Computer Stupidity
New Scientist: Whatever happened to machines that think?22 years in the making, common sense ai engine "Cyc" to be released into the wild (public internet) this year to learn from mistakes. Promises to be a breakthrough in computer comprehension. The article has a nice quick history of AI, too. (via
wmmna)
Less of a breakthrough--and quite possibly a regression--is this freaky
facial expression robot meant to teach preschoolers. (via
wmmna)
Ok, I've been a believer in a-better-world-through-AI as long as I can remember, but I only recently started to think about this potential side effect: the smarter computers get, the dumber we become. It's like (but isn't) a zero-sum intelligence game. For example, some studies show that
email use reduces IQ by 10 points (marajuana use dropped IQ only by 6 points), and
computer use in school and home actually hurts intellectual development in kids. (via
Slashdot) Of course, this just represents average use, and any young geek will be smarter for having hacked his computer (and anyone who knows how to manage emails will be less stupefied by "You got mail!"). The problem is automation, not computers in themselves. With Longhorn's
"It Just Works" philosophy coming soon, I think this spells trouble. Another reason to promote Linux (and to keep Linux a stripped-down command-line interface).
from the Register article (above):
"The pervasive use of advanced technologies and their low cost have reduced hands-on experiences for children, including the simple but overwhelmingly rewarding experience of taking things apart and putting them back together. Without this, technology becomes a mystery, leading to a perspective that might well be called 'magic consciousness'," observe the Alliance for Childhood authors.
"This consciousness is a perversion of the magical enchantment that naturally pervades a child’s world and is too quickly destroyed by adult insistence on viewing the world mechanically."
Shades of Jim Williamson and Hejduk, don't you think?
