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> What do we want? Make some scifi become real? No, we just want helpful machines. I think you underestimate the desire for mankind to create something that re

> What do we want? Make some scifi become real? No, we just want helpful machines. I think you underestimate the desire for mankind to create something that resembles itself. It's a very old myth, and IIRC some traces of it can be found as far away as in Greek mythology. And it can be found here and there towards modern times, from Frankenstein to Metropolis or Terminator. There's a reason why Science-Fiction is such a significant portion of modern literature and why this theme is a major part of it. It has a powerful appeal. You say we want helpful machines, but how many of the machines we create are more toys than tools? Even a machine that would be as smart as a dog would probably be extremely lucrative as it would be sold as a pet. Slightly more intelligent it would be used as a domestic helper or a companion. I would even go as far as saying that for some people, the ultimate goal of AI is to replace the human body, including the brain, by artificial counterparts that would free them from the pitfalls of a biological existence.

pdkl95 11y ago
> from Frankenstein to Metropolis or Terminator Rossum’s Universal Robots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R.
- adrianN 11y ago
  The earliest example I know are Golems from jewish folklore. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem
  - pdkl95 11y ago
    The Golem certainly had an impact on culture. However, R.U.R. is especially interesting because it coined the word "robot". From the Wikipedia entry: In Czech, robota means forced labour of the kind that serfs had to perform on their masters' lands, and is derived from rab, meaning "slave." We aren't just creating in our own image; the creations are "slaves", intended to do work on our order. This is included in the Golem legend, which I suspect could be interpreted as an ancient desire for automation.
gbog 11y ago
That's a point, robots as toys. But then it's just some advanced puppet, all the fuss about AI can't be just aiming so low. And the propension of human kind to create life is real but it's more fruitful in biology, with clones and so on. Robots are machines. To me there's a gap, it is another realm, the most advanced robot will never compare to the stupidest human or even a dog.

pdkl95 11y ago

> from Frankenstein to Metropolis or Terminator Rossum’s Universal Robots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R.U.R.

adrianN 11y ago
The earliest example I know are Golems from jewish folklore. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golem
- pdkl95 11y ago
  The Golem certainly had an impact on culture. However, R.U.R. is especially interesting because it coined the word "robot". From the Wikipedia entry: In Czech, robota means forced labour of the kind that serfs had to perform on their masters' lands, and is derived from rab, meaning "slave." We aren't just creating in our own image; the creations are "slaves", intended to do work on our order. This is included in the Golem legend, which I suspect could be interpreted as an ancient desire for automation.

gbog 11y ago

That's a point, robots as toys. But then it's just some advanced puppet, all the fuss about AI can't be just aiming so low. And the propension of human kind to create life is real but it's more fruitful in biology, with clones and so on. Robots are machines. To me there's a gap, it is another realm, the most advanced robot will never compare to the stupidest human or even a dog.