Skip to main content

Origin by Dan Brown... or Killer AI?

Origin (Robert Langdon, #5)Origin by Dan Brown
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Origin by Dan Brown.

Most of Dan Brown's "Robert Langdon" novels are considered to be thrillers, this particular book falls into the Genre of Science Fiction. I found the book fascinating because it has to deal we would we all call the singularity. The plot can be found of course on the internet. Wikipedia or Goodreads. Why one may consider this book to be science fiction? Let's talk about the technical singularity. At this point, I will go into spoilers if you haven't read the book and if you're planning on reading it please stop here.

The technical singularity deals with the ability of machine intelligence that can become self-aware. As of now, many companies are already using expert systems. In other words artificial intelligence. But are these artificial intelligence or AI self-aware? Michio Kaku a renowned physicist has mentioned once in his many talks that the most advanced AI system has less intelligence than a cockroach.

In the book Origins, Robert Langdon meets a very sophisticated program or AI that calls himself Winston. And it even has an artificial British accent. The fictional character named Kirsch, created this program using quantum computers at least that's what I believe they were, correct me if I'm wrong. This is the most advanced program known but is kept as a secret from many people.

As one read the book, one can start putting the pieces together. This is no ordinary artificial intelligence. The novel present dilemmas that computer scientists have been talking for quite some time. And that is the subject of ethics. This particular artificial intelligence program is following a specific directive. However, it seems that it is allowed a certain amount of free will to accomplish the directive given to it by its programmer and can make decisions on its own with informing the programmer. A question must be asked. Can you program free will into an artificial intelligence, and thus becomes a singularity?

Once the book is read, the conclusion may leave you with a dropped jaw. And presents the ethic dilemma nicely. One may find the conclusion exhilarating, and frightening at the same time. If you have read the book let me know if you agree with my thoughts.

View all my reviews

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Movie Review: Dune Part 1 & 2 🎬

  Spoiler Alert! Buckle up for a desert journey like no other! In the vast expanse of cinematic adaptations, Villeneuve's Dune emerges as a monumental undertaking, spanning two epic installments that delve into the rich tapestry of Frank Herbert's iconic sci-fi saga. While paying homage to the source material, these films chart their own course, offering a visually stunning and thematically resonant exploration of power, prophecy, and the human condition. Part 1: Betrayal and Escape The journey begins with Duke Leto Atreides, a nobleman entrusted with the stewardship of Arrakis, a desert planet coveted for its reserves of the spice melange—a substance essential for space travel and coveted by factions across the universe. Accompanied by his son, Paul, and Lady Jessica, a member of the secretive Bene Gesserit sisterhood, Duke Leto embarks on a perilous mission to Arrakis. However, their arrival triggers a chain of events orchestrated by the insidious House Harkonnen and the shad
4 comments
Read more

I had my Math test today...Epilepsy had other plans.

Today, I had my algebraic concept final test and I failed. Of course, my body sabotaged my efforts. This seems to be the norm with everything I do. That is when "everything I do" is extremely important and "the everything I do" maybe a life changer. Passing a math course is a life changer. So let me describe how it went today. Keep this note in mind I studied the entire weekend and the more I study things got more complicated As I wrote many times before, my neurologist and gastroenterologist have repeatedly told me that when my brain acts up my gut will too. When I take any other academic tests I usually don't get sick. I have taken all my meds and then I take life day by day. As I mentioned in previous posts on the internet maybe Facebook or G Plus, I have a few abnormalities in the brain. These abnormalities affect my behavior and my thought processes. It is not that bad but I perceive and understand things a little bit differently and that is why I may
5 comments
Read more

Asimov's Foundation and Philosophy

  The essays in Asimov's Foundation and Philosophy are engaging and thought-provoking, and they offer new insights into one of the most influential science fiction series of all time. Here are some of the key philosophical themes that emerge from the essays: The ethics of manipulation: One of the central questions raised by the Foundation series is whether it is ethical to manipulate large populations of people in order to bring about a desired future result. Hari Seldon, the fictional founder of the Foundation, uses psychohistory, a science that can predict the future of large populations, to plan for the collapse of the Galactic Empire and the subsequent Dark Age. He does this in order to ensure that human civilization survives and eventually rebuilds. However, some people argue that Seldon's manipulation of the future is unethical, even if it is for a good cause. Free will vs. determinism: The Foundation series also raises the question of whether humans have free will or whe
Post a Comment
Read more