rarely get into those nuances, particularly those who never excelled in
the sciences, such as myself.” She smiled.
Rowe sat back, his slender frame assuming a comfortable tilt when the
conversation veered toward technical issues. “In laymen’s terms
CyberCom has done nothing less than create artificial intelligence,
so-called intelligent agents that will initially be used to effortlessly
navigate the myriad tributaries of the Internet and its progeny.”
“Artificial intelligence? I thought that existed only in the movies.”
“Not at all. There are degrees of artificial intelligence, of course.
CyberCom’s is by far the most sophisticated I’ve ever seen.”
“How exactly does it work?”
“Let’s say you want to find out about every article written on some
controversial subject, and you also want a summary of those articles,
listing those in favor and opposed, the reasons therefore, the analysis
behind it and so on. Now, if you attempted that on your own through the
unwieldy labyrinth the .Internet has become, it would take you forever.
As I said, the overwhelming amount of information contained on the
Internet is its greatest drawback. Human beings are in-equipped to deal
with something on that scale. But you get around that obstacle and
suddenly it’s as though the surface of Pluto becomes alive with
sunshine.”
“And that’s what CyberCom has done?”
“With CyberCom in our fold, we will initiate a wireless, satellite-based
network that will be seamlessly coordinated with proprietary software
that will soon be on every computer in America, and eventually the
world. The software is easily the most user-friendly I’ve ever seen. It
asks the user precisely what information is needed. It will ask
additional questions as it deems necessary. Then, tapping into our
satellite-based network, it will explore every molecule of the
conglomeration of computers we call the Internet until it assembles, in
picture-perfect form, the answer to every single question you asked, and
many more you weren’t perceptive enough to think of. Best of all, it’s
chameleon-like in that the intelligent agents can adapt to and
communicate with any network server in existence.
That’s another drawback to the Internet: systems’ inability to
communicate with each other. And it will perform this task a billion
times faster than any human could. It will be like minutely examining
every drop of the Nile River in a few minutes. Even faster. Finally,
the vast sources of knowledge that are out there and growing
exponentially with every passing day can actually be efficiently linked
up to the one entity which really needs them.” He looked pointedly at
her. “Humanity. And it doesn’t stop there. The network interface with
the Internet is only one small part of the overall puzzle.
It also elevates the encryption standard to unparalleled heights.
Imagine fluid responses to attempts to illegally decrypt electronic
transmissions. Responses that can not only adjust to fend off a
hacker’s multithrust attacks, but aggressively pursue the intruder and
track him down. Do you think that would be popular with law enforcement
agencies? This is the next milestone in the technological revolution.
This will dictate how all data is transmitted and used in the next
century. How we build, teach, think. Just envision computers that are
not merely dumb machines reacting to precise instructions keyed in by
humans. Picture computers using their vast intellectual muscle to think
on their own, to problem-so/re for us in ways unthinkable today. It
will make so much obsolete, including much of Triton’s existing product
line. It changes everything. Like the internal combustion engine did
to the era of the horse-drawn carriages but even more profoundly.”
“My God,” Sidney exclaimed. “And I guess the potential profits-”
“Yes, yes, we’ll make billions from sales of software, the network
charges-every business in the world will want to be on-line with us. And
that’s only the beginning.” Rowe sounded distinctly uninterested in this
side of the equation. “And yet with all that, Gamble still won’t see,
is incapable of understanding…” He stood up in his anxiety, his arms
flailing. He caught himself and sat back down, his face carrying a red
sheen. ‘Tm… I’m sorry, sometimes I get carried away.”
“It’s okay, Quentin, I understand. Jason shared your excitement about
the CyberCom deal, I know that.”