing information.

Reversing Entropy and the Heat Death Scenario

The idea of reversing entropy is highly speculative and contradicts the Second Law of Thermodynamics as it is currently understood. In cosmology, the term “heat death” is often used to describe a state where the universe has reached maximum entropy, a state of complete thermodynamic equilibrium.

At this point, all matter would be evenly distributed, and there would be no room left for any work to be done, essentially turning the universe into a vast cosmic “wasteland.”

If such a state were reached, reversing it to create a “something” universe would require a mechanism to reduce entropy, effectively “concentrating” matter and energy in a way that increases order. Such an action would directly contradict the Second Law, and there is currently no known physical mechanism that would allow for this.

Well, at least not in classical physics!

Quantum Mechanics and Fluctuations

So, quantum mechanics become the obvious “suspect” to solving this problem — since there is so much in that field which still confuses the heck out of established scientific norms and knowledge ??

Quantum mechanics does introduce the possibility of random “quantum fluctuations,” tiny variations in the state of a system that occur even in a vacuum. These fluctuations are the basis for phenomena like Hawking radiation, where particle-antiparticle pairs spontaneously form near the event horizon of a black hole.

However, these fluctuations are probabilistic in nature and not a mechanism for systematically reducing entropy ??. Moreover, they occur on a scale that is irrelevant for reversing the entropy of an entire universe.

Sigh! I had such high hopes in quantum ??

So is there an invertible transformation out there that can solve this?

If by “invertible transformations” we are alluding to some set of physical operations or manipulations that could reverse the state of a system, then those transformations would need to be consistent with the current laws of physics as we understand them.

As of now, there is no known set of transformations that can reverse a state of maximum entropy on a cosmological scale. Even theoretical constructs like “Maxwell’s Demon”, which is imagined as a hypothetical entity capable of reducing the entropy of a system, have been shown to be inconsistent with the laws of thermodynamics when analyzed more deeply.

Also, while macroscopic processes governed by the Second Law are irreversible (you can’t unscramble an egg), the fundamental laws of physics at the microscopic level, such as Newton’s laws or the equations of quantum mechanics, are time-symmetric.

This means that if you reverse the direction of time in these equations, they still hold true. The arrow of time emerges as a statistical phenomenon when we consider large numbers of particles.

The irreversibility at the macroscopic level is a consequence of the overwhelming statistical likelihood that systems will evolve towards states of higher entropy.

So, based on current scientific understanding, there is no known mechanism or set of transformations that could reverse entropy and recreate a “something” universe from a state of “nothing” or maximum entropy.

So, one can say that the Second Law has cosmological implications for the “beginning” and “end” of the universe.

The Big Bang, characterised by an extremely low-entropy state, serves as the initial condition for the cosmic arrow of time. The universe then evolves towards a state of maximum entropy or “heat death”, where it reaches thermodynamic equilibrium and no more work can be done.

That is why all concepts that deal with the reduction or reversal of entropy are highly interesting!

My last article talked about how AI Large Language Models (LLMs) are tackling the topic of entropy.

While AI itself does not directly influence physical entropy, it can contribute to reducing systemic inefficiencies, which can have indirect effects on entropy.

How exciting!

More on that in future posts.

Follow me for exciting food for thought to bridge.the.NEXT( ) in this stone age of the new digital age ??

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*Disclaimer: Nothing in this article constitutes as financial advice. Always do your own research.