"This book's core argument is that an artificial intelligence that could equal or exceed human intelligence - sometimes called 'artificial general intelligence' (AGI) - is for mathematical reasons impossible. It offers two specific reasons for this claim: 1. Human intelligence is a capability of the human brain and central nervous system, which is a complex dynamic system 2. Systems of this sort cannot be modelled mathematically in a way that allows them to operate inside a computer. In supporting their claim, the authors, Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith, marshal evidence from mathematics, physics, computer science, philosophy, linguistics, biology, and anthropology, setting up their book around three central questions: What are the essential marks of human intelligence? What is it that researchers try to do when they attempt to achieve "Artificial Intelligence" (AI)? And why, after more than 50 years, are our interactions with AI, for example with our bank's computers, still so unsatisfactory? The FirstEdition was published the same week that ChatGPT was unleashed onto the world. In this Second Edition, shows how their arguments apply to new Large Language Models and bring up to date their other arguments relating to the limits of AI. They show why AI systems are best viewed as pieces of mathematics, which cannot think, feel, or will. They also demolish the idea that, with the help of AI, we could "solve physics" in a way that would allow us to create, in the cloud, a perfect simulation of reality in which we could enjoy digital immortality. Such ideas reveal a lack of understanding of physics, mathematics, human biology, and computers. There is still, as they demonstrate in an updated final chapter, a great deal that AI can achieve which will benefit humanity. But these benefits will be achieved without the aid of systems that are more powerful than humans, and which are as impossible as AI systems that are intrinsically "evil" or able to "will" a takeover of human society. Key Changes to the Second Edition Shows how the arguments of the First Edition apply also to new Large Language Models Adds a treatment of human practical intelligence - of knowing how vs. knowing that - a topic that is ignored by the AI community Demonstrates why "AI ethics" should be relabeled "ethics of human uses of AI" Adds a new chapter showing the essential limitations of physics, providing a thorough grounding for the arguments of the book Demolishes the idea that we might already be living in a simulation. Jobst Landgrebe is a scientist and entrepreneur with a background in philosophy, mathematics, neuroscience, medicine, and biochemistry. Landgrebe is also the founder of Cognotekt, a German AI company which has since 2013 provided working systems used by companies in areas such as insurance claims management, real estate management, and medical billing. After more than 15 years in the AI industry he has developed an exceptional understanding of the limits and potential of AI in the future. Barry Smith is one of the most widely cited contemporary philosophers. He has made influential contributions to the foundations of ontology and data science, especially in the biomedical domain. Most recently, his work has led to the creation of an international standard in the ontologyfield (ISO/IEC 21838), which is the first example of a piece of philosophy that has been subjected to the ISO standardization process"--
This books core argument is that an artificial intelligence that could equal or exceed human intelligence is for mathematical reasons impossible. In supporting their claim, the authors marshal evidence from mathematics, physics, computer science, philosophy, linguistics, biology, and anthropology.
This is a revised and expanded second edition of Why Machines Will Never Rule the World. Its core argument remains the same: that an artificial intelligence (AI) that could equal or exceed human intelligence sometimes called artificial general intelligence (AGI) is for mathematical reasons impossible. It offers two specific reasons for this claim:
- Human intelligence is a capability of the human brain and central nervous system, which is a complex dynamic system
- Systems of this sort cannot be modelled mathematically in a way that allows them to operate inside a computer
In supporting their claim, the authors, Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith, marshal evidence from mathematics, physics, computer science, philosophy, linguistics, biology, and anthropology, setting up their book around three central questions: What are the essential marks of human intelligence? What is it that researchers try to do when they attempt to achieve Artificial Intelligence (AI)? And why, after more than 50 years, are our interactions with AI, for example when on the telephone with our banks computers, still so unsatisfactory?
The first edition was published the same week that ChatGPT was unleashed onto the world. This second edition shows how the arguments in the book apply already to Large Language Models such as ChatGPT. This new edition also brings up to date the arguments relating to the limits of AI, showing why AI systems are best viewed as pieces of mathematics, which cannot think, feel, or will. They also demolish the idea that, with the help of AI, we could solve physics in a way that would allow us to create, in the cloud, a perfect simulation of reality in which we could enjoy digital immortality. Such ideas reveal a lack of understanding of physics, mathematics, human biology, and computers.
There is still, as the authors demonstrate in an updated final chapter, a great deal that AI can achieve which will benefit humanity. But these benefits will be achieved without the aid of systems that are more powerful than humans, which are as impossible as AI systems that are intrinsically evil or able to will a takeover of human society.
Key Changes to the Second Edition
- Shows how the arguments of the first edition apply also to new Large Language Models
- Adds a treatment of human practical intelligence of knowing how vs. knowing that a topic that is ignored by the AI community
- Demonstrates why AI ethics should be relabelled as ethics of human uses of AI
- Adds a new chapter showing the essential limitations of physics, providing a thorough grounding for the arguments of the book
- Demolishes the idea that we might already be living in a simulation
