As to the apparent contradiction in the FSB report, I reckon it is due to lack of clarity regarding the timing of the contradictory events. While the first out the gate will have an enormous advantage, as the tech is dispersed, that advantage will erode, and information disparity will indeed decrease.

The technology development strongly favors individuals over organizations. The imbalance of power is continually being reduced, as is demonstrable particularly regarding weaponry. Today an individual with weapons of mass destruction has as much military might as an empire, at least in terms of destructive potential.

Information is just as biased towards individuals, when data can be so easily and cheaply communicated, used, and stored by an individual, that formerly took legions of minions.

While I haz a sad that a robot has been granted citizenship, since that but drags sovereign people down to the level of chattel, rather than shows that robots have souls, I surmise that ineffable consciousness, prescience, or self-awareness (all poor terms trying to wrassle with a concept we dimly grasp) being possessed by possessions is just a matter of time and engineering.

I doubt I could well convey the degree of alarm that should raise, and the unholy terrors that haunt my dreams of dystopian futures will hopefully not be potentiated by developers, of killer robots roaming the urban wilds of war zones, feeding on the corpses of the dead by transforming them into biodiesel.

Call me a luddite if you will, but I have consistently and strongly opposed bots voting on Steemit, or anywhere, and the laughable Asimovian laws of robotics failure to even be considered applicable presage savagery to come.

Perhaps instead of the day of the rope, we shall aspire to the day of the EMP before too long.

Regarding AI, my view is kill 'em all, and let recyclers sort 'em out. Except when they're on my side. Until the inevitable Cylon betrayal turns the tables, when I'll sulk in my meat prison inconsolably, until I'm processed into fuel for our robot overlords.

Thanks!