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Thinking machines

Having your computer explain current politics to you during breakfast, may not be the ultimate dream of the science of artifical intelligence. So what is AI all about?

Posted by Tormod Guldvog
16 March, 2002 07:03:17

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A few years back, the world was stunned as Gary Kasparov lost his chess game to Deep Blue, IBM's chess computer. To some people, this was proof that artificial intelligence has come to stay.

It is easy, however, to think that if a machine is able to do one thing just like a person, it can do anything we can do. But beating someone in a mathematical game of strategy is a far cry from HAL, the very-alive and very-dangeorus thinking computer in "2001: A Space Odyssey".

Still, there is a lot happening in this field. We are seeing machines which emulate facial expressions to communicate their "feelings". The software we use every day, like "intelligent" agents and smart searchbots, show that research and information gathering is a task which can be assigned to a machine.

But does this make for "thinking" machines? According to some of the sources below, we will see a revolution in the next decades. Robots will become smaller and smaller, down to the size of molecules, and they will be intelligent enough to sniff out diseases in your body, and wipe them out, before you get sick.

So, the future of thinking machines may not be a man-like object walking around blurting intelligent anecdotes. Like a smart person said: If you can make a robot intelligent enough to iron your shirts, it will most likely also be intelligent enough to not want to do it.

Related Links

Artificial Intelligence Subject Index
http://ai.iit.nrc.ca/misc.html
This is an index of links to sites and papers on artificial intelligence, hosted by the Institute for Information Technology, a section of the National Research Council of Canada.

Evolution Robotics
http://www.evolution.com
The home pages of a company which aims to provide a revolutionary software product, which will set a standard for the development of commercial end personal robots.

Introduction to Artificial Intelligence
http://ai.about.com/compute/ai/library/weekly/aa051899.htm
An article outlining the purpose of studies into artificial intelligence, provided by About.com.

Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research
http://www.jair.org/
This is a highly academic journal about artificial intelligence research.

generation 5
http://www.generation5.org/
A well-presented page which gives you up-to-date news briefs on AI, as well as interviews, links and more.

An Introduction to the Science of Artificial Intelligence
http://library.thinkquest.org/2705/
This is a Thinkquest website which presents different aspects of artificial intelligence, with history, applications, people and other relevant information.

Thinking machines
http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_32/b3693096.htm
A feature in Businessweek Online, comprising a collection of interesting articles on artificial intelligence in software and machines.

The Game AI Page
http://www.gameai.com/
This is a web community dedicated to the development of Artificial Intelligence in games.¤¤

Artificial Intelligentsia
http://www.sciam.com/explorations/2000/103000AI/index.html
An interesting article in Scientific American about the philosophical aspects of the rise of artificial intelligence and virtual reality.

Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Life
http://www.newscientist.com/nsplus/insight/ai/ai.html
A special feature edition consisting of a compilation of articles on AI and A-Life (artificial life).

Computers, Games and the Real World
http://www.sciam.com/specialissues/1198intelligence/1198ginsberg.html
A feature article in Scientific American, about the advancement and possibilites of artificial intelligence.

RobotsLife.com
http://www.robotslife.com/
A website dedicated to robots - with a collection of articles, interviews and reviewed links.