Page #165, Discussion #1 (7 September 2010)

Human Capabilities Unknown to a Machine

            Wright opens his piece talking about the epic face off between a computer and a human in a game of chess. He uses this to show that this match “became an icon in musings on the meaning of dignity and human life” (Wright 140). He is presenting to us here and throughout the article, the question of whether or not machines, made by man, can think. He continues in presenting to the reader different arguments people have made over time about whether or not machines will ever have the capability to ever think or not. He makes points for both sides, but comes to the conclusion that machines will never reach human capabilities.

            One way machine will never reach human capabilities is because they will never feel. It cannot be programmed into a machine to feel emotions. He says, “After all, consciousness- the existence of pleasure and pain, love and grief- is fairly central to the source of life’s meaning?” (144). He is stating that even though a machine might be able to perform tasks, it can never truly have meaning to its life in the way a human does. It might be able to go through certain motions, or be programmed with intelligence beyond most human capability, but it will never have the emotional participle that undoubtedly blueprints a human. He also says that there are several limitations to a robot or machine, they can never have human experiences (145), something that is vital to being a human.

            A robot might be able to strategize in a game of chess, but what about street smarts? What about something as simple as knowing when or when not to laugh? When or when not to cross a street. One of “the biggest challenge is giving machines common sense” (141). No one can program these things into a machine because they are too variable. It is something that refers back to what was stated previously, experience.

Overall, Wright comes to the conclusion that although robots and machines will technologically advance over time, they will never reach a pinnacle point of being able to match human capabilities. They might be far superior in intellect due to programming, but there are essential pieces that make a human being, that try as they may, scientist will never be able to instill into a piece of machinery.

Work Cited       

Wright, Robert. “Can Machines Think? Maybe So, as Deep Blue’s Chess Prowess Suggests.” Academic       Communities/Disciplinary Conventions. Ed. Bonnie Beedles and Michael Petracca. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2001. 139-146.