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Artificial Intelligence: Improving on God's
Creation?
Scientists predict astounding advancements in artificial intelligence
in the coming years. Can AI help us solve our chronic problems?
by Noel Hornor
Intelligent machines will soon surpass
the abilities of human beings, say enthusiasts of artificial intelligence. Such predictions
are no longer espoused only by science-fiction aficionados. Some serious scientists
are saying the same thing.
Why would anyone want to create an artificial entity more intelligent than man? The
reasoning of some proponents of artificial intelligence (AI) is that, although mankind
represents the pinnacle of intelligence on the planet, we have proven inept at handling
many of our problems. Thus we need a new and better solution. "We could turn
to these superior intelligences for advice and authority in all matters of concern--and
the humanity-induced troubles of the world could at last be resolved" (Roger
Penrose, Shadows of the Mind, 1994, p. 11).
Such thoughts set off alarm bells in the minds of people who fear such creations
could take over society and enslave us or even decide they don't need us. This concept
has provided the themes for several Hollywood action films, including the popular
1999 release Matrix and several Terminator movies.
Artificial Intelligence Still Young
"Super artificial intelligence" is not anticipated until well into
the 21st century. AI's current state is still in its childhood. Recent developments
include a chess-playing IBM computer named Deep Blue that defeated the reigning (human)
world champion in 1997. AI-infused machines can also perform complicated analytical
chores such as scheduling maintenance of the space shuttle.
On the horizon lies enhanced speech recognition, which some experts consider a part
of AI technology. Many companies already use sophisticated computers to answer their
phones. Callers dial into a switchboard and an ģauto-attendantī directs their calls.
Videocassette recorders (VCRs) and personal computers that respond to spoken commands
already exist. Automobile ignition systems that recognize drivers' voices are on
the horizon. The front door of your home may someday be equipped with a system that
will unlock after a recognizable spoken command.
AI developers hope "heuristic" computers, equipped with vast databases
and programmed to analyze and dissect problems, will be in extensive use around 2020.
Heuristic computers might provide services normally supplied by a doctor or lawyer.
Designing such systems may prove more difficult that many envision. "Ask a computer
about a rusty car and it might blithely diagnose measles" (Michio Kaku, Visions:
How Science Will Revolutionize The 21st Century, 1997,p. 62).
Some scientists believe machines with even-more-humanlike traits will become commonplace.
"It is reasonable to assume that by 2050 we may have robots that can interface
intelligently with humans, machines with primitive emotions . . . and common
senseī (Kaku, p. 90). Some expect robots will have the capacity to actually love
their masters.
How to Explain Consciousness
If these things sound fantastic, that's because they are. Major gulfs exist between
the present state of AI and the imagined bold new world. One of the problems is how
to create a conscious entity out of the inanimate. To be conscious, in a human sense,
means to be aware of one's own existence, sensations, thoughts and surroundings,
to learn from the past and experiences of others and be able to plan for the future.
Can true intelligence exist without such consciousness? This presents a huge problem
to the development of AI because science cannot yet fathom the secrets of human consciousness.
The consciousness of a human being has been called the ultimate mystery of existence.
As Albert Einstein put it: "The hardest thing to understand is why we can understand
anything at all" (Kaku, p. 338).
How does consciousness arise? Some call it an emergent phenomenon, something that
ģhappens naturally when a system becomes complex enough" (Kaku, p. 94). Working
from this theory, some scientists believe that eventually a form of consciousness
will emerge in a laboratory environment. Others are skeptical, calling the emergent
theory of consciousness "more a matter of faith than a strategy for success"
(Kaku, p. 94).
Consciousness is a remarkable phenomenon, one that separates us from simpler life
forms. For instance, most people would agree that human consciousness is far above
any kind of awareness exhibited by insects. Researchers have recorded film footage
of one insect devouring another while apparently unaware that it was being eaten
by yet a third insect. This raises the question of whether insects have any awareness
or consciousness at all. Nor do insects demonstrate any appreciation of art and beauty.
Of course, primates and dolphins may reflect a small degree of what we may provisionally
describe as a limited animal "consciousness." But our ability to think,
reason and plan clearly sets us apart from other creatures.
Humans also have the ability to think intuitively. An example of intuitive thinking
is the moment when we grasp things "in a flash," as when we are trying
to solve a word puzzle. Some scientists realize this judgment-making ability will
be difficult, if not impossible, to program into artificial intelligence. "One
human mental function that is extremely hard to duplicate on a machine . . .
is the intuitive leap--the sudden inspiration that allows you to 'get it' ī
(James Trefil, Are We Unique?, 1997, p. 130).
