Ian McEwan’s first “sci-fi” novel, Machines Like Me, published earlier this year, has not been getting the best reviews, but I found it enjoyable to read. I can’t say it was my favorite of his, but he set the bar pretty high with Atonement and On Chesil Beach. As one member of my book club put it, … Continue reading Machines Like Me: How did it REALLY End?
AI
Eidos and AI: What is a Thingamajig?
To understand this post, you might have to read part I and part II on phenomenology and artificial intelligence. The question I'm asking is not: Can computers think? Or: Can AI have consciousness? But: Can meaning "run ahead" for AI the way it does for us? Can we program intentionality, the "about-ness" or "directed-ness" toward … Continue reading Eidos and AI: What is a Thingamajig?
Phenomenology: Cotton Candy or Ripe Fruit for Artificial Intelligence?
Phenomenology is the study and description of experience as it's experienced, without the preconceived notions of what lies behind the experience. "Preconceived notions" can be common sensical or scientific. For more on Husserl's method of arriving at a phenomenological POV, see this. Artificial intelligence is, according to Wikipedia, the intelligence exhibited by machines or software. … Continue reading Phenomenology: Cotton Candy or Ripe Fruit for Artificial Intelligence?
The Imitation Game
Now I have the right to write about The Imitation Game, which I saw in the theaters last night. Spoiler alert. Those of you who read my post about Alan Turing will remember that I expected this portrayal to come across as Sherlock II, and I have to say it mostly did, except Cumberbatch makes … Continue reading The Imitation Game
Diotima's Ladder 