My thermodynamics teacher made us read technically oriented books and write reviews on them. I chose a book that compared themes of AI and reality in Sci Fi (specifically in the movie The Matrix) and real life, and also talked about what we could learn from Sci Fi as we develop better AI. Comments and grammatical editing appreciated.
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You underestimate the power of the Dark Side...
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The Jedi's Saber
[This message has been edited by DSettahr (edited November 06, 2003).]
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Taking The Red Pill: Science, Philosophy, And Religion In The Matrix
Edited by Glenn Yeffeth
Published by Benbella Books, 2003
241 Pages
Taking The Red Pill: Science, Philosophy, And Religion In The Matrix is a collection of fourteen essays by various authors, edited by Glenn Yeffeth. Each essay focuses on different ideas presented in the movie The Matrix, some technological, some religious, some philosophical. In examining these ideas, the essays attempt to determine what society can learn from The Matrix, and science fiction in general, as great leaps forward are made in the areas of computer and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
In the movie The Matrix, in the far future machine and robot AI has grown to be so successful that is has overthrown its human creators, and enslaved the slavers. Humans are kept alive to generate energy, while our minds are trapped within an artificial world referred to as ‘The Matrix,’ which we perceive as real. By not being allowed to see the true world, to know that we are in fact enslaved, we are kept happy. A small number of us, however, the ‘rebels,’ have managed to awake from The Matrix, and are leading a revolution against the machines.
While The Matrix initially comes across as an action film, it is also immediately apparent that it is something more. References to literary classics, famous philosophical quotes, and popular as well as obscure science fiction abound, the most obvious being the numerous allusions to Alice in Wonderland, and characters and scenery Alice sees through out her journey. The Matrix, as well as the entire genre of science fiction in general, has much to say about humanity’s relationship with technology.
The essay Artificial Intelligence, Science Fiction, and The Matrix, by Robert J. Sawyer, examines how AI has been portrayed in science fiction, and what predictions the genre has for the future of machine intelligence. AI has been an essential part of science fiction since before the genre even existed. Movies such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, and The Terminator all examine aspects of AI to varying degrees. Even the words ‘robot,’ ‘android,’ and ‘internet,’ to name a few, all have their roots in science fiction.
The vast majority of science fiction authors predict that when true AI comes about, it will be by accident, not by invention. Some say, eventually the telecommunications networks that are spread across the world with thousands, even millions of nodes, will eventually reach the point where so much information is processed and transmitted, that intelligence will spontaneously come into being. The author of this essay cites research into the development of human intelligence as support for this theory. Humans existed for sixty thousand years in their present form before showing any sign of intelligent thought. Suddenly, within a span of a few thousand years, culture, religion, art, and technology all spontaneously came into being. Just having the ability to think intelligently does not necessarily indicate that intelligent thought takes place. The book Neuromancer, as well as the movie Blade Runner, depicts a future where special police forces roam around searching for and eliminating AI that has spontaneously come into existence.
Sawyer also discusses the two main themes that often arise when AI is examined in science fiction. Many authors predict that when true AI finally comes about, machine intelligences will be subject to the same emotions that humans feel, and the need for ‘robopsychologists’ will arise to deal with those machines that become depressed or go insane. The movie 2001: A Space Odyssey features a robot aboard a spaceship that goes insane and attempts to kill off the crew. The other theme deals with the comparison between machine and human intelligence; in all probability, the day will come when computers are more intelligent than humans. A world that are ruled by machines are depicted in the movies The Matrix, as well as The Day the Earth Stood Still, where an alien society has willingly turned over control to machines, and The Terminator.
The Human Machine Merger: Are We Headed For The Matrix? by Ray Kurzweil takes a much closer look at current technological advancements and how likely the future depicted in The Matrix really is. Kurzweil begins by citing Moore’s Law, which stats that “the computing power available for a given price will double every twelve to twenty for months.” So far, Moore’s Law has proven to be true- the processing power of computers is increasing at an exponential rate. Many breakthroughs are also being made in the area of artificial intelligence. Research into neural networks (networks that imitate the processes of the brain) have yielded new programs that are useful in analyzing non-statistical information, such as visual and auditory input. Such programs are already being applied to digital cameras and video recorders.
The author also reminds of us of how dependant we are on machines already, a dependence that was most infamously expressed in our fears about the year 2000 bug. If all computers in the world were to suddenly stop functioning, the life was we know it would grind to a halt. Without question, we are moving towards a society that is controlled by machines, although hopefully such a society will have more room for “creative human expression and experience.”
