Opus 2026-087: Bell Curve Utopia

 he emergence of AI seems to promise a lot.  Picture technology, moving forward to the point where no one needs to mine iron ore anymore, it’s all done by intelligent machines.  You no longer need to do your laundry, or mow your lawn.  It’s all done by intelligent machines.  Everyone is able to live in comfort and plenty.  There are no shortages.  There is also no need for most human beings.

When you think of a world demonstrated by such science fiction as Star Trek, you have these beautiful advanced starships with carpet in perfect condition, uniform cuffs that are never frayed, food appears miraculously out of a slot on the wall.  Nowhere is there a sweaty cook tasting the broth.  It’s all done by machines.

So all you really need in this ideal utopia are the elites.  All you want are those who are of superior intelligence and ability.  There is really no place for anyone else.  The problem this presents is that it seems that humanity is produced from the womb in a bell shaped distribution of intelligence and ability.  The only way you can produce just an elite is to eliminate all those who are below a certain IQ level.  I use IQ as a familiar term not because it would be the actual measure used.

Of course this would require some more advanced technology, overseen, maybe by AI.  You would probably have intelligent machines choosing who would live and who would not.   You could do this by abortion, the pre-birth level, elimination by murder shortly after birth,  regular testing schedules, where everyone who failed to measure up was done away with, or some really sophisticated genetic engineering.

When it comes to the bell curve of humanity, I am relatively sure that in most areas I am above mediocre.  I am far from being the top of the pile.  I am not really excellent in anything, but I am better than the average bear.  In spite of that I’m afraid that I would not be high enough on the scale to qualify to walk down the halls of the Starship Enterprise.  They don’t need people who are just good enough or slightly better than average.  All they have room for is the cream at the top.

It is a scary scenario and one that some people would love to see.  Of course the rioting fools of socialism all see themselves in the captain’s chair.  At best they will be red shirts.

homo unius libri