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Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind
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A seminal 1998 book by roboticist Hans Moravec offering an optimistic vision of superintelligent AI; widely cited in AI futures and existential risk discussions as an early influential forecast of transformative AI development.
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Summary
Hans Moravec's influential 1998 book predicts the rise of superintelligent robots and the eventual transcendence of human-level AI, arguing that robotic minds will surpass biological intelligence within decades. The book explores the trajectory from current machines to 'mind children' that could inherit and surpass human civilization. It is an early and influential text in transhumanist and AI futures thinking.
Key Points
- •Argues that robot intelligence will match and then vastly exceed human intelligence by the mid-21st century, driven by exponential hardware improvements.
- •Introduces the concept of 'mind children' — AI and robotic successors that will carry forward and transcend human culture and cognition.
- •Provides early quantitative estimates linking computational power to cognitive capability, influencing later discussions on AI timelines.
- •Raises existential themes about humanity's role and relevance in a post-robot world, relevant to long-term AI safety concerns.
- •Represents an optimistic techno-utopian perspective on advanced AI, contrasting with risk-focused safety literature.
Cited by 1 page
| Page | Type | Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Early Warnings Era | Historical | 31.0 |
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Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind by Hans Moravec | Goodreads Jump to ratings and reviews Want to Read Buy on Amazon Rate this book Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind
Hans Moravec
4.07 199 ratings 12 reviews Want to Read Buy on Amazon Rate this book In this compelling book, Hans Moravec predicts that machines will attain human levels of intelligence by the year 2040, and that by 2050, they will surpass us. But even though Moravec predicts the end of the domination by human beings, his is not a bleak vision. Far from railing against a future in which machines rule the world, Moravec embraces it, taking the startling view that intelligent robots will actually be our evolutionary heirs. "Intelligent machines, which will grow from us, learn our skills, and share our goals and values, can be viewed as children of our minds." And since they are our children, we will want them to outdistance us. In fact, in a bid for immortality, many of our descendants will choose to transform into "ex humans," as they upload themselves into advanced computers.
This provocative new book, the highly anticipated follow-up to his bestselling volume Mind Children , charts the trajectory of robotics in breathtaking detail. A must read for artificial intelligence, technology, and computer enthusiasts, Moravec's freewheeling but informed speculations present a future far different than we ever dared imagine. Genres Science Artificial Intelligence Nonfiction Philosophy Futurism Technology Robots ...more 240 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 1998
Book details & editions 19 people are currently reading 1622 people want to read About the author
Hans Moravec
17 books 56 followers Follow Follow Hans Moravec (born November 30, 1948 in Austria) is an adjunct faculty member at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. He is known for his work on robotics, artificial intelligence, and writings on the impact of technology. Moravec also is a futurist with many of his publications and predictions focusing on transhumanism. Moravec developed techniques in computer vision for determining the region of interest (ROI) in a scene. Ratings & Reviews
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4.07 199 ratings 12 reviews 5 stars 83 (41%) 4 stars 59 (29%) 3 stars 46 (23%) 2 stars 10 (5%) 1 star 1 (<1%) Search review text Filters Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews Art Tirrell Author 4 books 12 followers Follow Follow October 4, 2007 EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS CREATED BY ITS TITLE
With high praise from such giants as Sir Arthur C. Clarke and Doctor David Brin on the dust jacket, I asked myself where I, unlettered and relative to those men barely conscious, think I'm going trying to write a review. I have a friend who likes to say he never lets ignorance stop him from expressing his opinion on a subject. Guess I remember th
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