raza@cs.hw.ac.uk (Z. Raza Hussain) (01/16/90)
"ultra intelligent machines when they evolve, will keep us on as pets!" This is a topic i have to research as part of my course work, does anyone out there on the net have any viewpoints/opinions/beliefs in this topic ? if so, i would really appreciate it if they would let me know either by e-mail or through further discussion of this topic on the net (in the near future, i'm really pushed for time!). thanks in advance. Raza Hussain janet : raza@uk.ac.hw.cs computer science, arpanet : raza@cs.hw.ac.uk heriot watt uni., Edinburgh uucp : ..ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!raza
sccowan@watmsg.waterloo.edu (S. Crispin Cowan) (01/17/90)
In article <730@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!" Since this assertion is entirely speculative, and based only on very loose assumptions about the future of technology, I feel that it is best explored in the realm of science fiction. Fred Saberhagen (I think) started this concept with the _Berzerker_ series, in which he postulates the existance of a self-replicating group of machines, built as war robots eons ago by a long-dead race, who may have been killed off by their own robots. The objective of this group (race?) of machines is to wipe out life-kind, who they view as threatening. The ultimate virus. For a more recient treatment, check out _Ocean of Night_, _Across the Sea of Suns_, (title I forget), and _Tides of Light_, by Gregory Benford (who is a scientist, I believe a physicist), where he examines the same sceneario in more depth, examining technological and evolutionary issues in more depth, with less smash-'em action. >Raza Hussain janet : raza@uk.ac.hw.cs >computer science, arpanet : raza@cs.hw.ac.uk >heriot watt uni., Edinburgh uucp : ..ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!raza ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (S.) Crispin Cowan, CS grad student, University of Waterloo Office: DC3548 x3934 Home phone: 570-2517 Post Awful: 60 Overlea Drive, Kitchener, N2M 1T1 UUCP: watmath!watmsg!sccowan Domain: sccowan@watmsg.waterloo.edu "The most important question when any new computer architecture is introduced is `So what?'" -someone on comp.arch (if it was you, let me know & I'll credit it)