055 - Will Computers Ever be Alive? - Hegel, Self-Reference, and A.I.

In the film "2001: A Space Odyssey," H.A.L., an artificial intelligence character, loses its mind and begins killing people.  Did H.A.L. act on his own accord?  Interesting question.

Everyday we hear more and more how artificial intelligence programs will soon be the equivalent of human beings and perhaps even smarter.  Is this true?

Some theorists believe Hegel's dialectical approach, when added to a computer's binary operation, can provide a degree of self awareness to the machine.  But is this true self-awareness or just simulated self-awareness?

This episode explores these questions and more. 

Support the show