"We are on the edge of change comparable to the rise of human life on Earth."
When in 1993 Vernor Vinge was writing and predicting about 2020, computers had already superseded "human intelligence," practically as does an analog calculator. (Compare average calculator to average human being*)
The entire argument of "human vs artificial" intelligence needs to be revisited (and then abandoned completely for invention of new terms!). To do so, we would need to investigate our primal assumptions of what is considered "intelligence" in general, which in turn is linked to our views about our nature, which we have traditionally distinguished from the nature of other living organisms.
The fixation on the distinction between real vs artificial (intelligence) has to do with our general perception of nature, what it means to be alive, animate, which in turn has been historically subjugate to spiritual/religious ideologies. ((Concepts of control, even if we are at the position of the controlled (protected.)) We would rather be part of a master-plan, than an accident. But which accident, with a different language could be stripped all negative connotations and be described as some Magnificent Event in the Kingdom of Chance, caused by Sequential Happenings of Absolute Coincidence.
In this utopian world, no one, no where may control the future, outside the norm of making possibilities.
In this context, what I am arguing is that the terminology "human vs artificial" carries within it, self-awareness concepts from the past, that technology will cause us to abandon.We will not consider machines real/natural/equal until they can program or invent, create and sustain themselves, but if/when that happens, we will be forced to drop the entire concept of "God."
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(This is a small rant in relation to the first paragraph of the Singularity passage. The readings for this week were a m a z i n g. Thanks Dale!)
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