Comments on: The Singularity Is Near http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/ Techno-woo-woo Tue, 06 Jan 2009 01:04:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Michele Lang http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/#comment-810 Michele Lang Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:26:02 +0000 http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/#comment-810 I think about this stuff, too...it gets right back to the question of what makes us human in the first place. Very cool...I will be blogging a lot more about this, I think! :) I think about this stuff, too…it gets right back to the question of what makes us human in the first place.

Very cool…I will be blogging a lot more about this, I think!

:)

]]> By: Sarai http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/#comment-798 Sarai Wed, 30 Jan 2008 22:15:25 +0000 http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/#comment-798 I thought I-robot brought up some interesting points about the ghost in machines but can something like kindness, morality and love be taught to a machine who may or may not comprehend what it is being taught. As children we learn these things by watching and being coached but we are told what they are to associate them with the feelings that go along with it. For example serial killers are taught how to act, look, appear to have kindness and that normal I understand what you are feeling but they really don't understand the emotion. They are dead inside, because they can not associate the act of kindness with a feeling. So could we in essence call a serial killer a robot? These are the thoughts that haunt me in lines ;) LOL poor DH! I thought I-robot brought up some interesting points about the ghost in machines but can something like kindness, morality and love be taught to a machine who may or may not comprehend what it is being taught. As children we learn these things by watching and being coached but we are told what they are to associate them with the feelings that go along with it.
For example serial killers are taught how to act, look, appear to have kindness and that normal I understand what you are feeling but they really don’t understand the emotion. They are dead inside, because they can not associate the act of kindness with a feeling. So could we in essence call a serial killer a robot?
These are the thoughts that haunt me in lines ;) LOL poor DH!

]]> By: Michele Lang http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/#comment-788 Michele Lang Tue, 29 Jan 2008 17:02:58 +0000 http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/#comment-788 Thanks, Sarai! I am obsessed with this question, and in NETHERWOOD I explore it in some detail. I think in our techno-oriented culture, factual knowledge and intelligence is sometimes prized over less measurable, or less profitable, motivations like kindness, morality, or love. Without some kind of a moral compass to guide decision-making, what kinds of decisions would artificial intelligences make? It would be cool if souls could live in a virtual world...truly, ghosts in the machine. Thanks for your thoughtful comment! Best wishes, Michele Thanks, Sarai! I am obsessed with this question, and in NETHERWOOD I explore it in some detail. I think in our techno-oriented culture, factual knowledge and intelligence is sometimes prized over less measurable, or less profitable, motivations like kindness, morality, or love. Without some kind of a moral compass to guide decision-making, what kinds of decisions would artificial intelligences make?

It would be cool if souls could live in a virtual world…truly, ghosts in the machine. Thanks for your thoughtful comment!

Best wishes,
Michele

]]> By: Sarai http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/#comment-787 Sarai Tue, 29 Jan 2008 16:15:41 +0000 http://michelelang.com/2008/01/22/the-singularity-is-near/#comment-787 I believe that we will come to the point where machines are smarter then us. I don't however, believe we will be able to download emotions or the human soul in a robot. One thing that seperates us from other mammals in our intelligence. So if machines have more then us I have no doubt that they may one day take over. However I feel the reason they will be able to is the loss of emotion. They will think logically and be smarter but we will have the emotions. Could they evolve over time... yes, maybe at first but I doubt they will develop emotions. GREAT POST! I believe that we will come to the point where machines are smarter then us. I don’t however, believe we will be able to download emotions or the human soul in a robot. One thing that seperates us from other mammals in our intelligence. So if machines have more then us I have no doubt that they may one day take over. However I feel the reason they will be able to is the loss of emotion. They will think logically and be smarter but we will have the emotions. Could they evolve over time… yes, maybe at first but I doubt they will develop emotions.
GREAT POST!

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