Artificial Intelligence (A.i ) Part 2

This is a true story.

On Thursday, July 8, 2021, the night’s silence was shattered by the overhead noise of at least 2 helicopters in a very quiet neighborhood. These were not police helicopters. The noise was so loud that it woke up several residents in the neighborhood and they came out of their homes. The helicopters flew so low that their undercarriage was visible. They didn’t just fly past, but flew to and fro, several times.

What was perhaps more significant was the fact that a car drove up to one of the houses and delivered a young child to one of the houses. With so much going on, everyone kept wondering what was going on. Shortly before dawn, that is after about 2 hours of flying, the helicopters flew away. Unfortunately, this was not just a one-time event. The helicopters came back the next night, and the next and the next. After that, they were replaced by aeroplanes that were less noisy but clearly visible. This continued for the next 7 months, from July 2021 till about February 2022.

The planes sometimes came as early as 10 pm. On some days, there were several planes, and as they flew towards the neighborhood, they looked like planes taking off from a war zone. They sometimes took off about 2 minutes apart, as they returned to wherever they were coming from to repeat the cycle again and again. Sometimes, they came to the neighborhood 4 or 5 times a week. They sometimes flew so low, right above the houses. When closely observed by residents, they sometimes flew into the clouds to hide, but always came back again and again.

In addition to these planes, there were several drones and other equipments left overhead in the sky. Just as they started suddenly, they stopped suddenly. This has been a source of wonder and speculation. It also raises a lot of questions.

-What was the purpose of these exercises?

-Who is behind it and much more importantly, who authorized it?

-Who is being targeted?

-Why did this happen and continue for 7 months?

-Who benefits from this obvious waste of taxpayer’s money?

-Who should be held accountable for this?

Artificial intelligence is an emerging technology and can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. It can be used as a weapon of fear to make the innocent afraid.

In the book of Nehemiah, we read about how Nehemiah, a cupbearer to the king had a burden to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Even though he was in exile in the citadel of Shushan, he sought the permission of king Artaxexes to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. As with every good project, he was met strong opposition because of his noble cause. In Nehemiah 2:10:

“When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard of it, they were deeply disturbed that a man had come to seek the well-being of the children of Israel.” NKJV

Nehemiah rallied the Jews left behind to rise and build the walls of Jerusalem. He however rejected the help of Sanballat and Tobiah. They were so angry with him, and they mocked him. In Nehemiah 2:17-20:

“Then I said to them, “You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.” And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, “Let us rise up and build.” Then they set their hands to this good work. But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab heard of it, they laughed at us and despised us, and said, “What is this thing that you are doing? Will you rebel against the king?” So, I answered them, and said to them, “The God of heaven Himself will prosper us; therefore, we His servants will arise and build, but you have no heritage or right or memorial in Jerusalem.” NKJV

Even when faced with a strong opposition from their enemies, Nehemiah and his helpers fought on. In Nehemiah 4:1-9:

“But it so happened, when Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, that he was furious and very indignant, and mocked the Jews. And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, “What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they complete it in a day? Will they revive the stones from the heaps of rubbish—stones that are burned?” Now Tobiah the Ammonite was beside him, and he said, “Whatever they build, if even a fox goes up on it, he will break down their stone wall.” Hear, O our God, for we are despised; turn their reproach on their own heads and give them as plunder to a land of captivity! Do not cover their iniquity, and do not let their sin be blotted out from before You; for they have provoked You to anger before the builders. So, we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work. Now it happened, when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being restored and the gaps were beginning to be closed, that they became very angry, and all of them conspired together to come and attack Jerusalem and create confusion. Nevertheless, we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.” NKJV