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Douglas Hofstadter Looks At the Future

Posted by timothy on from the postponing-the-singularity dept.

An anonymous reader writes with a link to this "detailed and fascinating interview with Douglas Hofstadter (of Gödel Escher Bach fame) about his latest book, science fiction, Kurzweil's singularity and more ... Apparently this leading cognitive researcher wouldn't want to live in a world with AI, since 'Such a world would be too alien for me. I prefer living in a world where computers are still very very stupid.' He also wouldn't want to be around if Kurzweil's ideas come to pass, since he thinks 'it certainly would spell the end of human life.'"

9 of 387 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Hail to the robots by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I, for one, welcome... oh nevermind.

  2. Overlords? by CarAnalogy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hofstadter, for one, does _not_ welcome our new AI overlords.

  3. Re:I liked "I am a Strange Loop" by e2d2 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Sould shards?

    NERF LOCKS!

  4. Re:Singularity is naive by pitchpipe · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ho ho ho, those silly AI researchers. Anyone with a brain (not their AI haha) knows that evolution has produced the pinnacle of intelligence with it's intelligent design. Along with the best flying machines, land traveling machines, ocean going machines, chess players, mining machines, war machines, space faring machines, etc, etc, etc. Will they never stop trying to best evolution only to be shown up time and again?

    --
    Look where all this talking got us, baby.
  5. Re:Hail to the robots by maxume · · Score: 2, Funny

    That's because your're drunk.

    Or would you like to show us all a group of children that could produce an atomic weapon given a few years and a few billion dollars?

    --
    Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
  6. Re:Singularity is naive by William+Baric · · Score: 4, Funny

    I am already surrounded by technology I do not understand. What would be the difference for me?

  7. Re:Singularity is naive by exp(pi*sqrt(163)) · · Score: 4, Funny

    Does the technology that you already have point a gun at you and say "Fuck you asshole?" before shooting you? That's the difference.

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    Doesn't it make you feel good to know that our freedoms are protected by politicans, lawyers and journalists.
  8. In Soviet Singularity by Pope · · Score: 1, Funny

    robotic overlords welcome YOU!

    --
    It doesn't mean much now, it's built for the future.
  9. Re:Singularity is naive by Patrik_AKA_RedX · · Score: 4, Funny

    The brain is a wonderful machine. A large chunk of it can be seriously damaged, yet the whole can still work without major trouble.
    You're apply a special case in a general form. What you say only applies to lawyers and RIAA/MPAA employees. Most of the normal people do have trouble functing with half their brains removed. The sole reason the former mentioned peons can take so much braindamage is because they are used to think with their asses. The sole function of their brain is to keep their heads warm. So when you spot someone wearing a hat, you'll know who he works for and what happend to him.