What to Think About Machines That Think: Today's Leading Thinkers on the Age of Machine Intelligence

by John Brockman

Overview

Weighing in from the cutting-edge frontiers of science, today’s most forward-thinking minds explore the rise of “machines that think.”

Stephen Hawking recently made headlines by noting, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” Others, conversely, have trumpeted a new age of “superintelligence” in which smart devices will exponentially extend human capacities. No longer just a matter of science-fiction fantasy (2001, Blade Runner, The Terminator, Her, etc.), it is time to seriously consider the reality of intelligent technology, many forms of which are already being integrated into our daily lives. In that spirit, John Brockman, publisher of Edge. org (“the world’s smartest website” – The Guardian), asked the world’s most influential scientists, philosophers, and artists one of today’s most consequential questions: What do you think about machines that think?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062425652
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/06/2015
Series:	Edge Question Series
Pages:	576
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.92(d)

About the Author

The publisher of the online science salon Edge.org, John Brockman is the editor of Know This, This Idea Must Die, This Explains Everything, This Will Make You Smarter, and other volumes.

Editorial Reviews

Once again, cultural wizard John Brockman has stirred up the intellectual waters with a provocative question, designed to tease the best out of intellectuals. ... Excellent.” — New Scientist

“An immeasurably stimulating read... exploring the intersection of science, philosophy, technology, ethics, and psychology to unravel some of the most important questions worth asking.” — Brain Pickings

“Lively. ... A satisfying experience for readers looking for thoughtful answers to big questions.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Another stimulating read from Brockman and company.” — Shelf Awareness

From the Publisher

Another stimulating read from Brockman and company.

Shelf Awareness

An immeasurably stimulating read... exploring the intersection of science, philosophy, technology, ethics, and psychology to unravel some of the most important questions worth asking.

Brain Pickings

Once again, cultural wizard John Brockman has stirred up the intellectual waters with a provocative question, designed to tease the best out of intellectuals. ... Excellent.

New Scientist

Once again, cultural wizard John Brockman has stirred up the intellectual waters with a provocative question, designed to tease the best out of intellectuals. ... Excellent.

New Scientist

Lively. ... A satisfying experience for readers looking for thoughtful answers to big questions.

Stephanie Garber

2015-07-08
With This Idea Must Die (2015) barely off the presses, Brockman, editor of the online science salon Edge.org, asked the world's intellectuals for another opinion. They deliver in the latest of the editor's thick compendiums. Occasionally turgid academic prose rarely mars the nearly 200 lively essays (few of which go beyond five pages) on the future of artificial intelligence. Every contributor—scholars, philosophers, artists, scientists, and journalists, including stars such as Freeman Dyson, Stephen Pinker, Brian Eno, and Daniel Dennett—knows that humans can already make a thinking machine in less than a year. Since the process obeys the laws of nature, a thinking computer is possible and, therefore, inevitable. Some observers—but none in this book—predict that Armageddon will follow. Computers only compute. They have no aspirations, and they won't consider eternal questions or their own self-interests unless programmers design them to do so. Most believe that as computers grow smarter, so will humans. That they will enslave us is less likely than that we will internalize their functions. This is already happening—e.g., if we forget our cellphones or the Internet is down, we feel bereft. The oldest contributor, Dyson, grumbles that AI is a trendy subject that receives more attention than it deserves. He points out (and few contributors disagree) that true thinking machines will not appear in the foreseeable future. "If I am wrong, as I often am, any thoughts I might have on the question are irrelevant," he writes. "If I am right, then the whole question is irrelevant." Other contributors include Mario Livio, Sean Carroll, Douglas Coupland, Nicholas Carr, Nina Jablonski, and Maria Popova. A satisfying experience for readers looking for thoughtful answers to big questions.

Kirkus Reviews

Brockman has compiled commentary on the topic of artificial intelligence from more than 175 leading thinkers—scientists, philosophers, and artists—from around the world. Brett Barry and Lisa Larsen split up the narration, with each reading works by authors of their respective genders. Overall, their narrations are solid, and it’s enjoyable to listen to the many unique responses. When they switch back and forth, one feels the anticipation of yet another new idea. Together, they provide solid deliveries and nuance to the often complex thoughts of the authors. However, it can be difficult at times to discern when Barry has reached the end of an essay because his tone lacks the emphasis one expects. L.E. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine

JANUARY 2016 - AudioFile