Book Summaries

Keith Devlin (What to think about machines that think)

Keith Devlin argues that machines don’t think; they only appear to due to human programming. He distinguishes between decision-making and thinking, cautioning against attributing human-like intelligence to machines based on superficial cues.

April 18, 2021Book Summaries

Keith Devlin argues that machines don’t think; they only appear to due to human programming. He distinguishes between decision-making and thinking, cautioning against attributing human-like intelligence to machines based on superficial cues. Devlin notes that humans are biologically wired to ascribe intelligent agency based on simple interactions, which can be misleading. He warns of the dangers in ceding control to machines that can make decisions but don’t think, especially in critical areas like national defense, health care, and finance. He emphasizes the need for awareness to guard against these dangers.

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