Evolution of Communication According to the F-R-J Algorithm

This paper applies the F-R-J (Fact-Rule-Judgment) algorithm to the evolution of communication. It is shown that communicative systems independently generate a periodic tree: 7 periods, from Gestural & Vocal Origins (~2 Ma) to Digital & Networked Communication (~1991–present), with 3 distinguishings (D1: symbolic representation — cave art and symbolic expression, token/tally systems, pictography, and signal systems creating persistent visual messages from ephemeral speech; D2: electronic/instantaneous communication — the electric telegraph, telephone, radio, cinema, television, advertising, propaganda, photography, telecommunications infrastructure, and sound recording separating instantaneous from time-delayed message delivery; D3: networked/AI-mediated/immersive communication — social web platforms, short-form video, encrypted messaging, podcasting, AI-generated content, VR/AR communication, conversational AI, the digital creator economy, mobile payments, meme communication, real-time AI translation, brain-computer interfaces, digital ownership/provenance, and emoji/visual language) and discrete communicative elements filling combinatorial slots defined by free speech protections, media regulation, and platform governance as Meta-R. λ ≈ 0 in gestural communication reflects hardwired primate signaling conserved over millions of years; λ increases through symbolic, written, printed, and electronic layers to reach maximum plasticity in the AI-mediated digital era where anyone can broadcast to billions while algorithms curate what each person sees.