We can overestimate the potential of computers because their components "fire"
much more rapidly than the neurons in the human brain. They perform mathematical
calculations faster and more accurately than humans. But no computer yet designed
understands what it is doing.
Computers are woefully inferior to humans in other ways. One is the ability to recognize
patterns--human faces, for example. Robots can be programmed to recognize a face,
but they are thrown off if the face is rotated by a few degrees. Humans, on the other
hand, can instantly pick a familiar face out of a large crowd. Recently it was considered
a major achievement when a researcher created a computerized neural network that
was able to recognize patterns with the same accuracy as a bee's brain (Kaku, p.
87).
The Origin of Consciousness
Scientists have formulated explanations for the origin of consciousness. The
generally accepted scientific view is that "after billions of years of swirling
around, matter and energy evolved to create life-forms--complex self-replicating
patterns of matter and energy--that became sufficiently advanced to reflect . . .
on their own consciousness" (Ray Kurzweil, The Age Of Spiritual Machines,
1999, p. 62). When this had happened, according to this perspective, consciousness
had evolved.
The Bible gives us God's vantage point. As our Creator, He is in a position to know.
God made man in His ģimage," forming man from the dust of the earth and breathed
into him the breath of life; and man became "a living being" (Genesis 1:26;
2:7).
Before God enlivened the first man, he was a lifeless creation. Afterward he was
a living being, made in the image of God. God placed a unique consciousness in human
beings. We can recognize beauty, make judgments and perform other mental tasks that
are unique to humans.
Man is the only creature that puzzles over the reason for his existence. We are the
only physical beings that demonstrably can ponder past, present and future. We did
not evolve this ability; God created it. He is the author of human consciousness
and intelligence.
As for man developing a source of artificial intelligence that can supply answers
to our insoluble problems, his new knowledge tends to produce even more problems
in approximate proportion to the amount of new information he discovers. If we are
wise, we will look to God for answers through His revelation, the Bible.
Man cannot find lasting solutions to his problems because they are, at their core,
spiritual in nature (Isaiah 59). Unless and until humanity as a whole is ready
to recognize the true source of its problems, and seeks God's solutions, we will
continue to face the dilemmas and difficulties that have plagued mankind for thousands
of years.
The Bible shows us human problems will not be resolved until Jesus Christ returns.
"Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, and he who believes
in Him shall not be disappointed" (1Peter 2:6, New American Standard Bible).
Recommended Reading: There is indeed a new world coming, a world
vastly different from our expectations but far better than anything we have imagined.
The Bible calls it "the Kingdom of Godī and tells us it will include a transformation
of people's thought and behavior. To learn more about the differences between this
biblical picture and mankind's fascination with technologies such as artificial intelligence,
be sure to request our free booklets What Is Your Destiny?, You Can Understand
Bible Prophecy and The Gospel of the Kingdom.
Also, if you have any doubts about the authenticity or veracity of God's Word,
please request your free copy of Is the Bible True? It may surprise you to
what extent archaeological and historical evidence has confirmed the accuracy of
the Bible. Don't delay requesting your personal copy. You can also download your
free copy from our literature library at www.ucg.org.
Sidebar: There Were Cyborgs on the Earth in Those Days
Some artificial-intelligence proponents are certain that, by the end of the 21st
century, cyborgs--the merger of humans with their electronic creations--will be reality.
Scientists will achieve this amazing feat through a process: Brain-scan technology
will permit them to scan a brain and download its information to computer memory.
They will "literally copy it, connection by connection, synapse by synapse,
neurotransmitter by neurotransmitter" (Ray Kurzweil, The Age Of Spiritual
Machines, 1999, p. 125). Eventually, they predict, the technology will exist
to enable us to reinstall this electronic file of someone's mind into another medium,
possibly humanlike but built with synthetic material.
"There will be nostalgia for our humble carbon-based roots, but there is nostalgia
for vinyl records also" (Kurzweil, p. 126). According to the scenario, we will
accept our new status because this brain-porting technology will provide the power
to conquer mortality. Immortality will simply be a matter of making frequent backups.
"While we are at it, we can add all human knowledge" to our new minds (Kurzweil).
In such a brave new world, scientists predict, we will not be limited by the human
brain, with its mere 100 trillion connections and synapses.
© 1999-2022 United Church of God an International Association
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