The discussion moves into the concept of general-purpose human-level intelligence and when machines might pass the threshold where a person cannot distinguish between human and artificial conversation. Wilson explains how Moore's Law continues to drive exponential growth in processing power, while parallel computing and massive data storage bring the possibility of truly intelligent machines closer each year. He also addresses the ethical dimensions of weaponized robots and autonomous killing machines already in development.
Art and Wilson explore the longer-term implications, including whether robots could eventually store and replicate the entirety of a human's sensory experience. They discuss the cultural fear surrounding intelligent machines, the practical benefits robots already provide in surgery and search-and-rescue operations, and the question of whether humanity will ultimately merge with its own technological creations.
Key Moments
Why human-level AI requires solving 'the whole enchilada': Wilson explains the AI-hard problem and the Turing Test as the only sure benchmark, noting current AI is limited to narrow tasks like vision algorithms identifying a cat on a dog.
The mobile ambulance coffin for the battlefield: Wilson describes a DARPA concept for a driverless robot vehicle that finds a wounded soldier on the battlefield, drags him inside a sealed compartment, and lets stateside surgeons operate via tele-operated arms.
Surviving a robot uprising: go for the sensors: Asked if he really expects robots to rise up, Wilson says no, but advises that if they do, the practical weak spot is sensors like cameras, since they are the most delicate components even when armored.
Surviving your own smart house when it goes evil: Wilson, who lives in a smart house himself, walks through a half-serious escape plan if a hacker flips the switch on it: practice a fire-drill route, stash an axe, destroy sensors, and beware the smart car and lawnmower outside.
Paro the seal and why people project love onto robots: Wilson recounts seasoned roboticists pushing each other aside to pet Paro, a seal-shaped therapeutic robot, and uses it to argue that humans inevitably anthropomorphize anything cute, just as they do with cats.