Two essays, Was Cypher Right? The Nature Of Reality And Why It Matters, by Lyle Zinda, and The Reality Paradox In The Matrix, by James Gunn, focus on the concepts of reality, what is real, and their portrayal in the movie. The first essay examines the problem of determining what is real and what isn’t, while the latter examines how this problem has been portrayed in science fiction.
Many philosophers agree that the mind is real. René Descartes, a 17th century philosopher, established this idea with the famous statement, “I think, therefore I am.” Unfortunately, not much more than that can be proven as ‘real.’ The mind depends on sensory input, and there is no way to guarantee that what signals the mind receives are not artificial and created by some 3rd party being or object to conceal the real world from us. For all we know, we could be trapped inside a real Matrix, and the movie The Matrix was created as a cruel joke by the machines to torment us, without us knowing. There are a few other things that are generally agreed upon as ‘real’ because they exist within the mind, such as the field mathematics.
Reality has been examined many times in literature and popular entertainment, from the most serious of novels to the most comedic of television shows (The Simpsons and Futurama are good examples). One of the earliest examples is the 1884 novel Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbot, who wrote about how mysterious and unbelievable three dimensional objects must seem to two dimensional beings. Works by author Phillip K. Dick are perhaps the most famous of those that deal with issues concerning reality. The movie Total Recall, about a secret agent in the future whose memory has been wiped and replaced with false experiences so many times that he has become unsure of what is real and what isn’t, is based on one of Dick’s short stories.
I found this book to be a very enjoyable read that did a good job of getting done what it set out to do. The book is entertaining and intriguing; it supplies the reader with multiple interpretations of The Matrix and ideas that many people might not have thought of. Each author does an excellent job of getting their point across, and supporting their essays with plenty of well documented information. In addition, the book does not come across as condescending or overly opinionated, the ideas are presented but the reader is left to make their one decision.
There is one drawback to the book. Because the majority of the essays were written independently, and gathered together to complete the volume only after their completion, quite a few begin with lengthy synopsis reviews of The Matrix and statements of a few of the more obvious facts and interpretations of the movie. These introductions become redundant after the first or second essay, and the reader may find it necessary to skim a page or two through the beginning of each section to get to new material.
Taking The Red Pill is a well written book that is easy to read as well as comprehend. It provides a good look at the issues raised by artificial intelligence and technology, as well as the portrayal of AI in science fiction. Readers come away with a better knowledge of what the future of technological development and its implications have in store for society.
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Taking The Red Pill: Science, Philosophy, And Religion In The Matrix
Edited by Glenn Yeffeth
Published by Benbella Books, 2003
241 Pages
Taking The Red Pill: Science, Philosophy, And Religion In The Matrix is a collection of fourteen essays by various authors, edited by Glenn Yeffeth. Each essay focuses on different ideas presented in the movie The Matrix, some technological, some religious, some philosophical. In examining these ideas, the essays attempt to determine what society can learn from The Matrix, and science fiction in general, as great leaps forward are made in the areas of computer and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
In the movie The Matrix, in the far future machine and robot AI has grown to be so successful that is has overthrown its human creators, and enslaved the slavers. Humans are kept alive to generate energy, while our minds are trapped within an artificial world referred to as ‘The Matrix,’ which we perceive as real. By not being allowed to see the true world, to know that we are in fact enslaved, we are kept happy. A small number of us, however, the ‘rebels,’ have managed to awake from The Matrix, and are leading a revolution against the machines.
While The Matrix initially comes across as an action film, it is also immediately apparent that it is something more. References to literary classics, famous philosophical quotes, and popular as well as obscure science fiction abound, the most obvious being the numerous allusions to Alice in Wonderland, and characters and scenery Alice sees through out her journey. The Matrix, as well as the entire genre of science fiction in general, has much to say about humanity’s relationship with technology.
The essay Artificial Intelligence, Science Fiction, and The Matrix, by Robert J. Sawyer, examines how AI has been portrayed in science fiction, and what predictions the genre has for the future of machine intelligence. AI has been an essential part of science fiction since before the genre even existed. Movies such as The Day the Earth Stood Still, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Star Wars, and The Terminator all examine aspects of AI to varying degrees. Even the words ‘robot,’ ‘android,’ and ‘internet,’ to name a few, all have their roots in science fiction.
