Mind children: the future of robot and human intelligence

Abstract

Average Customer Rating: 4.5 Rating: 3 Thought-provoking, but un-even In this nearly twenty year old book, the author contends that advancing technology and the force of economic competition will lead inevitably (and in a span of mere decades) to a world in which machine intelligence vastly exceeds human intelligence. In chapters 3 through 6 the author gives a fascinating look at some of the possible features of that transhuman, post-biological world. Those chapters are as interesting and thought-provoking as any that have appeared in more contemporary treatments. Where the book does show it age, however, is in the first three chapters. There the author reviews the history of computer technology, and then succumbs to the shop-worn refrain of many classical AI researchers - “If only we had a computer that is 100 (or 1000 or 10000) times as powerful as today’s machine, then we could program a human-equivalent intelligence”. He even predicts on page 23 that “a general-purpose robot usable in the home” will be available within ten years. Well, today we have the computer power he was hoping for and still no general-purpose robot. Bottom line: if you want a fascinating look at what a world with superintelligent machines might be like, then buy this book and start reading at chapter 4. If you are interested in how we might actually achieve such a world then consider buying a copy of “On Intelligence” by Jeff Hawkins. Rating: 5 Visionary This book does a great job of exploring the future of robots, artificial intelligence, the human mind, and human identity. A few parts of it seem dated, but most of what the book describes seems likely to happen this century and to surprise the large fraction of the population which still hasn’t given any thought to the possibilities this book describes. Rating: 4 Good but a little too far out Moravec writes a good book but I think his ideas are a tad to far out there. He doesn’t take into account the possiblility of people not wanting to have their minds transfered to machines. He appears to assume that it is inevitable. I personally agree with his goals but I suspect that the majority of the population would be strongly opposed. Rating: 4 Buy it for the prologue alone! I picked up this book, expecting to learn a little bit about where we’re headed with our computers, and the consequences therein. I learned all that-but I got even more than I bargained for. I have to say, the prologue in and of itself blew me away. I had never quite thought of humans as the first step in a bigger evolution. I read this book six months ago, and I haven’t been able to get the implications of it out of my head since. If you’re looking for the big answers-like “Why are we here?” and “What’s the point?"-you may be like me and find more in here than in more traditional spiritual texts. Rating: 5 A definitive Work for the strong AI perspective This is a hard Hitting Strong AI book. It’s the the land mark book the drew the line in the sand. If you wont to know what the strong AI position is this is the only book you have to read. You wont feel special after reading this book… So much for being on the top of the evolutionary ladder