OFFLINE

All hail Watson, the champion of Jeopardy!'s "man vs. machine" competition.

The IBM supercomputer defeated former Jeopardy! champions Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter on Wednesday night after earning $77,147 over the course of the three-day tournament.  Jennings earned a total of $24,000, and Rutter earned $21,600.

Once Wednesday's game reached "Final Jeopardy," Jennings seemed to sense that Watson had the victory in the bag.  As part of his response to the "Final Jeopardy" "answer," Jennings wrote, "I for one welcome our new computer overlords."

The tournament provided a big boost to Jeopardy!'s ratings.  Monday's edition of the long-running quiz show was the highest-rated in four years, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

we've seen this movie before, and it doesn't end well for humanity. they've sold us out all in the name of ratings. once this thing gets hooked up to skynet, we're toast.

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:

we've seen this movie before, and it doesn't end well for humanity. they've sold us out all in the name of ratings. once this thing gets hooked up to skynet, we're toast.

lol!

We're a long way from seeing batallions of silvery Schwarzeneggers running around.  

Still, I watched and was stunned by how Watson did.  Think about it ... not only did he have to come up with the right questions, I think it's astounding how he even understood the answers.  That kind of technology is unbelievably difficult to develop.

OFFLINE

Geeze Wizzzzz, we're working harder on making computers smarter than we are in making humans smarter

OFFLINE

I mean, I'm impressed, but I'm not sure I like the idea of, for example, the next generation of college professors or high school teachers being computers.

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Shawn Ishness:
Geeze Wizzzzz, we're working harder on making computers smarter than we are in making humans smarter

That's because the former's easier.

Computers don't talk back or skip school.  And they always do their homework, precisely in the manner you instruct them.

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Scott Terry:

Originally Posted by Shawn Ishness:
Geeze Wizzzzz, we're working harder on making computers smarter than we are in making humans smarter

That's because the former's easier.

Computers don't talk back or skip school.  And they always do their homework, precisely in the manner you instruct them.

I think for now it's easier. But given what's been accomplished thus far, it seems quite likely that digital personality will eventually evolve. I wish I could remember Spock's line in the episode of the super computer on The Enterprise.

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Shawn Ishness:

Originally Posted by Scott Terry:

Originally Posted by Shawn Ishness:
Geeze Wizzzzz, we're working harder on making computers smarter than we are in making humans smarter

That's because the former's easier.

Computers don't talk back or skip school.  And they always do their homework, precisely in the manner you instruct them.

I think for now it's easier. But given what's been accomplished thus far, it seems quite likely that digital personality will eventually evolve. I wish I could remember Spock's line in the episode of the super computer on The Enterprise.

"Computers make excellent and efficient servants, but I have no wish to serve under them.  Captain, a starship also runs on loyalty to one man.  And nothing can replace it or him."

And the other one that's kind spooky ...

"Every living thing wants to survive."

But it goes well beyond computers on this side of the room and mankind on the other.

Check out the genius, Ray Kurzweil and "The Singularity".  He's predicting 2045 as the year when computer superintelligence will be achieved, but not only as computer entities, also as the merging of man and machine.

"We are the Borg."

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Scott Terry:
Check out the genius, Ray Kurzweil and "The Singularity".  He's predicting 2045 as the year when computer superintelligence will be achieved, but not only as computer entities, also as the merging of man and machine.

"We are the Borg."

I saw a special on Hulu some time ago where it was suggested that with the use of nanobot technology, we're uploaded to a computer, and then we essentially become the computer. This then enables the continuity and evolution of humanity, and our ability to travel through space to more suitable planets once Earth is no longer inhabitable for human life.

In all honesty, I don't want to become a computer. In the move The 6th Day, it was demonstrated what happens when a person is 'cloned' to a 'blank' I think they called it. The clone is a replant, which also means it possess all the personality, behaviors, dysfunctions, etc, of what it was cloned from. And of what it's cloned from is still alive, then what? Are we pitted against ourselves?

I dunno, this just resonates with me very poorly.

OFFLINE

well, in a merging between humanity and machine, what becomes the weakest and most redundant part? us.

OFFLINE

A recent article ... "A Fight to Win the Future: Computers vs. Humans"

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/science/15essay.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

OFFLINE

many futurists see machines as the next "evolutionary" step of humanity.

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Dødherre Mørktre:
many futurists see machines as the next "evolutionary" step of humanity.

It's called "transhuminism."

I'm lucky enough to be able to participate in some online discussion groups with the world's greatest scientists regarding "AGI" or "Artificial General Intelligence"  and most of them are Kurzweil devotees and transhumanists.

Actually, I don't participate ... I keep my yap shut tight.  These folks are so far ahead of me that I can only listen and try to absorb.

OFFLINE

Another really good article in Time that just came out a few days ago.

"2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal"

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2048138,00.html

OFFLINE

Originally Posted by Shawn Ishness:
I mean, I'm impressed, but I'm not sure I like the idea of, for example, the next generation of college professors or high school teachers being computers.

don't think we'll ever see computers walk out of the classromms taking the kids with them to protest salary cutbacks....

OFFLINE