From: Charles D Hixson (charleshixsn@earthlink.net)
Date: Mon Aug 07 2006 - 09:40:30 MDT
Charles D Hixson wrote:
> Richard Loosemore wrote:
>>
>> While I am on the subject, would anyone be interested in giving me
>> their thoughts about *positive* examples of fictional AI?
>>
>> What I mean is, how many times have SF writers (whether in written or
>> movie form) created fictional futures in which the AI was not the
>> villain?
>>
>> And within that category, in how many of the cases was the AI
>> portrayed as having equal or superior intelligence (instead of
>> turning out to be just a glorified calculator that could be
>> outsmarted by outmaneuvering its logic circuits)? I am less
>> interested in these.
>>
>> The only notable examples I can think of are Iain M. Banks Culture
>> books, and Asimov's benign robots (who, if I recall correctly, tend
>> to be of the less-than-human-equivalent sort).
>>
>> Lem's creations might count, but he is a little surreal.
>>
>> Richard Loosemore
>>
> Valentina, Soul in Sapphire comes to mind. Also check out Piers
> Antony's Robot Adept series (though I haven't read it). Also the
> robots in Clifford Simak's City.
> OTOH, an interesting point is that I've never encountered a fictional
> artificial intelligence that wasn't obviously human except a few
> robots...and they were human except for intentional limitations. (Not
> too surprising when you consider that most aliens of any kind are
> humans wearing a strange costume.)
> N.B.: This is NOT what an artificial intelligence will be like, even
> if we were to try hard to create it in that image.
Minerva and Athena in Heinlein's Time Enough for Love and Mike in his
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress.
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