Virtual Identity/Artificial Intelligence

Analysis of your virtual identity and is your intelligence artificial?

Before I can describe my own virtual identity, a description of what this topic includes is necessary. The topic of identity is created due to a person striving for positive self concept.  The best way to describe this image can be done with the use of Dobson’s idea that identity is the global understanding that someone has of themself. This effort can include things such as trying to maintain and/or balance their self esteem. In our generation, this image can be sculpted with the use of many social tools, including Facebook. These tools are used to create a social image that could not have been perceived in past generations. This is possible because of the ability available for a person to actually portray themselves, what they do, and what they care about with the use of social technology platforms. Additionally, today we also have the ability to virtually identify ourselves with

Avatars

the use of avatars. Avatars are usually related with modern game play and are used as a means of a second self. Often times gamers use these avatars to create someone that they are not in reality. The reason behind why people feel the need to exaggerate or portray someone with a more positive image of themself is partly due to today's negative media and social forces. In the past generation media and social forces were inherently more positive and lacked the presence of distinguishing features of who we should be, seen in today's media. With this negative vibe, people feel the need to shield information from the public and only portray information that creates a positive self concept. Moving on to how I describe my own virtual identity, I move to the idea of the social networking theory. This theory created by Kadushin states that people and groups who surround each other share the same characteristics, values, and social statuses. This theory is important to the description of my identity due to the family and friends that  surround me. This group of people and I share the same type of identity, as we are more “old school” and focus on the physical things at hand. Similar to previous generations, I share a virtual identity of proving that I achieved something by actually doing it. Though not an avid gamer, I have to imagine my virtual identity would resemble this due to my current lifestyle. A good example of a game that I feel reminds me of my own virtual identity is Red Dead Revolver.

Red Dead Revolver

In this game, you play the role of cowboy who is set out to complete missions and get things done with the use of his tools at hand.  Outside of gameplay, I do have a few social media accounts (Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram) that I feel would describe my virtual identity, again as more of doer. Rarely do I post a picture of myself in comparison to things I have created or achieved during my life. Many posts describe the cars I have worked on, the success I have had in my academic career, and things that I have created or designed in my life. I feel as this outlook builds upon my defined virtual identity of being a person who creates to prove ability.

Is your intelligence artificial is the next piece of information to be examined by this blog. Artificial intelligence in its general form is known as the exhibition of intelligence by machines, as described by wikipedia. In humans this ability can include the idea of predictions, similar to Ray Kurzweil prediction of singularity occurring around the year 2045. The idea of singularity involves the thought that the invention of artificial superintelligence will cause out of control technological growth, resulting in dramatic changes to human civilization. This created technological runaway is due to the potential of the machines far surpassing human intelligence which could result in the end of a human era, as stated by author Vernor Vinge. Moving on to the idea of; is our personal intelligence as humans artificial, I would like to relate back to the idea of superintelligence and singularity. If machines have the ability to acquire and display intelligence that can lead to singularity, and it is considered artificial, what do we call it when humans acquire information through the act of learning? Over the period of a lifetime, a human is also continuously acquiring and displaying intelligence, similar to adding software updates to a machine. For this reason, human intelligence should also be considered artificial as it is gathered and used to advance performance in the same manner . Another good representation of why human intelligence can be artificial is through the means of social media platforms. As discussed in class, peoples profiles will live on even after they are deceased. This is important because these profiles still provide your intelligence and still represent you as a person, even after you are gone. People who view your profile can understand who you were just because of your provided intelligence on the screen. This eerie feeling of relating to a person who is no longer alive due to their left behind information is a good representation of artificial intelligence at work.