Will Computers Revolt?
Preparing for the Future of Artificial Intelligence
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
“Do you believe that future thinking machines are likely within our lifetimes?” After reading this book, the emphatic answer is, “Yes. Let’s get prepared!” Easy to read, well researched, provocative and written in layman’s language by Charles J. Simon, a uniquely qualified nationally-recognized computer software/hardware expert and neural network software pioneer. For those imagining the future directions of computer intelligent technology, this book gives readers an excellent place to start. Many real-world examples are included for the layman with enough technical detail for the computer expert.
“The march of technology will eventually lead to computers with more processing power than the human brain,” says the author, Charles Simon. This book demonstrates intelligence in terms of a number of specific behaviors which are clearly necessary components of thinking and explains how each is not only possible in future computers, but inevitable. By analyzing intelligence in this way, it becomes obvious that computers with these abilities will appear to be intelligent entities.
Also, the book shows how the descendants of today's super computer applications will manifest intelligence when running on computers a million times faster than today’s. A concise logical argument is presented that various algorithms (such as those for speech-recognition, vision, simulation, goal-seeking and learning) which have limited application today but will be expanded across parallel-processing systems and will create the appearance of reasoned decision-making and cognizance in future machines.
“This future is inevitable,” Charles Simon, said. “Each of the described components of intelligence will be developed on its own because it will make a definite improvement to applications we are using today. For example, the text-based language processing capabilities are being developed in order to make Internet searching more useful. Similarly, improvements in speech-recognition, robotics and virtual reality will lead to many other components of intelligence for computers.”
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Simon makes a welcome contribution to the literature on artificial intelligence that benefits from his technical expertise, acquired writing software for neurological test equipment. This background, and Simon's penchant for philosophical inquiry, allows this relatively short book to be remarkably thorough in considering various implications of AI. At the beginning, Simon asks readers to consider a thought experiment if all one's neurons were replaced with identical but artificial neurons, would one be the same person? Simon goes on to consider the hypothetical science of intelligent thinking machines from multiple angles and possible outcomes. Chief among his numerous conclusions is his certainty that "intelligent thinking machines are not only possible but inevitable." At the midway point, he takes a lengthy but useful digression into basic neuroscience and evolutionary biology, in order to show how little separates the human brain from a computer. Simon ends by predicting four possible scenarios for a world with intelligent thinking machines; these range from an apocalyptic societal meltdown to the negotiation of robot rights. The appealing blend of philosophy and hard science from a thoughtful writer with a knack for bringing the esoteric down to earth will be a treat for readers with questions about AI's possibilities and potential. (BookLife)
