I have alot of doubts about AI (artifical inteligence)--the idea of truly thinking machines. I think that our drive to create these machines is almost a fools errand-- and almost modifier is important.
Alchemy is bunk-- but the work of the alchemist lead the word to a better understanding of chemisty-- and can we change lead into gold? No, but can it be done? Yes-- super nova, and other cosmic forces do it all the time! And we know and understand how, even if we don't yet do it.
AI --if its goal is to make a machine that thinks like a human is bound to fail-- but we humans, become enriched as we learn more and more about how we think-- and what we need to do to-- individually and collectively-- to think better.
In this country-- not to long ago it was "thought" okay to call men of color "boy"-- it is no longer thought acceptable. Have we changed everybody's heart and mind? no, but our change in language (and i don't like PC language-- i mean just generally acceptable language) is the start to changing all of our minds.
Where will our quest for AI lead us? to a more thoughtful society i hope-- but we moved from alchemy, to real chemisty, to physics-- and learned to split the atom-- to change matter in a way alchemist never thought-- and one that has the potential still to destroy our world. AI will bring many changes... i hope better ones than alchemy!
