So today in class we talked about humans and if we were obsolete. Are we only here for a special purpose and once we are done with that is that the end for us. When we go to the store we often purchase things that we know will not last us forever. When a maker makes something it only last for a certain amount of time. The stuff often only last for as long as the manufacturer said it would after that most of the times the thing start to give you problems. For example when we go out and buy a car the manufacturer offers a warranty for up to a certain amount of miles but after that it begins to break down. Ones it has reached that point that they have given you warranty for the car begins to need parts changed or little touch up here and there. While listening to all this the idea that first popped in my head was that of our race the human race being replaced. I began to think that is it that we are obsolete just like machines and cars. Are we going to come to and end and be replaced by something else? Are we going to reach to the point when we are out of date and something else is in complete control?
All of this kept me thinking about how machines are getting to powerful and one day are going to be able to think. I know it sounds kind of crazy but maybe is not. Maybe we are making machines to smart maybe in the future they will be able to think for themselves, I think that if that happens then that will be the time when we come to an end. Just like we do to machines now it will be done to us.
What will happen to us in the future? Everyday we wake up and do something we decide what to do. We have the freedom to make choices or at least we think we do. But are we making the best choice or are all the choices we are making today the wrong choices. Are they going to come back and bit us in the ass? Are we becoming obsolete? Are we making our selves come to and end?
Deni Stritch | 05-Nov-06 at 7:19 pm | Permalink
In your last paragraph, you seem to question whether humans will someday build enough intelligent machines that they may take over, and essentially destroy the human ability of free will. We have debated free will in class a lot, and I feel it is a topic that keeps coming up in everything we discuss. As to your question, I do not think it is possible. I think a good example of what you fear is the movie I Robot, which is a good representation of what you are talking about because the robot is made so well to know what they humans want and need they eventually develop the ability to learn, and an instinct takes over to have them thinking they must do what is right for the human, no matter what that human thinks.
I don’t think this is a feasible possibility because while it is quite possible that we, as a race, have a tendency to get overzealous with our inventions and technology advancements, the difference between a machine and a human is that they can always be taken apart. It is quite possible to argue that computers/machines do think, and they do care, and all the other questions we have debated in class, while citing the one difference is that it is much easier to take apart a robot than it is to kill a human.
I do not think we will ever lose our free will, therefore, we will never become obsolete.
Randi Burns | 07-Nov-06 at 4:48 pm | Permalink
I agree with Deni. I dont think we will end because there will always be at least one person that can control/stop the machine. I also dont think its possible for us to become obsolete because of the definition Daniel gave us in class. He said the obsolescence of machines was because of our lack of using them. Even if our machines do become incredibly intelligent, their purpose will forever be to protect or work with us, not to use us as their little toys.
Brian Craig | 07-Nov-06 at 5:25 pm | Permalink
I agree with the previous posts. I think a big issue to consider when pondering if machines will ever become powerful enough to make us obsolete is control. Currently, we create machines with the intent to control and use them for a specific purpose. This makes the major difference in that humans can’t be obsolete as long as we are the ones in control. As mentioned above, obsolescence was caused by lack of use. As long as we are using and controlling machines instead of the other way around, we will not be obsolete. And I don’t think this will ever happen without us allowing it to.
Jeffrey Seredynski | 05-Dec-06 at 6:40 pm | Permalink
Much like the last few comments said, I do not believe that humans can ever become obsolete. Like Deni stated, the fear that robots may someday take over the world and destroy the human race is a long shot to say the least. Although robots may eventually be able to have free will, I do no see them destroying the human race in the process because we are obsolete to them. People will always invent new technology and make it to conform around the human way of life; technology and machines are not going to be made for humans to conform around. As long as we are in the driver’s seat when it comes to technology, we will never become obsolete.
Kyle Padera | 06-Dec-06 at 11:31 pm | Permalink
This is a wonderfully inquisitive post. Man versus the Machine is one of the oldest conflicts ever breached in writing, oral history, etc. There have been obvious cinematic productions related to this concept and in reality I can only hope that there is a big red off button or switch an idiot could press. I do not think it will come down to one man and one machine, on one hand trying to save humanity and on the other trying to rid the world of it in order to create a machine infested world? I do not think this makes humans obsolete either. I think we are obsolete already in history. The Earth and solar system have survived so long already without us inhabiting them and until we are up to the trillion mark I think we are obsolete all on our own. Not because of the technology we produce.