4 ms·
The writer missed one of the most interesting points of the Dune future history: it is one that rejected machine intelligence, and relies only on human abilitie
by ableal 11y ago
The writer missed one of the most interesting points of the Dune future history: it is one that rejected machine intelligence, and relies only on human abilities (however augmented by training, drugs and mystical handwaving).
The original Dune books mentioned, as part of the past, a war against AIs called the Butlerian Jihad, which humans somehow won. Frank Herbert's son later wrote it up in three prequel books.
This is very much against the grain of 1960s and later SF, which, when not ignoring the issue, largely developed into a range of AI friendly views going from blithely assuming machine submission (most SF) up to admitting that humans would be the amusing pets of AIs (e.g. Iain M. Banks and Neal Asher).
On the hostile side, there were dystopian stories that posited human persecution and extermination by machines, but I can't remember off-hand another major SF setting where AI was achieved and beaten back.
- jon-wood 11y agoThe shunning of computers is probably the aspect I found most interesting at first. Are the Butlerian Jihad books actually any good? I'd love to read more about it, but I don't want to ruin my love of the universe with some shoddy fan fiction, even if it is written by Herbert's son.
- tunap 11y agoI read one BH/KJA book and it's name/content is not worthy of recollection. Horrible, fourth grade reading level stuff, IMO. The Butlerian Jihad was very intriguing to me, as well. As a youth I found it hard to imagine such extremes that would bring about such a rejection of technology and it's benefits. At 45yo, however, I find the drawbacks of modern systems have become too 'costly' to my person and am embarking upon my own cleansing of over-bearing, insinuating devices in my life. Cupertino, Redmond or Mt. View(any Corp, for that matter) will never be allowed to become my masters, my moocher bff nor my nanny beyond a static, transactional relationship. Despite what the marketeers would have me believe, they are doing me no favors entrenching further dependence to their systems. Long live the fighters!
- walterbell 11y ago> the drawbacks of modern systems have become too 'costly' In terms of distraction, privacy, nudging or something else? > cleansing of over-bearing, insinuating devices in my life Are you eliminating apps which send data to 3rd-parties, with something like ownCloud or Synology?
- eli_gottlieb 11y agoWell, I do have to admit, if human beings can develop literal future-sight when using a specific drug in ways that non-biological, not-specifically-human computing hardware simply can't replicate, then I could imagine humanity fighting a jihad against AI and winning.