Artificial General Intelligence Is Not as Imminent as You Might Think

scientificamerican.com

4 pointspseudolus4 comments

A computer is a box of binary silicon switches which serves as a logic playback device. This is all it does.

It's a useful tool to be sure but it is about as intelligent as a hammer.

Until we can logically define "intelligence", we have no way to program a computer to reproduce it. Stuffing more and more switches and logic into the box and hoping that somehow real "intelligence" will just pop out is pure cult fantasy.

I really like the debate around this. Everything from "humans are just organic machines" all the way to "we are really special" climaxing at panpsychism.

I am personally on the "we are not that special" part of the spectrum. I wander, what about the rest of HN crowd?

We aren’t special. As a hedonistic utilitarian, I look forward to an AI someday replacing us and experiencing the universe in a greater capability than humans ever could.

If as you say we are not special then it is likely that some other sentient beings have progressed faster than us and have already done this. Not sure how we should respond to that.

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