Isaac Asimov's
I, Robot culminates with Susan Calvin claiming in conversation with a politician that mankind has not lost its say in its own future because it never really had any. It was always at the mercy of forces that it did not understand: economics, sociology, climate and war. Now the Machines, giant positronic brains, understand and deal with those forces by controlling the economy.
Similarly:
"'You imply the world has become too complex, too precarious, for mere humans to understand and control.'
"'It always was, wasn't it?'"
-
Genesis,
PART ONE,
V, p. 41.
Calvin is a robopsychologist and Laurinda Ashcroft, who replies to a lobbyist in
Genesis, is an interface.
4 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
However chaotic and often bloody human control of their own affairs has been, I far prefer that to wheat we see in GENESIS, where AIs gradually took over and more of the actual decision making and running of things. It ended with mankind becoming the pampered, useless, idle pets of the AIs. Till, in despair, the human race simply died out.
Ad astra! Sean
The human mind evolved to deal with other human minds, primarily. Thus it has an inherent bias towards discerning intentionality and agency, which leads it to overestimate their general significance.
Sean,
I think that, if there ever is any conscious AI, then we will have a much more positive and dynamic interactions with it. If communication with the most advanced AIs becomes impossible, then they will just go elsewhere, physically or mentally.
Paul.
Kaor, Mr. Stirling and Paul!
Mr. Stirling: I agree! I have been guilty of behaving exactly like that sometimes, when I'm playing my ancient but formidable Radio Shack Chess Champion 2150L computer. I have sometimes attributed intentionality to the chess moves it makes, despite knowing better. The darn thing keeps BEATING me! (Smiles)
Paul: I'm far more inclined to the skepticism of Poul Anderson, both as to the possibility of AIs and his doubts that they will be at least MOSTLY good for mankind. So, I have my doubts about the benefits of any kind of relationship with AIs, as seen in THE HARVEST OF STARS books and GENESIS. You are unlikely to go too far wrong by being pessimistic!
And if any such dynamic and positive relationships with AIs, if they come to exist, are impossible for human beings, WILL they simply go away and ignore us? And NOT try to take over and run things for our alleged good? I feel paranoia and skepticism about that!
Ad astra! Sean
Post a Comment