Are We Spiritual Machines?: Ray Kurzweil vs. the Critics of Strong AI by Ray Kurzweil

Are We Spiritual Machines?: Ray Kurzweil vs. the Critics of Strong AI Reviews

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  Scott Lerch

  This is an excellent follow up to Ray Kurzweil's Are We Spiritual Machines. It clearly represents the critics of strong A.I. with Kurzweil taking on each in turn. After reading this I was even more convinced computers can and will possess the ability to exceed humans in any activity. The critics are grasping for straws and either don't understand the subject matter or feel threatened. Maybe the issue is they fear that it will be us versus them when computers become intelligent, but Ray Kurzweil sees it as an evolution of man, not some alien intelligence invasion. There is no reason to assume machine intelligence will be created in our image with our current knowledge, morals, and understanding of the universe. Some argue it is impossible that man can conceive and create something greater than itself since it’s confined to its own limited intelligence. That may be true, but it’s not one individual creating A.I. it’s an entire advanced civilization. I guess then it was just a ridiculous when the first single celled organisms “decided” to band together and create complex multi-cellular organisms that would one day fly to the moon. It’s time people take Ray Kurzweil arguments seriously and prepare for future of intelligent machines.
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  gem

  Some of Kurzweil's critics take themselves a bit too seriously, but there were still lots of fantastic ideas in this book.
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  Paul Mamani

  Computers are becoming more powerful at an ever-increasing rate, but will they ever become conscious? Artificial intelligence guru Ray Kurzweil thinks so and explains how we will "download" our software (our minds) and "upgrade" our hardware (our bodies) to become immortal -- before the dawn of the 22nd century. In this debate with his critics, including several Discovery Institute Fellows, Kurzweil defends his views and sets the stage for the central question: "What does it mean to be human?"
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  Peter

  Searle is an ignorant asshole, Dembski is insane, Thomas Ray is awesome and I want to read more of his stuff. I forgot what I thought of Denton.
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  Kathy

  Kurzweil responds to his critics. A thoughtful debate.