Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!mtxinu!sybase!cosmo!davidvc From: davidvc@cosmo.sybase.com (David Van Couvering) Newsgroups: comp.society.futures Subject: Re: ultra intelligent machines Message-ID: <8014@sybase.sybase.com> Date: 18 Jan 90 00:01:28 GMT References: <733@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk> <13709@s.ms.uky.edu> Sender: news@Sybase.COM Reply-To: davidvc@cosmo.UUCP (David Van Couvering) Organization: Sybase, Inc. Lines: 22 Well, this is always something that has bugged me, because actually it just doesn't make sense that this will happen. I know that the way things are moving and the way technology is developing, there should be no stopping it. But there is a level of life that will not ever come under the control and direction of human-made machines, and it is because of this that I feel this kind of ultra-intelligence is doomed. Call me an idealist or whatever, but to me it's obvious that there is nothing that can keep the human spirit tied down. There may be ultra-intelligent machines, but ones that would take over and overpower humans? For me, that could _never_ happen. Call it a matter of faith. Just presenting another opinion... We're all so ready to be surpassed by machines. Doesn't this reflect an incredibly shallow view of what we think we are? Thanks, David davidvc@sybase.com {pacbell, lll-tis, pyramid, sun}!sybase!davidvc