No. Or perhaps, sadly, no. Even with fantastic enhances in computing power,
2000 looks not that different then 1950. There may have been a greater
change in the political realities from 1900-1950, then from 1950-2000. Is
there a "take-off" point where the computational power becomes self aware and
qualia kicks in? I am because I feel and think? I wouldn't be surprised if
it took 2 centuries of computer advances beyond 2100 for Spiritual Robots to
set up shop. But then I am certain by then my pension fund will have run dry.
In a message dated 3/26/00 11:27:47 PM Pacific Standard Time,
zero_powers@hotmail.com writes:
<< A Stanford Symposium organized by Douglas Hofstadter
FREE and open to the public
April 1, 2000, 1pm - 5:30. TCSEQ room 200.
(Parking in "A" lots OK on Saturdays)
Primary speakers:
Ray Kurzweil (inventor of reading machine for the blind, electronic
keyboards, etc., and author of "The Age of Spiritual Machines")
Hans Moravec (a pioneer of mobile robot research, and author of "Robot: Mere
Machine to Transcendent Mind")
Bill Joy (co-founder of, and chief scientist at, SUN Microsystems)
John Holland (inventor of genetic algorithms, and artificial-life pioneer;
professor of computer science and psychology at the U. of Michigan)
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/symbol/Hofstadter-event.html
See you there!!
-Zero >>
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