Read Chapter 2: The Technological Singularity.  Then, use the following questions to reinforce your learning and preparation for citizen-activism:

1. What is the most useful definition of the Technological Singularity?
   • Why is it so frightening for people?
     
     
2. What does the following statement mean: “… the Technological Singularity is not the end, but the beginning of the era of technology’s supremacy.”?
   
   
3. By what date are we most likely to see the introduction of machines that are smarter than humans?
   • What does this timeframe mean for you and your career and for your family and its wellbeing?

At this point, pause a moment.  If you were uncertain about any of your answers to the above questions, go back and reread the first three sections of Chapter 2.  If that clarifies your understanding, move on to the next questions.  If not, tap into the insights and knowledge of other citizen-activists.  Get their help in reinforcing your comprehension of the Technological Singularity before you move on to a more detailed explication of what it will mean for America’s working men and women.

4. What are byte-collar workers and where are they likely to be found in the workplace?
   • How prevalent are they in your line of work and what’s the trendline for their use in the days ahead?
     
     
5. Why is the impact of the Technological Singularity most appropriately described as “destructive creation”?
   • How is the workplace impact of artificial intelligence different from that of previous industrial technologies?
     
     
6. How will the exponential rate of AI development affect those who are trying to acquire the new skills necessary to work with the technology?
   
   
7. How do employers interpret their “fiduciary responsibility” when switching from a human to a byte-collar workforce?
   • If you own stock in one or more public companies, are they using this rationale to justify any layoffs they’re implementing, and if so, what can or should you do about it?
     
     
8. What is “autosourcing” and what two fallacies prevent many people from acknowledging its potential impact on their career?
   • Why is this spreading business strategy a “self-inflicted wound” and how will it affect the careers of working men and women?
     
     
9. How will the human-machine partnership – on-the-job and in other parts of life – evolve as AI advances in capability and use?
   
   
10. What makes the way artificial intelligence is developed and introduced an ethical issue?
    • How is it different from previous dual-use technologies?
      
      
11. What is the “taxonomy of ethical risk” in the development and application of artificial intelligence?
    • Why is it important to have this framework and how should citizen-activists use it?
      
      
12. What is the first step citizen-activists should take to ensure humans are the masters of intelligent technology and not its victims?

Think back over everything you’ve learned regarding the date for and implications of the Technological Singularity as well as the human behaviors that are making it a threat for working men and women.  Then, ask yourself one final question: are you ready to act to correct this situation?

• If so, move on to Chapter 3.
• If not, ask yourself why not and if your reasoning justifies your opting out.