Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!umd5!uvaarpa!mcnc!decvax!decwrl!hplabs!otter!cdfk
From: cdfk@otter.hple.hp.com (Caroline Knight)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: Re: The future of AI [was Re: Time Magazine -- Computers of the Future]
Message-ID: <2070011@otter.hple.hp.com>
Date: 29 Mar 88 14:24:11 GMT
References: <962@daisy.UUCP>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Lines: 34

Whatever the far future uses of AI are we can try to make the
current uses as humane and as ethical as possible. I actually
believe that AI in its current form should complement humans 
not make them redundant. It should increase the skill of the 
person doing the job by doing those things which are boring
or impractical for humans but possible for computers.

This is the responsibility mostly of people doing applications
but can also form the focus of research. When sharing a job
with a computer which tasks are best automated and which best 
given to the human - not just which is it possible to automate!
Then the research can move on to how to automate those that it
is desirable to have autmoated instead of simply trying to show 
how clever we all are in mimicking "intelligence".

Perhaps computers will free people up so that they can go back
to doing some of the tasks that we currently have machines do
- has anyone thought of it that way?  

And if we are going to do people out of jobs then we'd better
start understanding that a person is still valuable even if 
they do not do "regular work". 
How can AI actually improve life for 
those that are made jobless by it? Can we improve on previous
revolutions by NOT treading rough shod over the people that 
are displaced?

Either that or prepare to give up our world to the machines -
perhaps thats why we are not looking after it very carefully!

Caroline Knight

What I say is said on my own behalf - it is not a statement of
company policy.