Richard E. Nisbett reflects on the impact of computers and machines on human existence, particularly in the context of machines excelling in tasks traditionally performed by humans. He recalls a past presentation where a computer scientist posed the question of what it would mean to humans if computers could surpass humans in various fields such … Read more

Chris Anderson discusses the unique human superpower of thinking and the potential implications of building machines that possess this superpower to a greater extent. He questions whether, in 1,000 years, Homo sapiens will still be the dominant intelligent force on Earth or if they will become a historical footnote that birthed intelligence. Anderson acknowledges human … Read more

Neil Gershenfeld offers a perspective on the discussion surrounding artificial intelligence (AI). He highlights the extremes in arguments about AI, which he sees as a sign of the evolving nature of the debate. Gershenfeld explains that disruptive technologies often start as exponentials, with gradual growth initially, but eventually reaching a point where the exponential growth … Read more

George Dyson provides a perspective on artificial intelligence and its relationship with thinking. He argues that no individual, deterministic machine, no matter how universal, will ever truly think as humans do. He emphasizes that genuine creative and intuitive thinking involves non-deterministic machines that can make mistakes, abandon logic, and learn. Dyson introduces the idea of … Read more

Kevin Kelly emphasizes the importance of recognizing that machines designed to think will not replicate human thinking but will possess their own unique forms of intelligence. He points out that human intelligence is just one type of intelligence among many possible in the universe, and we shouldn’t limit our understanding of AI to mimicking human … Read more

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 … Read more

Rory Sutherland considers the possibility that a malign superintelligence could exist on Earth but is clever enough to conceal its presence and intentions. He suggests that humans might not be very adept at recognizing technological threats due to our evolutionary history. Sutherland points out that throughout evolutionary time, humans primarily faced threats from things roughly … Read more

Matt Ridley emphasizes the transformative power of collective, collaborative, and distributed intelligence over individual thinking in the context of machines that think. He points out that the genius of human intelligence lies in the ability to connect and collaborate with thousands of different people, even though no single individual knows how to create complex products … Read more

Stanislas Dehaene discusses two essential functions that, in his view, are crucial for genuine thinking as we know it and have yet to be fully incorporated into programming for thinking machines: 1. Global Workspace: Dehaene emphasizes the importance of a global workspace in cognitive functions. Current programming often follows a modular approach, where each piece … Read more

Scott Atran highlights that while machines can imitate some human thinking processes and outperform humans on specific tasks, they are unlikely to consistently replicate human creativity. Machines excel at tasks that involve fixed or dynamic outcomes, memorization, data analysis, and pattern recognition. However, Atran argues that they struggle with critically creative human thought processes, particularly … Read more