Can algorithms express ethics?  That’s a question occupying the minds of programmers as society relegates more of its decisions to Artificial Intelligence, (AI).  Today, AI can approve bank loans, award an inmate parole or select which information a person sees while surfi

One of my computer gurus ran into trouble with his machine recently.  For two days, he bent over it, wondering what went wrong inside its “little black box.”  He finally fixed the problem, but  isn’t certain why it occurred.  I shouldn’t laugh because I depend on this guy�

I bumped into an acquaintance at the grocery store the other day. He said the previous weekend he’d attended a conference for writers.  What he learned from one book agent surprised him.  According to her, some authors are finding inspiration by using Google’s search engine.  T

Without a doubt, the digital world is taking us where no man or woman has gone before.  The universe of the mind is rapidly melding with the natural one, creating infinite possibilities. Having reached the edge of the new frontier, we’re about to face unanticipated challenges, the

What I know best about operating my computer is how to type. Still, I dare write about technology because I suspect others will want a heads-up about coming changes in their lives. What would you say, for example, if I announced homo sapiens are approaching a transhuman condition? I�

As recently as May 15, I questioned where the young techies, building their virtual worlds, are taking us.  Certainly, they live a schizophrenic existence.  On the one hand, they purport to be bringing people together and creating a democratic agora for ideas.  On the other hand, t

In an earlier blog (10/27/16), I referred to an article by Clive Thompson about artificial intelligence.  He warned we know so little about what’s going on inside those wired machines, we should consider what this lack of transparency means.  Are we being foolhardy when we put too

Artificial intelligence mirrors the many faces of being human.  Our creations can be vicious and cruel as in The Terminator or curious and compassionate as in Wall-E.  They can destroy our word as in The Matrix,  betray us as in Ex Machina or give us a glimpse of miraculous possibi

Artificial intelligence (AI):  Will it bring in the best or the worst of times?  That is the question futurists, philosopher, techies and scientists are debating.  Recently, Stephen Hawking chipped in with his opinion: we are doomed.  Certainly, robotics is turning our economy on

I want to pose a question: How can we develop Artificial Intelligence when our own intelligence is questionable; when we can’t agree on standards of behavior or ethical goals; when we  know little about how our brains work; can’t define intelligence and have no idea what consciou