RE: [-empyre-] what is to be done?

["Jim Andrews" <jim@vispo.com>]

> According to Jim, machines have shown us how complex human beings are
> (research in AI have clearly proven that intelligence is a much
> more complex
> structure than first thought).

I meant to suggest slightly more, Ollivier.

It is more the failure to produce real intelligence in 50 years of research
than the research itself that is most dramatic in convincing us of what we
already knew, ie, that the brain and the mind are very complex.

Life on earth is apparently the product of over 3.5 billion years of
evolution. The universe itself is apparently only 15-20 billion years old;
the evolution of life on this planet has not taken place in a blip of cosmic
time, but is of the same order of temporal magnitude as the age of the
universe itself. I think we probably have much to learn about the evolution
of life and intelligence.

Should there be an 'age of spiritual machines', it seems likely to be
preceeded both by the current 'age of machines not significantly more
intelligent than a bag of hammers' and then possibly an 'age of machines
nearly able to tie their own shoe-laces'. But come it shall, should we not
destroy ourselves within 300 years. Darwin's work is 150 years old, at this
point. It has borne very beautiful fruit, but it is, even yet, not fully
worked out. We don't even know how the brain stores/creates memory at this
point.

concerning the marvels of medicine and biology, i wonder how significant
these can be if they are only for rich people. here in canada, the health
care system is bad enough that it is rare to have a family doctor in these
parts; there aren't enough doctors; and the hospitals are in disarray
through lack of funding and understaffing.

digital art is mostly the province of scholars with grants showing to a
class of 30 and the more public, accessible form of digital art, net art, is
sneered at as something anyone can do and no one can sell.

i think part of what artists can do is help build an internet that provides
people around the world with net art that allows us to grow in our new sense
and sensibilities. net art should be to the world as the paperback book was
many years ago: an internationally widespread form of intellectual
challenge, enlightenment, solidarity and delight.

ja
http://vispo.com