mark asked...
Asked by mark - 01/09/09 at 11:09 amWhat do people think about AI (Artificial Intelligence)? I think that if we could create an artificial life that is capable of real thought, then that would probably rank as one of humanities greatest achievements, but it’s also a moral minefield. Is creating intelligence ‘playing god’? What rights would sentient machines be granted in our society? Have fun 
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September 1st, 2009 at 2:59 pm
It all depends on what form the artificial intelligence is adopted by the host entity, if it is artificially intelligent owing to a predisposed set of programs, it will work within the constraints of these without any moral issues. AI with the potential to learn is the next step up, but again if this conforms to set algorithm’s I see no moral issue – as in either of these instances the AI would simply be a computer.
Perhaps the real moral question comes if we add artificial consciousness into the equation, if advancements in biometric sciences lead to the creation of conscious entities that are both mechanical and biological, we begin to raise real questions.
Consciousness is at the root of real life, and perhaps the most dangerous or unpredictable trait that could be created.
September 4th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
Unfortunately it seems to be ingrained within our culture to create another lifeform in our image…why…because the ultimate evolutionary path for man is to become a god and creating Artificial lifeforms goes hand in hand with that ideal. Now…to understand this predictable outcome we have to understand the evolutionary path of both technology and man’s imagination with regards to their ideas surrounding visions of the future, both utopian and dystopian, and how these ideas or imaginings, embedded within our (western) culture affect the future of our society. In short then and in general…we have already mapped out our future (though the outcomes are certainly variable within a confined set of possibilities) through stories and the imaginings of others, and these stories themselves lie deep within our cultural consciousness, making possible alternative futures almost unimaginable.