Edge Question Series - What to Think About Machines That Think

Weighing in from the cutting-edge frontiers of science, today’s most forward-thinking minds explore the rise of “machines that think.”

Stephen Hawking recently made headlines by noting, “The development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race.” Others, conversely, have trumpeted a new age of “superintelligence” in which smart devices will exponentially extend human capacities. No longer just a matter of science-fiction fantasy (2001, Blade Runner, The Terminator, Her, etc.), it is time to seriously consider the reality of intelligent technology, many forms of which are already being integrated into our daily lives. In that spirit, John Brockman, publisher of Edge. org (“the world’s smartest website” – The Guardian), asked the world’s most influential scientists, philosophers, and artists one of today’s most consequential questions: What do you think about machines that think?

• Expert Perspectives: Explore answers from some of the world’s most influential minds, including Steven Pinker, Martin Rees, and Daniel C. Dennett, as they respond to John Brockman’s provocative question.
• The Consciousness Question: Go beyond simple computation to ask the deep questions: Would a human-level AI necessarily be conscious? Could a machine be capable of suffering or joy, and would it deserve rights?
• AI Safety and Control: Confront the debate on existential risk. Will AI descend upon us faster than we can build in fail-safes, or can we design systems that incorporate human ethical values from the start?
• The Future of Humanity: Look ahead to the posthuman era. Will organic intelligence be a brief precursor to a machine-dominated culture, or will we transcend biology by merging with our own intelligent creations?