Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum computing. Salvation or Damnation? (Part 1: Blockchain)

I see myself starting this article where I left off three years ago, the title was already there...so I will finish what I started although I may miss some insights I had in my mind at the time.. Today I sat down to write about capitalism and its historic importance, but we will touch that topic in the future. Today I'll write about Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Quantum computing...Technology so advanced for this century's standards that under the wrong hands, could become tools that could easily enslave humanity, or ensure its eternal liberation. Each of these technologies on its own have the power to do so...combined, we would be summoning a futuristic cyberpunk Godhead, an Alexa on steroids leading humanity towards the unknown. The best way to express my thoughts in the most accurate way without romanticism and decoration, would be to envision eight scenarios; two opposite scenarios for each technology on its own, and two more for the final byproduct of their synthesis. Right now, at this time in history, humanity is witnessing the inception of a technological breakthrough that could render all Sci-fi null and void.

First and foremost we have Blockchain. Smart contracts built into blockchain seem to be the game changer equation that could make our lives easier and simplier. Cryptocurrency and blockchain started with a basic notion of what it could become. Bitcoin was made to be flexible digital money plain and simple, but Vitalik Buterin with his genius visualized its pure potential with the addition of Smart contracts. Altough still incipient, the vision of turning a transaction into an algorithmic virtual seal has the potential to change humanity at all scales, from its entire production line of goods to how we do politics at local and global scale. But that is where the beauty of the Cryptouniverse and its "open-sourceness" comes into play, we can build on top of the ideas that others had and improve each ecosystem until we have a stable and useful environment that we can apply to all levels of society. Imagine smart contracts, child chains, DAO like ecosystems leading humanity towards true democracy, or an organized anarchy for instance. Where politics and regulation instauration can catch up to the speed of technological advancement, where every dime in taxes is tracked, and no human corruption is allowed...perhaps communism didn't work because of it's lack of technology...who knows. If you read in between lines, I am not siding with any political view, I only share the potential of this tech regardless of who controls it, It depends on what kind of Utopia (or dystopia) you want to build.

For the worst case scenario of Blockchain implementation onto all levels of society, we will imagine a Dystopia where everything will go wrong, and its up to you to match it to an existing political view. That's the game we're going to play. I will start by mentioning everything that could go wrong, ready?

Worst case scenario.

Ok first, unsustainability at an ecological level. Blockchain's purpose in this alternate universe is to optimize the extraction, production, and selling of goods to make the most profit, disregarding its ecological impact.

Blockchain also tracks everything. there is no such thing as paper money and it tracks absolutely every single thing, not only transactions, but also actions. Every virtual interaction is tracked, every action in the real world is tracked, this would lead to a sense that we have lost our freedom, perhaps a Huxleyan Distopia where freedom of choice primes, but our sense of privacy and much more is sacrificed. Human creativity could have gone down the drain too due to this new version of the "rat race".

The opposite scenario would be a world where blockchain is harnessed to fight climate change and transition into a more sustainable economy, where Blockchain enhances the reach of every small bussiness and creative endeavour, steemit is already an example of this.

Up to this point, it makes no sense to keep writing if I have no certainty that I am being read, so I will leave it right here with the hopes that I'll return with more insights. Please comment and upvote if you like it, and expect part 2.