Age of Robots

[Thunderfall]

Robots will soon take over the world:

Sony robot sings, dances and isn't cheap
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/03/19/sony.robot.ap/index.html

We are doomed.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

Robots will soon take over the world:

Sony robot sings, dances and isn't cheap
http://www.cnn.com/2002/TECH/ptech/...t.ap/index.html

We are doomed

I'm not sure how serious you are TF, but for anyone interested in that kind of stuff I'd recommend a couple of books:

The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence
by Ray Kurzweil Here at Amazon.com

Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendant Mind
by Hans P. Moravec Here at Amazon.com

 

[Greadius]

Originally posted by Sparrowhawk
The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Machines Exceed Human Intelligence
by Ray Kurzweil

Our Lady Peace put out a great album modeled after that book, with Mr. Kurzweil reading short excerpts between songs

But, uhm... soon rule the world? How many people that think that have complained about the Civ3 AI?
The most intelligent humans have never come close to ruling the entire world... yet we think robots will be capable of it 'soon'?

The human brain is so complex that humans are incapable of reproducing its effects in a robot.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

The human brain is so complex that humans are incapable of reproducing its effects in a robot.

That may be true, it's hard to say. The question is, can we build an AI/Robot that can learn to build an AI/Robot that approximates human intelligence, and what can that AI/Robot learn to build?

 

[damunzy]

Asimov (sp?) is a good one to read if you want some evil robots books. Well, the robots aren't evil but people treat them as if they are b/c they stole jobs and such. Good old sci-fi books.

 

[Sparrowhawk]

Asimov really got into the workings of a society in which both humans and intelligent robots coexisted.

However, when it comes to Sci-Fi and AI, I would have to say William Gibson is the best. And that's not just because he's from Vancouver and I am also from the coast. For a vision of AI exceeding human intelligence, I would recommend:

Neuromancer
Burning Chrome
Mona Lisa Overdrive

 

[Globber]

Our Lady Peace put out a great album modeled after that book, with Mr. Kurzweil reading short excerpts between songs

Radiohead did a better one, with OK Computer...Fitter Happier, 7th track, is just creepy...

And...of course...Aurthur C. Clarke's HAL9000... the epitomy of what can go wrong with computers a bit too smart

 

[Greadius]

Originally posted by Globber
Radiohead did a better one, with OK Computer...Fitter Happier, 7th track, is just creepy...

Is OK Computer modeled on that book too?
Our Lady Peace got the guys voice on the album though, officially sectioned
I agree its probably a better album though, but they're like apples and oranges.

 

[Shabbaman]

Originally posted by PaleHorse76
Asimov (sp?) is a good one to read if you want some evil robots books. Well, the robots aren't evil but people treat them as if they are b/c they stole jobs and such. Good old sci-fi books.

No, but they created Gaia and yadiyadiyada blah blah blah...

By the way, a singing robot, how annoying could it be??

No, really.

AAAAAAAAAARGH!! Attack of the microwave-ovens!!!

 

[Lab Monkey]

I also loved William Gibson's vision of AI in 'Neuromancer'.

Has anyone here read Iain .M. Banks' Culture novels? Excession, Use of Weapons, etc? Now there's some good visions of a sybiotic human/ machine society. He's worth reading even if your not interested in this stuff.

Douglas Adams always had a realistic view of science fiction and of robots. If you want an accurate prediction of the future (and an accurate analysis of the present), read the five books in the Hitchhikers trilogy.

Also, it's sort of connected to robotics and cyberpunk, but try and find a copy of the 'Lazarus Churchyard' comic book by Warren Ellis and D'isreli. Very dark, very sick, very funny.

 

[SuperR]

Ooooh....Neuromancer really confused me, as I had to re-read it twice before grasping all the main ideas. An excellent book nonetheless, picturing the future as a "television tuned to a dead channel" or something like that.

 

[goodbye_mr_bond]

Originally posted by Greadius
But, uhm... soon rule the world? How many people that think that have complained about the Civ3 AI?

Good point...

 

[Dexter]

Robots will probably never rule the world but they will walk among us someday.

Although I did see this thing on TV where this guy said that in the year 2035 technology would overcome, or sumthing along those lines.

Infact one of my many ambitions in life is to create the first ever android. That would be very cool!!

 

[goodbye_mr_bond]

Originally posted by Dexter
Although I did see this thing on TV where this guy said that in the year 2035 technology would overcome, or sumthing along those lines.

Oh, well then, it must be true!

But seriously, technology will only 'overcome' in the sense that we will become more and more integrated with it. I think this trend is obvious already and will only continue. And what's more, it's a good thing.

Designer babies, youth-prolonging enhancements, brain-boosting technology, it's all coming. And not a moment too soon, either. As events in the Middle East and elsewhere have shown us recently, we all need a little brain-boosting, methinks.