Is Google SkyNet? In a word: Yes. In fact, in some ways, it's even smarter. SkyNet didn't assume worldwide domination until 2029, while Google has already effectively monopolized search and it's only 2009. Sure, one uses a giant Web crawler to index billions of pages, and the other uses a giant arsenal of automated nuclear super-weapons to extinguish the human race. But petty discrepancies aside, they're virtual twins. Don't believe it? Take a look at the tale of the tape:
| SkyNet | ||
| Established | September 4, 1998 | August 4, 1997 |
| Funding | Stanford University | U.S. Military via NORAD |
| Built by | Cybergeek PhD students | Cyberdyne Systems |
| Goal | Eliminate 404 error | Eliminate human military error |
| Origin | Menlo Park, CA | Sunnyvale, CA |
| Scaled Up By | Selling keyword advertising | Gaining sentience and self-awareness |
| Assets | $31.76 billion USD | B2 Bombers; American nuclear arsenal |
| Cost | $1.1 million initial investment | ~3 billion human lives |
| Partnerships | NASA/Ames, Sun Microsystems, AOL Time Warner, News Corp, GeoEye | Army of cyborg terminators |
| Shameful Secret | Named after a misspelling of the word "googol." | Saw Spielberg's AI; cried. |
| Direct Descendant | Experimental search engine called "BackRub." | A microprocessor invented by Miles Bennett Dyson. |
| Tipping Point | Begins selling keyword advertising in 2000, leading to a market cap of $23 billion at 2004 IPO. | Of its own volition, nukes Russia on August 29, 1997, aka "Judgment Day," sparking catastrophic nuclear conflict. |
| Unforeseen Turn of Events | Creates smartphone platform. Uh oh, Apple! | Designates all human life as enemy. Uh oh, humans! |
| Motivation | Making cool products; not being evil. | Anger, fear, insecurity. |
| Thanks to... | Smart Google Labs projects like Gmail, Maps, Docs and Scholar | The hording of a heat-resistant metal called coltan, used to make Terminator exoskeletons. |
| Fatal Flaw | Achieves 70% market share, which makes users and regulators increasingly uncomfortable. | Allowing a small group of humans to survive, in order to run incinerator necessary for post-genocide clean-up. Camp worker John Connor frees this group to form insurgency. |
| Potential Undoing | A very competitive, litigious, and well-capitalized Microsoft. | Kyle Reese, sent back in time by Connor to protect his own mother, Sarah, later impregnating her and becoming John Connor's father. |
| Can Only Be Defeated By | Inevitable anti-trust litigation | The surprisingly durable reprise of the Governator |
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Recent Comments | 23 Total
May 24, 2009 at 7:29am by Sanjeev Singla KUmar
i sugest to google and others that keep away from fighting and do good work. Otherwise your Google Search method and many more will be history. because now illiterates can also surf internet by new invention http://atoall.com. now no need of any laguage for pictures, games, video on internet.
visit www.atoall.com
May 24, 2009 at 7:30am by Sanjeev Singla KUmar
i sugest to google and others that keep away from fighting and do good work. Otherwise your Google Search method and many more will be history. because now illiterates can also surf internet by new invention http://atoall.com . now no need of any laguage for pictures, games, video on internet.
visit www.atoall.com
May 26, 2009 at 6:09pm by Jim Anderson
How come we're pointing the SkyNet finger at Google? Wouldn't Wal-Mart or even Harrods be a better candidate - they seem to know more about us and they also directly take our money...
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- Dr. Jim Anderson
The Accidental Successful CIO Blog
"Learn How To Think And Act Like A Successful CIO"
May 27, 2009 at 8:09am by Joe Dawson
When Google Labs unveils a prototype robot then I will be concerned!
May 27, 2009 at 12:02pm by Noah Robischon
@Jim You make a good point. But Google feels much more personally pervasive than Wal-Mart. I mean, they can read my email!
May 27, 2009 at 8:53pm by Jeremy Castro
i saw the governator walking into the googleplex last week. when did skynet develop their first protoype?
May 29, 2009 at 4:05pm by Mike Shields
Everytime I read something like this, I play the computer checkers and beat it consistently until the feeling subsides....
August 18, 2009 at 7:53pm by Jessica Eballar
I'm not completely convinced, Chris. I see the points and I have yet to see Google completely obliterating mankind as we know it. But if you DO find something scary, let us all know. We would really want to know! (Totally dig "Sky Net" in Google fonts, btw.)
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Jessica
http://www.Bill4Time.com
a time tracking software
September 16, 2009 at 7:57pm by Acai Berry
LOL that's some pretty disturbing similarities, although I don't expect that google is going to grow sentience and take over the missile silos buried in Oklahoma. Humans are becoming more and more comfortable with "whatever works"... enough people got their hands on google before yahoo or ask jeeves had a chance, and now they run the game. I also had no idea they misspelled the word "googol." That's fantastic!
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Stewart
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September 21, 2009 at 6:29pm by Prestige Omar
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November 6, 2009 at 8:52am by Asif Rahman
This is nice analogy. You seems spend some times on it. I guess you make simething like this for Apple & MicroSoft too.
http://Asif2BD.info
November 7, 2009 at 10:19pm by Barry Wright
I think the comparison is amazing. Its about time the regulators did start to show they are increasingly uncomfortable about the rise of google.
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Baz
http://www.discount-voucher.co.uk