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What's interesting timing-wise is that by 1999 he published a far-future SF book, A Deepness In the Sky, where that sort of super-AI was a "failed dream"... Ma
by majormajor 4y ago
What's interesting timing-wise is that by 1999 he published a far-future SF book, A Deepness In the Sky, where that sort of super-AI was a "failed dream"...
Maybe the hype had slowed down? But 30 years later it seems potentially realistic again.
- arethuza 4y agoIt's a failed dream for humans - of course anyone who has read AFutD knows that there are plenty of superintelligences in the galaxy - but that they aren't possible where the human society of the Qeng Ho operate. OK You could probably transcend at On Off star - but that's exceptional.
- majormajor 4y agoSure, in-universe that's the explanation, but it's interesting that his 1993 public prediction and 1992 and 1999 novels diverged on that point.
- _yb2s 4y agoThat book is in the Fire Upon the Deep universe, and takes place post singularity! It’s just that in his universe, there are regions of space where the laws of physics make AI impossible, and those are the only regions where biological life forms haven’t been already wiped out.