X-Message-Number: 12548
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: I wasn't claiming we were superior at all
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 01:40:02 +1000 (EST)

Hi John!

I guess I didn't make it clear enough what my point was. No, emotions
don't have to be particularly difficult, although as someone whose read
a lot about what we know of how our brains work, I would not call them
easy. The point I was making pertained to Mr. Kurzweil, who seemed to 
believe that intelligence ALONE would allow computers to take over. 

I was not making any claims about how difficult or easy it would be to
make a computer with emotions. I was simply pointing out a major error
made by Kurzweil. And it would not help his case if he came to me and
said, "Oh, I did not discuss the need for emotions because I thought
they'd be simple to implement". HE OMITTED ANY DISCUSSION OF THEM. 
That is why I thought his book was rather weak. Without emotions,
we can make very good hyperslaves --- so good that they'd never
want to take over because they had no wants of their own.

If you want to make a computer with desires and emotions, no one is now
preventing you --- nor are there any laws of nature or computing that 
prevent it. True, such computers might give us lots of competition; this
is one reason why I don't expect them to be built. Why does a computer 
designed to help US solve OUR problems have to have any emotions or
desires? We aren't "superior" because of our emotions and desires. It's 
just that we have them and they guide our behavior autonomously. And 
a computer, no matter how intelligent, without emotions and desires is 
simply one more tool for us to use.

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

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