The real danger is not that computers will begin to think like men, but that ....

"I hit a car in an intersection and this midget gets out and walks back to my window and say's " I'm not happy!"
and I said "well... which one are you then?"

I'm so easy. All it takes is something like this to start my day with a smile and a laugh.

You are VERY right! And I am NOT talking about the idea that one day they may merge people and machines, like the borg on star trek. Some people DON'T want to learn, CAN'T figure out problems, etc...

Steve

I hear you Roaddog. ON all of it.

Last night we were getting hammered by rain, thunder and lightening from all directions.

I braved the lightening to finish my work for the night, but was very leery because the last time we had lightening, we had a power outage and it blew out a port on my desktop - I had to get an ethernet adapter in order to connect to cable ISP.

Finally I said ok I am not going to take any chances - after all my PC is my job. So I powered off - which I never do.

The lightening stopped almost immediately. I know it wasn't so, but it seemed like I turned it off when I shut down my computer.

I love my computer even if it doesn't love me. It is almost like I live in the world only through it. I can go days and days without seeing another human or speaking to any them - and if I do it is via Skype or Messenger.

I'll be happy to see people start to think no matter what they are thinking like. Beats sitting and chewing their cuds like many presently do.

Yeah, so many view a computer almost like a person, and figure that they are intelligent, etc.... On the i.robot, it COULD conceivably do that if it were programmed to forcibly avoid conflicts, which it would have to in such a case, and it could see the conflict. But it probably wouldn't chase after Will, or kill people. But it would be following its programming. ALMOST like the borg when they aren't forcing people to assimilate. People would walk around the borg, and it was like they were invisible. Until the humans tried to hurt the borg, or the project, they were generally left alone.

I look at I.Robot as an example of how a computer bug, and poor forethought, can create a catastrope. OTHERS think they see a sentient computer.

Patrician,

My father once went into a new office, a secretary sat down and the static electricity supposedly went into the terminal, down the serial connection, to the computer and blew the port! There was a time when secretaries, wearing short skirts with stockings, carried tapes to the deck ONLY to find that they were wiped out. AGAIN due to static. Although unlikely, both can and have happened. And lightning is simply static electricity with maybe a few million times the power. Instead of jumping 1/4", it jumps MILES.

So, you're right, better safe then sorry.

Hey sal,

I have actually been in stores unable to buy something because there was a problem with the cash register, and they couldn't add. Almost like the math major honors student on are you smarter than a fifth grader that couldn't add 5 and 5! One of the 10 year olds even said something like "And YOU'RE good in math?".

Roaddog,

It sounds like we all got what you meant. Yeah. If I could do it, the idea of AUGMENTING my memory with something that is more predictable might be something I would consider. I don't like the idea of trying to integrate organic and inorganic though.

But the idea that it could augment reason or wisdom? Computers have NEVER been known for that. There is a computer that, for the past couple decades, was supposedly at the level of a 2-4 year old. I DOUBT that! A 2 year old is smarter than it lets on. I bet I wouldn't even rate that computer as a ONE year old.

Besides, a human, with ALL the problems with memory, etc... can go from a 2 year old to one of those 10 year olds in a mere 8 years! Why can't a computer with the knowledge of a 1 year old, that includes the ability to learn, and some reasoning, etc... get to a 10 year old in a year? Imagine! *I* didn't have the ability to access the internet when I was 1, or even 10! And there ARE some sites you CAN trust.

A computer could parse an entire course textbook relatively quickly. And IT wouldn't have to STUDY. No info like 3Qsr is needed!

Alas, that part that gives humans the ability to learn and reason has NEVER, so far as I know, been replicated in a computer.

Besides, I can't see anyone with the intelligence to do it being dumb enough to try. It would destroy the computer industry in so many ways and could create DISASTERS, like I.Robot. It is better to just have "expert systems" Kind of idiot savants that do their job VERY well!

Steve