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The Age of Intelligent Machines
Winner, 1990, category of Computer Science, Professional/Scholarly Publishing Annual Awards Competition presented by the Association of American Publishers, Inc.
In The Age of Intelligent Machines, inventor and visionary computer scientist Raymond Kurzweil probes the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence, from its earliest philosophical and mathematical roots to tantalizing glimpses of 21st-century machines with superior intelligence and truly prodigious speed and memory. Generously illustrated and easily accessible to the nonspecialist, this book provides the background needed for a full understanding of the enormous scientific potential represented by intelligent machines as well as their equally profound philosophic, economic, and social implications.
Running alongside Kurzweil's historical and scientific narrative are 23 articles examining contemporary issues in artificial intelligence.
Raymond Kurzweil is the founder and chairman of Kurzweil Applied Intelligence and the Kurzweil Reading Machine division of Xerox. He was the principal developer of the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind and other significant advances in artificial intelligence technology.
Articles Charles Ames. Margaret A. Boden. Harold Cohen. Daniel C. Dennett. Edward A. Feigenbaum. K. Fuchi. George Gilder. Douglas R. Hofstadter. Michael Lebowitz. Margaret Litven. Blaine Mathieu. Marvin Minsky. Allen Newell. Brian W. Oakley. Seymour Papert. Jeff Pepper. Roger Schank and Christopher Owens. Sherry Turkle. Mitchell Waldrop.
In The Age of Intelligent Machines, inventor and visionary computer scientist Raymond Kurzweil probes the past, present, and future of artificial intelligence, from its earliest philosophical and mathematical roots to tantalizing glimpses of 21st-century machines with superior intelligence and truly prodigious speed and memory. Generously illustrated and easily accessible to the nonspecialist, this book provides the background needed for a full understanding of the enormous scientific potential represented by intelligent machines as well as their equally profound philosophic, economic, and social implications.
Running alongside Kurzweil's historical and scientific narrative are 23 articles examining contemporary issues in artificial intelligence.
Raymond Kurzweil is the founder and chairman of Kurzweil Applied Intelligence and the Kurzweil Reading Machine division of Xerox. He was the principal developer of the first print-to-speech reading machine for the blind and other significant advances in artificial intelligence technology.
Articles Charles Ames. Margaret A. Boden. Harold Cohen. Daniel C. Dennett. Edward A. Feigenbaum. K. Fuchi. George Gilder. Douglas R. Hofstadter. Michael Lebowitz. Margaret Litven. Blaine Mathieu. Marvin Minsky. Allen Newell. Brian W. Oakley. Seymour Papert. Jeff Pepper. Roger Schank and Christopher Owens. Sherry Turkle. Mitchell Waldrop.
579 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
About the author
Ray Kurzweil
49 books2,051 followersRaymond Kurzweil is an inventor and futurist who has published books on health, artificial intelligence, transhumanism, and the technological singularity.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 12, 2017
Ray Kurzweil always shocking me whenever he released his books. My 1st time reading his book, Singularity, for a 18 yo, it is pretty mind blowing. I always believes in Singularity and I am very happy someone out there, a very good author, have the same idea as mine.
March 26, 2023
"The Age of Intelligent Machines" is a book by Ray Kurzweil, originally published in 1990, which examines the history and future of artificial intelligence (AI) and related technologies.
Kurzweil begins by tracing the evolution of computing and AI from the earliest calculating machines to the present day, discussing the contributions of pioneers such as Alan Turing, John von Neumann, and Claude Shannon. He also explores the social and economic implications of these technologies, including their impact on employment, education, and communication.
The book then delves into the future of AI, with Kurzweil making predictions about the next few decades based on his analysis of technological trends. He argues that AI will continue to advance at an exponential rate, leading to a "singularity" in which machines surpass human intelligence and create a new era in which technology and biology merge.
Kurzweil's predictions include the development of intelligent robots, the creation of virtual reality environments, the emergence of nanotechnology and biotechnology, and the eventual ability to upload human minds to computers, among other possibilities.
"The Age of Intelligent Machines" has been influential in the field of AI and has helped to shape public debate about the future of technology. Kurzweil's ideas about the singularity and the merging of human and machine have been both celebrated and criticized, and continue to be the subject of ongoing discussion and research.
GPT
Kurzweil begins by tracing the evolution of computing and AI from the earliest calculating machines to the present day, discussing the contributions of pioneers such as Alan Turing, John von Neumann, and Claude Shannon. He also explores the social and economic implications of these technologies, including their impact on employment, education, and communication.
The book then delves into the future of AI, with Kurzweil making predictions about the next few decades based on his analysis of technological trends. He argues that AI will continue to advance at an exponential rate, leading to a "singularity" in which machines surpass human intelligence and create a new era in which technology and biology merge.
Kurzweil's predictions include the development of intelligent robots, the creation of virtual reality environments, the emergence of nanotechnology and biotechnology, and the eventual ability to upload human minds to computers, among other possibilities.
"The Age of Intelligent Machines" has been influential in the field of AI and has helped to shape public debate about the future of technology. Kurzweil's ideas about the singularity and the merging of human and machine have been both celebrated and criticized, and continue to be the subject of ongoing discussion and research.
GPT
June 12, 2008
Raymond Kurzweil is a genius. I highly suggest his writings beyond this as well. In addition, take the opportunity to listen to his speeches. He is a great keynote speaker...
September 22, 2010
Some good parts. Lots of so so.
July 3, 2011
Very much a text book. Now somewhat dated.
January 4, 2013
I read this after getting hooked on Spiritual Machines. This is informative and full of Kurzweil's ideas on the coming future, but generally it's pretty dry and uninteresting.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews