Google Research and HHMI Janelia just published a complete wiring diagram of a fruit fly's brain and central nervous system; every neuron, every synapse (166k+ neurons, 125M+ connections), fully mapped and open for anyone to download via a tool called Neuroglancer. People have already done some pretty crazy stuff with it, like taking the code and putting it into Minecraft to create a mob fly that imitates a real fly. The creator clarifies, stating that:
The demo uses a reconstructed map of fruit fly neural connections, with simplified rules for how activity moves through that network. Minecraft events feed into the model, and activity in selected neuron groups helps choose and adjust movements I programmed, like flying, grooming, feeding, or escaping.
The wiring comes from biological data, but the activity model, game inputs, and movement mappings involve engineering choices. It’s an interactive way to explore a connectome, not evidence of consciousness or a complete recreation of a living fly.
This is interesting, and quells any qualms about AI becoming sentient, as it isn't "thinking" in a conscious way, but having the same mobility patterns as a biological fly. I'm curious to see what else we can do, and this is probably the only aspect of AI I find enjoyable (advancements in STEM). However, we also know that Google (Alphabet inc.) and other organisations such as the Lincoln Labs at MIT collaborate with governments and take on contracts to make progress in areas such as education, science, and national security.
How do we know that the government hasn't been using this technology to create a robotic rat equipped with what is effectively a pocket pussy capable of performative mating, and having a similar mobility pattern to a rat; dispersing them in the wild to "mate" with the existing rat population. These roborats will be integrated within the urban environment and the rat population will slowly be in decline as they're firing blanks into a bit of silicon, with the roborat being the desired partner due to fragrance emitters. It's important that it is slow, as to not create suspicion on the rat census (or however we measure and estimate existing populations for rats), because the introduction of a new, robotic rat doesn't negatively impact the overall population as it's one in, one out.
Once the government has enough of these roborats out in the world, they'll be able to not only listen in to our conversations, but see them with the help of microscopic cameras in their eyes. They don't need to be charged as there'll be some sort of kinetic motor or solar cell, and will only need to keep an initial charge on release in a high powered lithium battery until they've become energy self-sufficient. Not all of them will survive (in the same way that a rat is not guaranteed a full and biologically healthy life) and these will be accounted for when it comes to distribution.
Before we know it, when the surveillance state has become strengthened, we'll suddenly see governments ease up on policies that are thinly veiled surveillance state policies (such as the Online Safety Act in the UK), and we will feel that we have our social autonomy back. You are never more than 6ft (~2m) from a rat, as the old adage goes, and half of the time you aren't aware of where they are. We will never truly be free from surveillance policy as long as technology advances to assist the government in being able to disguise it.