What Does the Future Entail? Project 2 Rough Draft

Contemporary writers on today's internet revolution, both William Gibson and Tim Wu are notable for their ideas on the current and future development 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 in part be due to the generation gap between each authors' birth, and the twenty years between the publishing of their two most notable novels -- Neuromancer and The Master Switch, respectively. Either way, it is apparent that Wu and Gibson believe in two different futures, ultimately leading us to question 'who, if either, is accurate in their predictions?'

Written before the advent of the public internet, Gibson wrote Neuromancer out of pure genius alone. Describing a twisted world where humans and computers have become intertwined, Gibson pushed science fiction in a direction never before thought possible. Yet in doing so, he managed to develop a world that, in a few ways, remains similar to the one we live in today. For example, the 'jacking-in' that William so often illustrates can be compared to society's immersion in technology -- cell phones in particular -- where we, figuratively speaking, bind to the high-tech devices around us. So adapt have today's youth become to the modern cell phone's capabilities, that many use them with the expertise of a skilled multi-tasker, even when driving seventy miles per hour down the highway. Also noteworthy for comparison are Gibson's inclusion of drug references, 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. While it seems strange that an author would include such explicit references, it does add some personality to the characters, making them seem more human. On the contrary, aside from these two references, the majority of Neuromancer focuses on ideas and events that have yet to occur. Thus, while these examples show that Gibson was on the right track when writing his novel, he did not drive far enough with some of his assertions, and fell short with some of his futuristic predictions.

Take for example the artificial intelligences portrayed: Wintermute and Neuromancer. By including these two super computers, it is clear that William envisioned a future where society will have developed 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, as Gibson portrays. 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.

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 before the release of the German versions, why did Bell engage in such covert tactics? 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 produce a profit and that "It is too much to ask of any corporate entity -- pace Theodore Vail -- 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 provides an accurate depiction of what the future will and has brought. On the contrary, while Gibson's model has thus far proven to be incorrect, it can be used as a model to show the consequences of a world where we are no longer 'human,' but a combination of flesh and silicon.

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.