Click here to Skip to main content
15,892,298 members

Welcome to the Lounge

   

For discussing anything related to a software developer's life but is not for programming questions. Got a programming question?

The Lounge is rated Safe For Work. If you're about to post something inappropriate for a shared office environment, then don't post it. No ads, no abuse, and no programming questions. Trolling, (political, climate, religious or whatever) will result in your account being removed.

 
GeneralRe: AI: Threat or panacea? Pin
Dean Roddey22-May-19 9:41
Dean Roddey22-May-19 9:41 
GeneralRe: AI: Threat or panacea? Pin
Stan Rydz22-May-19 9:53
Stan Rydz22-May-19 9:53 
GeneralRe: AI: Threat or panacea? Pin
Dean Roddey22-May-19 10:00
Dean Roddey22-May-19 10:00 
GeneralRe: AI: Threat or panacea? Pin
Roger Burke20-May-19 19:42
Roger Burke20-May-19 19:42 
GeneralRe: AI: Threat or panacea? Pin
Gerry Schmitz22-May-19 5:25
mveGerry Schmitz22-May-19 5:25 
GeneralRe: AI: Threat or panacea? Pin
Dean Roddey22-May-19 6:30
Dean Roddey22-May-19 6:30 
GeneralRe: AI: Threat or panacea? My position Pin
MikeTheFid22-May-19 7:12
MikeTheFid22-May-19 7:12 
GeneralRe: AI: Threat or panacea? My position Pin
EbenRoux23-May-19 1:02
EbenRoux23-May-19 1:02 
Very interesting topic!

People are a threat to themselves. When people have control over objects that can harm them then they better be careful and focus on what they are up to. This applies as much to AI as to a gun, knife, or a lathe.

I regard AI currently as more of an advanced pattern recognition system and since I have witnessed first hand how the average software developer struggles to even get CSS to jump through the correct hoops I am not too worried about some self-conscious AI going berserk. Of course, if those same programmers are going to be fiddling with code that launches tactical nukes then I would be a bit more worried. I will also be driving my own car for now, thanks Elon.

As you have alluded to there are more fundamental issues that we need to solve before even getting to anything that is going to approximate awareness or, heaven forbid, self-awareness. We know we have matter and we know we have consciousness. If consciousness is as a result of some configuration of matter then it is something we can cook up in a lab. However, if matter was somehow "created" by consciousness or is somehow "experienced" as "real" then it is a whole other affair.

A simple concept such as "size" would seem to me to be problematic. If some mean-spirited self-aware AI were to create robots to annihilate us then exactly how "big" would these be? It would need to understand something that we all take pretty much for granted. It is a similar conundrum with the evolution of wings: how on earth would wings sprout out of no knowledge of how "thick" the air is and how "big" the wings need to be in order to lift the bird? If it is a matter of chance then what records this monumental event in the DNA that produced "wings" that could have the bird fly and then also keep those same wings around in the same configuration? Would another pair of wings not be even better? I mean, we have this in software development: "Oh, a 5 page document resulted in a successful system... then 100 pages would be even better!"

For now I'm quite happy to have AI spot faces and listen to requests for stuff. Especially the voice recognition is handy for kids that can't yet write/type what they are after but they know that they would like to see a "fan collection".
GeneralMilestone Pin
#realJSOP17-May-19 4:36
mve#realJSOP17-May-19 4:36 
GeneralRe: Milestone Pin
honey the codewitch17-May-19 4:57
mvahoney the codewitch17-May-19 4:57 
GeneralRe: Milestone Pin
Mike Hankey17-May-19 6:03
mveMike Hankey17-May-19 6:03 
GeneralRe: Milestone Pin
David A. Gray17-May-19 7:03
David A. Gray17-May-19 7:03 
GeneralRe: Milestone Pin
BillWoodruff18-May-19 21:04
professionalBillWoodruff18-May-19 21:04 
GeneralRe: Milestone Pin
#realJSOP19-May-19 3:42
mve#realJSOP19-May-19 3:42 
GeneralRe: Milestone Pin
BillWoodruff19-May-19 5:05
professionalBillWoodruff19-May-19 5:05 
GeneralThought of the Day Pin
OriginalGriff17-May-19 4:32
mveOriginalGriff17-May-19 4:32 
GeneralRe: Thought of the Day Pin
W Balboos, GHB17-May-19 4:49
W Balboos, GHB17-May-19 4:49 
GeneralRe: Thought of the Day Pin
Daniel Pfeffer17-May-19 5:47
professionalDaniel Pfeffer17-May-19 5:47 
GeneralRe: Thought of the Day Pin
Mike Hankey17-May-19 6:06
mveMike Hankey17-May-19 6:06 
GeneralRe: Thought of the Day Pin
lopatir17-May-19 7:45
lopatir17-May-19 7:45 
GeneralRe: Thought of the Day Pin
DRHuff17-May-19 16:05
DRHuff17-May-19 16:05 
GeneralRe: Thought of the Day Pin
DerekT-P18-May-19 9:29
professionalDerekT-P18-May-19 9:29 
GeneralRe: Thought of the Day Pin
OriginalGriff18-May-19 9:54
mveOriginalGriff18-May-19 9:54 
GeneralJust because you can, doesn't mean you should Pin
honey the codewitch17-May-19 4:00
mvahoney the codewitch17-May-19 4:00 
GeneralRe: Just because you can, doesn't mean you should Pin
Marc Clifton17-May-19 4:10
mvaMarc Clifton17-May-19 4:10 

General General    News News    Suggestion Suggestion    Question Question    Bug Bug    Answer Answer    Joke Joke    Praise Praise    Rant Rant    Admin Admin   

Use Ctrl+Left/Right to switch messages, Ctrl+Up/Down to switch threads, Ctrl+Shift+Left/Right to switch pages.