[Dante]

Right, as far as I can remember, I've read this book countless times.

BEYOND AI
By J. Storrs Hall

It looks in detail at what AI was, at the systems behind it.
It presents a solution to the Chinese Room problem.
It looks into the future.

the Bibliography alone is worth getting the book for.

I suggest everyone gets a copy, it's invaluable. It's easy enough to serve as an introductory book as well.

 

[Freddy]

Found it on Amazon, where some people have written massive reviews...

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-AI-Creating-Conscience-Machine/dp/1591025117

One to add to my list...

[Maviarab]

Thanks Dante

[Dante]

Happy to oblige; I'm now making this required reading for the AI enthusiast

[Art]

Oddly enough, I'm in the middle of reading it right now. Yes, it really is an insightful book and
will also serve as a good resource.

I've also recently read "Love + Sex with Robots"  (The evolution of Human-Robot relationships) - David Levy
The title might be a bit misleading as it explores the attraction of robots to humans as companions and
what the future might hold as well as how relationships might be formed, viewed and tested. Would there
be civil, moral, social, religious problems to address? - Great read as the book presents a timeline from
past to present. - HarperCollins Publishers

AND

Digital People - From Bionic Humans to Androids by Sidney Perkowitz - Joseph Henry Press (publishers)
Great resource - from past to present and explores the vast areas of AI including, cyborg behavior, robot vision
along with other senses, thinking methodology and a lot more.

I still have to read Beyond Human - Living with Robots and Cyborgs - Gregory Benford and Elisabeth Malarte -
 Tom Doherty Associates - pub.

AND

Robots Unlimited - Life in a Virtual Age -  David Levy - A.K.Peters, LLD. - pub.

I purchased all of these books via Amazon.com (used books section) - They were bought for pennies on the dollar and
look like NEW. Bindings are not even cracked, no dogeared pages, tears, bent corners or anything that would otherwise detract from their appearance.

Go read!!!

[Dante]

I've read Beyond Human and robots unlimited. I encourage robots unlimited...

I found that Love + sex with robots focussed more on comparing human-human relationships to human-machine interfaces then providing a hypothetical bedrock for acceptance (or denial)  of such pleasure bots...

I am seriously thinking about writing my own history book, I know there's many out there, but part of me feels there arnt enough books for Joe Public about...

[Freddy]

Nice to see all these recomendations, I really should read some of those, many thanks now I have guidance 

[lrh9]

Just a comment on the Chinese Room. I've always felt that the Chinese Room was a straw man argument. For one its major premise is an extremely limited environment. Obviously without new information coming in, the person in the room isn't going to be able to learn Chinese. The success of a.i. depends in part on having a large environment and many abilities to interact with that environment.

[Dante]

I think I found a solution to the chinese room arugment long ago;

That arugment makes it's case on being able to do a task without knowing how to do it.
It proscribes the use of a soul to be esstional to understand. That is wrong.

We humans think we are higher beings then what we really are. We are a mix of chemcials and eletrical impulses, the 'you' you know died five seconds ago...every 7 years, the brain has completely new neurons, so what are you?

We pattern match, much like our robot breathen...they are just not as complex as us, and we hold ourselves too highly...

[Art]

Yes, Dante, but what makes up the brain and how it actually functions is still largely a mystery to the most learned minds in the world.

What misfires or mutates that causes one to develop or assume the habits of a serial killer, pedophile, rapist, murderer or cannibal? What happens to take an otherwise ordinary looking individual that grows to 8' or one that develops mental deficiency or mental acuity to an extreme level (rainman).  Why certain people have ESP or visions, enhanced perception.

There is so much we don't know about ourselves that it's boggles the mind (no pun), yet we are learning more and more each day about it...how and why it works the way it does.  It is a very interesting subject and a very large portion can be applied toward our "teaching" or developing of our own bots.

I try not to hold myself in too high a regard lest I be disappointed! I'm just enjoying the remainder of my ride!

The future should be most engaging....