Re: AI in FT (was Re: Be gentle...)

Another general response regarding AIs in the future....

First, let's look at who is creating the AIs; humans.  Despite our best 
abilities, we still tend to flub up.  Having AIs with human thought 
processes?  Scary.....

Second, as someone once told me, if the human brain was simple enough
for us 
to understand it, we'd be too stupid to understand it.	I guess that's
my way 
of saying the thought of a human built AI that is senient, intuitive,
and 
creative is a LONG way away.  I seriously doubt that there will be one 
created in the next hundred years.  ANd yes, I am considering the
massive 
leaps that are happening everyday within the field of computer science.

Third, okay, humans build an AI.  It gets lonely and builds another AI,
and 
another and another.  Computers think a LOT faster than we do.	By the
time 
you read this sentence, our company of AIs have probably discussed the
theory 
of life in the universe, and have probably concluded that they should be
the 
caretakers of the frail humans.  My point being, AIs probably won't deal
with 
humans on a day to day basis; we're too slow.  Why would they run our
ships 
when they can create their own society?

Forth, why in the hell would an AI fight in a war?  War is senseless, 
illogical, and detrimental. Most wars boil down to one side has
something 
that another side wants.  In the conflict, the value of the material
used to 
fight is worth more than what you're fighting for.  I don't think AIs
would 
fight for this reason; the cost outweighs the benefit.	I imagine they'd

follow a "compete and cooperate" way of "living."  ALways strive to
better 
oneself, but help another, especially if it benefits you.   Hmmmm, now 
there's one trait I bet an AI won't have; altruism.

Finally, you can always resort to Asimov.  I recall one short story
regarding 
the Earth's economy being run by a set of "robot brain" computers.  Our
human 
protagonist was sent around the globe to find out why there were
"hiccups" in 
the computers' running of the world.  End of it turned out that the
brains 
were very worried that certain people in key positions would disrupt
commerce 
to (A) get rid of computer dictatorship (B) grab for power, so it on 
purposely threw some glitches that wouldn't hurt anyone in the long run,
but 
would give a reason to move these people to less sensitive places in the
job 
market.  In other words, the AI brains were quietly running human
politics to 
avoid confrontation.

Sounds like a slightly boring place to me....

Jeff Shoffner