Defending the Truth

Personally I think computers today cannot think. Computers require programs which are compromised of software that includes "if and then" statements "else" statements, etc. The computer is doing it's purpose just like this web site is doing it's purpose in taking in users posts and entering it into a database to store it on the server.

John Searle is a professor of philosophy at the University of California and he wrote a great piece including Intentionality and The Rediscovery of the Mind which can be summed up here:
Minds, Brains, and Programs

I don't want to say that computers will never have the ability to think because I do feel that in the future, very advanced programs will be written to work with other programs in analyzing and interpreting information...and possibly recording that action so it can be used again if it was useful.

Computers can't think, and that is very simple. Even if it were possible, our most advanced robots aren't smarter than a retarded cockroach.

I think the true question you should be asking is that, will computers have the capacity to think? And more importantly, will they have a concious?

I personally think that we can develope a certain sense of conciousness in a computer or robot in the future. It seems plausible, although probably unlikely for the near future.

Good points. I agree completely!

To design a program or computer chip that allows an AI to have consciousness, and possibly have feelings like pain, love, etc. is something I see possible, but not in my lifetime.

Well then again, scientists are redefining the meaning of "lifetime". In the current coarse of medication, they predict that newborns like from about the 90's until now will probably live to be over 200 years old. And some biologists say we might rather soon discover how to reverse the aging process...so thousands of years would become plausible for one person to live and rather youthful that entire time. That is, so long as you don't die from other physical means (getting shot, falling, etc.).

Although, even if such a magnificent thing is invented before we're too old or before we die, it would probably only be available to the more rich of us. You can see how dangerous capitalism is, in the sense of future technologies. For example, not too far from now, technology and people's bodies can become one. Such technology will help deaf people hear, blind people see, paralyzed walk, and would even help brain productivity, and we could control things with our minds. If such technology is too expensive for some to have, what would end up happening is that there would essentially be two races developing. The superior 'cyborgs' of the old upper class, and the regular humans that have much shorter life-spans and have rather inferior capabilities. Perhaps there will be a new racism, and more genocide. I think that world unity and the abolishment of class is something very important before humans (if they do) become a "Class I Civilization" (as scientists organize civilizations into three classes according to their energy usage and their technologies).

I think the 21st Century is the most important century in the history of human civilization. It will be the testament of us reaching a Type I Civilization, and paradise on earth. There are the dangers of nuclear war or other natural disasters. We will reach the point of Type I in this century. It is likely that you and I will survive to see that happen if it does. If it doesn't, then the human race will fail, be it some self-destructing cause or natural. All of the responsibility is on us. This is the most interesting time we could possibly have been born in. We are lucky, but we must accept our responsibility.

Computers cannot think. They can only do what they are programmed to do. Reasoning is not one of the things computers can do. Also, I agree they cannot have a conscience. In that regard, they do have one thing in common with some people.

hahaha That cracked me up!

Shut up! Shut up!
He is real
real i say... real!!



Seriously though.... computers will get to the point where they start to write their own code. At some point these computers are going to become "alive". A unique personality that relies on its components just like we rely on our organs.

Honestly I can see it happening. A computer observes certain actions, computes the probability of the outcome, takes action, then stores that action in history by writing it to memory.

The Cylons were created by Man.They Rebelled.They Evolved.They Look and Feel Human.Some are programmed to think they are Human.There are many copies.And they have a Plan.

Guys!
All I know is that if computers can get viruses, they must be alive!

OD