On December 4th, the Case of the Hydegild Sacrifice was released. At the same time I was speaking to an interesting group at the Bristol Central Library in England and shortly afterwards was on a Zoom call with the Tregolls Book Club in Cornwall, England - a lively and engaging discussion. My latest book is the next adventure in my Major Gask series and it is perhaps the most intriguing so far.
I'd guess that most people are aware that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by an actor in Washington DC at the conclusion of the American Civil War. However, many will probably not know that there was another attempt on his life four years earlier - foiled by the Pinkertons. Most will also assume that the successful assassination was a Confederate plot. I did. However, my research led me to question that assumption and by the end of the book there are serious questions, still unanswered to this day, about the conspiracy that point to Lincoln's own party and its backers.
I hope you read the book if only to bring this old, fuzzy film into focus.
On another matter, I sometimes get into conversation with my readers and I received one comment from Mike Walker sparked by my comments on the growth of AI that I thought I'd share:
Hi David,
Thinking about AI and its influence on the world, I think the biggest danger is AI propaganda stemming from greed and inequality.
To set the scene. After WW2 our parents generation voted for a welfare state providing free education and health care. Since then things have deteriorated due to greed resulting in or perpetuating inequality. It’s a historic battle that has led to various revolutions over past centuries and is still the critical struggle in most parts of the world.
The right wing has supported the rich and we have seen propaganda merchants like Murdoch channel poor people's resentment of the “system” as the cause of low living standards. The big con job was to bring in non politicians like Trump to “fix” the system. Trump is one of those who caused the problem of inequality but propaganda is very effective. Look how Trump (the Russian Asset) sold the view Russia good Ukraine bad, can pivot on Epstein, supports dictators, denigrates socialism, etc.
So my fear is the AI propaganda will be unstoppable. When it knows everything about a person - age, income, interests, etc - the message can be tailored to that person. Imagine what Goebbles or Murdoch could do. Musk and a few individuals will be the mega rich in charge of AI. Will they support democracy or wealth? Will influencers and media fight back or look after their own interests, their own families, Their own wealth. Greed is human but it is not good!
America is the place where this battle will be fought. I think the forces of greed in America will win.
Please tell me I am wrong!
Could there be reversal in direction in the US - maybe as when McCarthyism dissipated?
Mike
I certainly agree with Mike that the wealth gap is a pernicious threat to democracy and that AI could exacerbate this because wealthy technocrats and autocratic powers are likely to control its direction. I would look further than America, though (even though Trump's plan today
to require 5 years of social media history to be scrutinised before tourists are admitted is a chilling signal). I was recently in Shanghai and one thing that struck me was the pace of China's technological growth. Couple that with a society already overseen and 'managed' to a frightening degree and AI begins to look more threatening (nb there are 3 cameras, some AI enabled already, for every 7 people in China).
Not sure where this is going to end up, but I don't like the look of the path right now.