Bruce Sterling (What to think about machines that think)

Bruce Sterling challenges the concept of “artificial intelligence” and suggests that a more appropriate metaphor for advanced computing systems like Siri, Cortana, Now, and Echo would be “actress machines.” He argues that the term “artificial intelligence” is limited and doesn’t reflect the true nature of these systems.

Sterling points out that real intelligence has gender because human brains do, with the majority being female. He questions whether the gender aspects of human intelligence can also be mechanized through software coding, and why discussions about artificial intelligence often neglect this aspect.

He highlights that modern services like Apple Siri are not standalone Turing Machines but rather amorphous global networks that process vast amounts of data, catalog responses from users, and provide real-time interactions. These services, according to Sterling, are better described as “actress machines” because they perform scripted, interactive roles in line with the interests of the companies that create them.

Sterling emphasizes that the “intelligence” framework obscures the power dynamics at play in these systems and suggests that focusing on empathic questions about these digital entities’ civil rights and feelings is unproductive. Instead, he calls for a more critical and updated language to discuss the impact, goals, and governance of these systems in society.

In conclusion, Sterling argues that the future lies in entities that are more like Siri and less like traditional notions of machines that think. He encourages a shift in the way we perceive and describe these technologies to better understand their implications in our increasingly interconnected world.

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