The vast majority of science fiction authors predict that when true AI comes about, it will be by accident, not by invention. Some say, eventually the telecommunications networks that are spread across the world with thousands, even millions of nodes, will eventually reach the point where so much information is processed and transmitted, that intelligence will spontaneously come into being. The author of this essay cites research into the development of human intelligence as support for this theory. Humans existed for sixty thousand years in their present form before showing any sign of intelligent thought. Suddenly, within a span of a few thousand years, culture, religion, art, and technology all spontaneously came into being. Just having the ability to think intelligently does not necessarily indicate that intelligent thought takes place. The book Neuromancer, as well as the movie Blade Runner, depicts a future where special police forces roam around searching for and eliminating AI that has spontaneously come into existence.
Sawyer also discusses the two main themes that often arise when AI is examined in science fiction. Many authors predict that when true AI finally comes about, machine intelligences will be subject to the same emotions that humans feel, and the need for ‘robopsychologists’ will arise to deal with those machines that become depressed or go insane. The movie 2001: A Space Odyssey features a robot aboard a spaceship that goes insane and attempts to kill off the crew. The other theme deals with the comparison between machine and human intelligence; in all probability, the day will come when computers are more intelligent than humans. A world that are ruled by machines are depicted in the movies The Matrix, as well as The Day the Earth Stood Still, where an alien society has willingly turned over control to machines, and The Terminator.
The Human Machine Merger: Are We Headed For The Matrix? by Ray Kurzweil takes a much closer look at current technological advancements and how likely the future depicted in The Matrix really is. Kurzweil begins by citing Moore’s Law, which stats that “the computing power available for a given price will double every twelve to twenty for months.” So far, Moore’s Law has proven to be true- the processing power of computers is increasing at an exponential rate. Many breakthroughs are also being made in the area of artificial intelligence. Research into neural networks (networks that imitate the processes of the brain) have yielded new programs that are useful in analyzing non-statistical information, such as visual and auditory input. Such programs are already being applied to digital cameras and video recorders.
The author also reminds of us of how dependant we are on machines already, a dependence that was most infamously expressed in our fears about the year 2000 bug. If all computers in the world were to suddenly stop functioning, the life was we know it would grind to a halt. Without question, we are moving towards a society that is controlled by machines, although hopefully such a society will have more room for “creative human expression and experience.”
Two essays, Was Cypher Right? The Nature Of Reality And Why It Matters, by Lyle Zinda, and The Reality Paradox In The Matrix, by James Gunn, focus on the concepts of reality, what is real, and their portrayal in the movie. The first essay examines the problem of determining what is real and what isn’t, while the latter examines how this problem has been portrayed in science fiction.
Many philosophers agree that the mind is real. René Descartes, a 17th century philosopher, established this idea with the famous statement, “I think, therefore I am.” Unfortunately, not much more than that can be proven as ‘real.’ The mind depends on sensory input, and there is no way to guarantee that what signals the mind receives are not artificial and created by some 3rd party being or object to conceal the real world from us. For all we know, we could be trapped inside a real Matrix, and the movie The Matrix was created as a cruel joke by the machines to torment us, without us knowing. There are a few other things that are generally agreed upon as ‘real’ because they exist within the mind, such as the field mathematics.
Reality has been examined many times in literature and popular entertainment, from the most serious of novels to the most comedic of television shows (The Simpsons and Futurama are good examples). One of the earliest examples is the 1884 novel Flatland, by Edwin A. Abbot, who wrote about how mysterious and unbelievable three dimensional objects must seem to two dimensional beings. Works by author Phillip K. Dick are perhaps the most famous of those that deal with issues concerning reality. The movie Total Recall, about a secret agent in the future whose memory has been wiped and replaced with false experiences so many times that he has become unsure of what is real and what isn’t, is based on one of Dick’s short stories.
I found this book to be a very enjoyable read that did a good job of getting done what it set out to do. The book is entertaining and intriguing; it supplies the reader with multiple interpretations of The Matrix and ideas that many people might not have thought of. Each author does an excellent job of getting their point across, and supporting their essays with plenty of well documented information. In addition, the book does not come across as condescending or overly opinionated, the ideas are presented but the reader is left to make their one decision.
There is one drawback to the book. Because the majority of the essays were written independently, and gathered together to complete the volume only after their completion, quite a few begin with lengthy synopsis reviews of The Matrix and statements of a few of the more obvious facts and interpretations of the movie. These introductions become redundant after the first or second essay, and the reader may find it necessary to skim a page or two through the beginning of each section to get to new material.
Taking The Red Pill is a well written book that is easy to read as well as comprehend. It provides a good look at the issues raised by artificial intelligence and technology, as well as the portrayal of AI in science fiction. Readers come away with a better knowledge of what the future of technological development and its implications have in store for society.
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You underestimate the power of the Dark Side...
DSettahr's Homepage
The Jedi's Saber
[This message has been edited by DSettahr (edited November 06, 2003).]