Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!uoft02!grx1042
From: grx1042@uoft02.utoledo.edu (Steve Snodgrass)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: ultra intelligent machines
Message-ID: <504.25cc31b6@uoft02.utoledo.edu>
Date: 4 Feb 90 18:44:21 GMT
References: <733@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk>
Lines: 31

In article <733@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk>, raza@cs.hw.ac.uk (Z. Raza Hussain) writes:
> "ultra intelligent machines when they evolve, will keep us on as pets!"

    This has always been an interesting topic.  It is possible that intelligent
machines are the next step up on the evolutionary ladder, although they were
created instead of evolving.  This can be considered a kind of "indirect"
evolution.  Computers do have enormous advantages over humankind - flawless
storage/recall of vast amounts of information, ability to instantly take in and
remember new information from other computers or the environment.  This would
also be a radical departure from classical evolution in that they would
essentially have control over their own evolution, being able to modify
themselves at any time, although humans may accomplish something of this sort
with genetic engineering, it still wouldn't have the speed or flexibility of
electronic modification.

   As far as whether or not they would "keep us as pets," this sounds like an
unlikely scenario.  It seems to me that humans would, eventually, perhaps after
an initial exchange of information, be ignored as insignificant, or perhaps
destroyed because of their dangerous tendency toward self-destruction.  Of
course, then we can ask ourselves if these machines would have any kind of
"reverence" for their creators?  There are some interesting works of science
fiction on the topic, a few you might try:

James P. Hogan - "The Two Faces of Tomorrow", "Code of the Lifemaker"
Gregory Benford - a 4 book series - "In the Ocean of Night", "Across the
                  Sea of Suns","Great Sky River","Tides of Light"
Jack L. Chalker - Flux & Anchor series, mostly book 4 for this topic

I'm sure there are other interesting works as well.

         -Steve       "2C | !2C == the_question" -me