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Article 2084 of comp.ai.philosophy:
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>From: jperedo@berlin.helios.nd.edu (jayme peredo)
Newsgroups: comp.ai.philosophy
Subject: AI's Benefits to Humankind
Message-ID: <1991Dec13.041332.27509@news.nd.edu>
Date: 13 Dec 91 04:13:32 GMT
Sender: news@news.nd.edu (USENET News System)
Reply-To: jperedo@berlin.helios.nd.edu (jayme peredo)
Organization: Univ. of Notre Dame
Lines: 16


As another abstract question, and to move the discussion in a new direction, I'd like to ask, 

How does research and study in the field of Artificial Intelligence benefit humankind?  What do people feel we stand to gain from all this--intelligent cars that can drive us places?  cheap slave labor?  trustworty companions?  or a new species which, thr
ough our work to advance them, may turn around and aid us when they surpass us in capability?

Or is research even a matter of human benefit--should we explore AI merely for the sake of knowledge to satisfy our human curiosity?

Or finally, should the whole idea be scrapped altogether as a waste of our time?  (Though I doubt that anyone who subscribes to this newsgroup would likely feel this way.)



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jayme "newt" peredo		"Hurt because I can't enjoy it,
				Lost because I haven't found it,
				Confused because I don't know what it is,
				Scared because I'm hurt, lost, and confused."


