“On February 10, 1996, after three hours, world chess champion Garry Kasparov loses the first game of a six-game match against Deep Blue, an IBM computer capable of evaluating 200 million moves per second. Man was ultimately victorious over machine, however, as Kasparov bested Deep Blue in the match with three wins and two ties and took home the $400,000 prize.
In 1997, a rematch took place between Kasparov and an enhanced Deep Blue. Kasparov won the first game, the computer the second, with the next three games a draw. On May 11, 1997, Deep Blue came out on top with a surprising sixth game win–and the $700,000 match prize.
In 2003, Kasparov battled another computer program, “Deep Junior.” The match ended in a tie. Kasparov retired from professional chess in 2005.”
Read the whole story here.
How long will it be before we hand our election contests over to a AI programs?
I don’t watch football much. But yesterday, I caught clips of the post Super Bowl comments made by the Head Coach and Quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. Both started by thanking “God” and then appropriately complimenting the “team effort”.
The Eagles trounced the Kansas City Chiefs. Did a “God” give that win to the Eagles? Did the coaches and the players of the Chiefs do something to irritate the “God”? How did this “God” decide? Is it like Santa Claus? “Naughty or Nice?”
I respect the faith of anyone if it is a belief system that treats others and the Earth with respect. Golden Rule, etc. But to thank “God” for a football win clearly suggests that “it” favored one team over the other. How does that work?
And isn’t that belief, that a “God” is on our side, at the core of the justification for all manner of brutal human behavior - death, destruction, diabolical weaponry and leaving entire regions in desolation? I guess you can justify anything if you think you have a god backing you up.
I think what actually happened last night was that the Chiefs couldn't protect quarterback Mahones - the number of sacks was embarrassing. And the Eagles were an organized and powerful engine of talent. Obviously the Chiefs have been a great team. The Eagles just played better. Not sure how a god works into that mix. Or any other conflict.
I read a fair amount of science fiction. It’s a great escape that helps with my mental health. There are usually computers involved with the stories. But no gods. Just people being irrational and sometimes heroic. And often, there are computers that don’t like the crazy way the humans act. Will the computers save us? Or will a god pick a winner?
“How long will it be before we hand our election contests over to AI programs?”
As for me, I would abolish the electoral college, and I would assign to AI the task of redistricting congressional districts, nationwide, and presenting the results to the Congress. I’ve concluded that AI likely has the potential to design much more reasonable/fair congressional voting districts than any human has managed to devise so far.
I put both of the ideas in the pipe dream collection of nice things that we can’t have.
Thank you Bill, As a nontheist I totally agree with you. Every Homo sapiens on Earth is entitled to their own religious beliefs without interference. But grandstanding like trump and the eagles personnel, claiming their 'god' favors them over all others is pure crap