I read GEB a long time ago, followed by "I Am A Strange Loop", and the overarching impression they left on me is that we should focus on emergent behaviour and

I read GEB a long time ago, followed by "I Am A Strange Loop", and the overarching impression they left on me is that we should focus on emergent behaviour and feedback loops, because they seem to be pointing to the direction where "high-minded embodiment of abstraction" probably lives. So instead of believing GEB+IAASL haven't stood the test of time, I prefer to believe that current technology is akin to banging raw power together in hopes of seeing a spark of cool in the minor league of "this AI does this nifty (and maybe useful) thing better than humans" but we haven't yet upgraded to major league of AI choosing their own goals and what ever may emerge from that. (It may be that I'm due for a re-read!)