Contemporary authors writing on today's internet revolution, both William Gibson and Tim Wu are notable for their ideas on the current and future progress of technological innovation and cyberspace. Yet while each has written several books on the topic, their visions of the future remain drastically different. This may be due to the generation gap between each author, or the twenty years between the publishing of their two most notable novels -- Neuromancer (1984) and The Master Switch (2010), respectively. Either way, however, it is apparent that Wu has a much better conceptualization of what the future world holds.
Though Gibson wrote Neuromancer out of pure ingenuity, the future he predicts is flawed. Describing a twisted world where humans and computers have become intertwined, Gibson pushed science fiction in a direction never before thought possible. In doing so, he managed to develop a world that, in few ways, remains similar to the one we live in today. For example, the 'jacking-in' that Gibson so often illustrates can be compared to society's immersion in technology, with one important difference - we know where to draw the line between human and cyborg. While we, figuratively speaking, bind to the high-tech devices around us, I believe that this is as far as society will take us into technological development. I believe that long before we even begin considering strapping nodes to our heads, the more cautious and concerned social elites will begin questioning the morality behind giving up our human qualities in order to get the latest technological advances. Sooner or later, the rest of the world will come around and see what they are actually doing, what they are giving up, all we can hope is that it will not be too late.
Strangely Gibson also includes references to drugs, which although fairly subtle, again point to a society that he predicts will be even more defined by its drug use. For instance, on multiple occasions, Case, along with several other side characters, can be seen using 'derms', small attachable patches infused with a potent cocktail of stimulants. Yet again, what makes Gibson so sure that this is what the future holds? Why does he believe that in just a few decades, we will all be a bunch of junkies looking for our next fix?
Also noteworthy of pointing out are the artificial intelligences Wintermute and Neuromancer. By including these two super computers, it is clear that William envisioned a future where society develops an artificial being with intelligence comparable, if not superior, to our own. Today however, while we do have AI's capable of carrying a basic conversation with a user, or playing against or with someone in a first-person shooter, they are nowhere near the advanced state of Wintermute and Neuromancer. Additionally, while Gibson asserts the domination of 'console cowboys' (experienced hackers) over 'zaibatsus' such as the mighty Tessier-Ashpool family, we see no such occurrence of the common man overpowering a large company in present life. In the real world, in fact, it is quite the opposite.
More interesting, however, is the comparison of Gibson's novel to Tim Wu's The Master Switch. In his book, Wu outlines the history and development of the telephone, radio, and several other devices that have become incredibly popular in today's society. Yet, while he does an excellent job outlining each technology's successes and failures, it is his claims that make his book so interesting. When outlining each piece of innovation, for example, Wu makes sure that he ties in his central idea, 'The cycle', to show how each one has developed from an idea, to a working piece of equipment, to a monopoly on the product. He then theorizes that in the future, each monopoly will reach a point where it will begin to control what its users are able to access in terms of information, which he fears will deliver an abrupt end to net neutrality. Take for example the mighty Bell Corporation before its breakup. According to Wu, “What made bell labs partially so successful was the fact that Bell, controlling an absolute, government guaranteed monopoly -- the telephone lines -- could raise enough money, and centralize it to direct it to what it considered the most important project” (Tim Wu on the Master Switch). By directing funding to where it wanted, Bell could control what items were given resources for development, and which were denied funding and ultimately suppressed. The best example is the household answering machine, which was developed by Bell, but kept under wraps until the public was introduced to captured German versions after World War II. Afterwards, Bell began marketing the answering machine, but why did Bell engage in such covert tactics pre-release? There is no clear answer to this question, yet it can be assumed that by maintaining a hold on what the public had access to, Bell strove to prevent the further development of items that had the potential to corrupt its monopoly. Furthermore, Wu believes, and for obvious reason, that monopolies, like Bell, are only out to produce a profit and that "It is too much to ask of any corporate entity...to be the guardian of the general economic good" (Wu 195). Thus, Bell was acting in its best interest to maintain the monopoly it had, and produce maximum revenue. Furthermore, it can be ascertained that Wu believes monopolies can and will continue to exist long into the foreseeable future.
After comparing Gibson and Wu, it is clear that while both have several points of connection to the modern world, only Wu has an accurate prediction of what the future will bring. Wu understands that big business will continue to get bigger, following a life cycle mapped out by "the cycle," disregarding the individuals it serves. Yet, if Wu's future does hold true, are we looking at a world where monopolies will continue to exploit the individual?
Sources Cited:
- Gibson, William. Neuromancer. New York: Ace, 1984. Print.
- Tim Wu on the Master Switch. Perf. Tim Wu. Youtube. 12 Jan. 2011. Web. 13 Feb. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVZLl4EKQis>.
- Wu, Tim. The Master Switch: the Rise and Fall of Information Empires. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2010. Print.
