Kiss me, you human
Is Spielberg's premise as far-fetched as "E.T." flying a bicycle past the moon? Not according to Ray Kurzweil, who is something of a superstar in the AI community.
Originally published June 28, 2001 at The Christian Science Monitor. Published on KurzweilAI.net November 2, 2001.
Robot Kismet can walk, talk, and make logical decisions. What's the next step in the quest for artificial intelligence?
You needn't have taken a philosophy course to see "A.I.," the new Steven Spielberg movie, but you may wish you'd enrolled in Philosophy 101 by the time you exit the cinema.
"A.I." (Artificial Intelligence), is a futuristic story in which a robot resembling an 11-year-old boy embarks on a Pinocchio-like quest to become human. Mr. Spielberg's movie posits the idea that machines can develop self-awareness, and even understand love.
Is Spielberg's premise as far-fetched as "E.T." flying a bicycle past the moon? Not according to Ray Kurzweil, who is something of a superstar in the AI community, currently made up of hundreds of corporations and universities across the world. In his book "The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence," Dr. Kurzweil predicts that computers will come to replicate the full range of human intelligence.
It's the astonishing growth in real-world artificial-intelligence technology that is forcing thinkers, theologians, philosophers, and the public to reexamine some age-old fundamental philosophical questions with a new vigor and urgency. Is it possible to replicate human consciousness in machines? If so, then what does that tell us about consciousness? What does it mean to be human?
Complete article at The Christian Science Monitor.
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