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From Publishers Weekly
Can computers think? What does that question mean? What might the answer portend for human values? Georges treats these questions-long mainstays of discussions among mathematicians, computer scientists, cognitive psychologists, ethicists, science fiction writers and philosophers-thoroughly, if derivatively, using illustrations from Star Trek and other popular science fiction books, television shows and movies. The first half of the book examines the idea of machine intelligence, then moves on to consciousness, emotions, neurosis and moral awareness. The conversation draws heavily on popular accounts by computer pioneers Marvin Minsky and Alan Turing, mathematician Roger Penrose and cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter. The second half of the book explores the social implications of computer intelligence, including whether machines will take over the world. Georges, a former research scientist at the National Bureau of Standards and the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences, bases this part on popular works by astronomer Carl Sagan and biologist Richard Dawkins, and several magazine articles. Essentially a summary of generally believed notions regarding the power of machines, illustrated with pop culture references, the book's strength lies in its blend of comprehensive coverage with straightforward prose.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Don't look now, but the computer across the desk may be plotting against its human creators. An accomplished physicist and science writer, Georges invites nonspecialists to join him in pondering a host of urgent questions: What risks do humans run in letting computers revise their own programs in ways we no longer control or even fully understand? How will humans need to revise their moral codes when superintelligent computers develop consciousness and emotions? Will courts need to prosecute humans who pull the plug on a conscious but defiant computer? Georges' speculative questions require readers to suspend long-held assumptions--many enshrined in religious doctrines--about the metaphysical uniqueness of humans as thinking creatures. But traditional understandings of human dignity and autonomy, Georges warns, can only reinforce social inertia, so delaying the honest discussions needed to revise the cultural covenant between science and society in ways that will ensure that technology serves truly humane and democratic ends. A book certain to spark sharp debate. Bryce Christensen
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Keywords

computer. IA, AI, computation, machine, ethics, politics,