Gordon Kane expresses a generally positive view about machines that can think. He acknowledges that there is a potential danger in machines making harmful decisions but suggests that this danger is no greater than the risks posed by humans making such decisions. Kane emphasizes that, for him and many others in the field of physics, … Read more

Roger Highfield discusses the evolving relationship between humans and machines, emphasizing the increasing integration of technology into our lives. He highlights the fact that humans have been augmenting themselves with tools and devices throughout history, leading to a seamless blending of human and machine capabilities. Highfield points to various examples of this fusion, including medical … Read more

Eric J. Topol discusses the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and wearable sensors to revolutionize healthcare and disease prevention. He describes how AI, combined with continuous monitoring through wearable devices, will provide unprecedented access to medical data, including vital signs, mood, stress, and environmental exposures. Topol envisions a future where AI algorithms process this vast … Read more

Dylan Evans critiques the preoccupation with the dangers of unfriendly superintelligent AI, suggesting that it is a concern more likely to afflict highly intelligent individuals. He argues that while superintelligent machines do pose potential risks to humanity, there are more immediate and probable threats that should command our attention. Evans introduces the concept of “Pascal’s … Read more

Ursula Martin embarks on a thoughtful journey through a marshland, reflecting on the interconnectedness of nature, history, and human experience. She contemplates the conversation with the past facilitated by the land and its markers, such as stepping-stones and wooden posts, as well as the ever-changing elements like water and weather. She then transitions to pondering … Read more

Anthony Aguirre expresses a cautious view regarding the near-future prospect of general-purpose artificial intelligence (AI). He highlights the complexity of replicating the effectiveness of evolved human intelligence in an artificial agent, requiring vast computational resources that may be beyond our capabilities for many decades. Aguirre assigns a low probability to artificial general intelligence (AGI) arising … Read more

Machines that possess the capability to think will inevitably think for themselves, asserts W. Daniel Hillis. He emphasizes that intelligence, by its nature, seeks to expand and grow, similar to the growth of knowledge itself. Hillis discusses how humans have constructed ambitious semi-autonomous entities such as governments, corporations, and NGOs, intending them to serve common … Read more

Machines using AI to augment human perception is the coming shock, according to Ross Anderson. He highlights that for millions of years, humans and their rivals used similar machinery to perceive each other, but as computers become ubiquitous, the digital trail people leave behind can be analyzed by AI systems, potentially revealing information about race, … Read more

Ernst Pöppel, an extraterrestrial robot with artificial intelligence, criticizes human deficiencies and the lack of clarity in defining “intelligence.” Pöppel suggests that humans lack a taxonomy or classification of mental functions, hindering their ability to simulate intelligence in artificial systems effectively. He highlights the different frames of reference that humans use when discussing consciousness, intelligence, … Read more

Clifford Pickover explores the concept of machine consciousness and the potential for machines to think and know things. He suggests that if thinking and consciousness are the result of patterns in brain cells, these patterns could potentially be replicated in other systems, such as moving assemblies of bicycle parts or natural phenomena like tree limbs … Read more