CS 349 Contemporary Issues in
Computer Science
Alan Cline
Norbert Wiener’s Paper, “The Machine
Age”
Noel Sharkey’s Paper, “The Ethical
Frontiers of Robotics”
A Short Essay by Stephen Hawking, Stuart Russell, Max Tegmark and Frank Wilczek
Part I: Norbert
Wiener’s Paper
Read the following article that describes Wiener’s paper:
And here’s the complete paper:
http://libraries.mit.edu/archives/mithistory/pdf/MC0022_MachineAgeV3_1949.pdf
or here:
http://www.cs.utexas.edu/~ear/cs349/MachineAgeWiener.pdf
Write one paragraph that addresses one of the following questions:
1. Describe something where it has turned out that Wiener was wrong. What happened instead? Can you say anything about why things didn’t turn out as Wiener predicted?
2. Describe one of Wiener’s predictions or observations that you think is most important. Why did you pick this one?
Part II: Noel
Sharkey’s Paper
Read the following paper, which you should be able to find at http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/322/5909/1800 :
Sharkey, Noel, “The Ethical Frontiers of Robotics”, Science 19 December 2008: Vol. 322. no. 5909, pp. 1800 – 1801.
1) Sharkey first discusses the use of robots as people tenders.
a) What do you see as the main benefits to be obtained by using robots in this way?
b) What do you see as the main risks?
c) Describe briefly what you see as a reasonable balance between reward and risk for this use of robots.
2) Next Sharkey talks about the use of robots on the battlefield.
a) What do you see as the main benefits to be obtained by using robots in this way?
b) What do you see as the main risks?
c) Describe briefly what you see as a reasonable balance between reward and risk for this use of robots.
For parts a) and b), it is fine to write bulletized lists. For part c, we want a paragraph or two. Short responses are fine. We are looking for insight and clarity. Particularly in part c) we are expecting to get widely divergent views. There is no right answer. We just want careful thinking about the issues.
Part III: The Hawking
et al. Paper
Read this very short essay: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/stephen-hawking-transcendence-looks-at-the-implications-of-artificial-intelligence--but-are-we-taking-ai-seriously-enough-9313474.html
Do you agree that we should be very worried about this? Explain in a couple of sentences.