Post by Ying-ying Chen on Jun 8, 2015 10:35:03 GMT
1. Do you think artificial intelligence will be a significant problem in the future?
Yes, it will be a significant problem in the future. According to the film, The Coming Singularity, Ray Kurzweil explains that technology is advancing faster and faster. It’s true and it is pretty obvious as well. Everybody should be able to see that. Look at how cellphones have evolved from dumbphones to smartphones and it took less than ten years for all of that to happen. Who would ever think that the iPhone would ever be invented 10 years ago? The computers 30 years ago are probably just as powerful as your smartphone right now. 30 years ago, it was used to send astronauts into orbit and today we use it to shoot birds in the game Angry Bird.
The film also delivers the fact that we reach singularity when we meet a certain level of advance in technology. Kurzweil also says that machines actually do more harm than good. It’s true because it will turn out to become an unreal, virtual world. It will be a lack of close relationships which supposed to go through person by person.
However, the development of technology will out of what we image. In lots of sci-fi movies, there are cyborgs. I was just impressed by the director’s imagination, how can you combine a machine and a human? I think the chances are getting bigger that I might see cyborgs in the future.
2. How has technology impacted your life?
In the past generations, books were the main source for people to obtain information. I, myself, is a book lover, and enjoy reading always.
However, as soon as I got into college, there is no reason, but the only books I seem to read are textbooks. Not because I don’t like reading anymore, but simply because more and more books can be found online. This is the same happening in this philosophy course. Most of required readings can be read via online PDF. I wouldn’t have to carry a lot of heavy books around or spend quite much money. All I need is a laptop and internet. See how greatly our reading habits have changed. Could this be the end of books? Since I guess bringing an iPad or a Kindle is easier. Research has shown that many kids today are spending more time reading on these tablets rather than reading papered books. I’m not saying this is bad, instead, I think it is good since E-books can interact with its reader and you can possibly learn more this way by interacting with the book to get vivid impressions. Since I am a full time student who has been still in academic years, it is the hugest impact in my life.