Kurzweil (1998) maintains that a crucial question for the twenty-first century is: ôCan an intelligence create another intelligence more intelligent than itself?ö (40). KurzweilÆs answer is a definite ôyesö. After exploring how evolution has created intelligence, specifically human intelligence, the author contends that our creation of intelligent machines has been superior in speed than evolution. Using the Law of Accelerating Returns, Kurzweil theorizes that human beings will be able to create intelligent machines more intelligent than humans. Eventually, machines created by humans will ômatch and exceedö human intelligence, a process accomplished in only thousands of years compared to the billions of years involved in the development of human intelligence (Kurzweil 1998, 46).
The Law of Accelerating returns not only predicts an increase in speed of such development but also an increase in capabilities. By creating intelligent machines, human intelligence is a parallel of the evolutionary process of ôbuilding on itselfö (Kurzweil 1998, 47). The incremental progress of evolution has been enhanced by the product of that process, human intelligence. Despite such advances in intelligent machines, one of the biggest problems with creating human-like machines is defining what is human? Consciousness and sentience are two primary considerations in defining humanness. Various schools of thought, from PlatoÆs deliberations on consciousness to Descartes famous declaration of ôI think therefore, I amö, illustrate the elusive nature of absolute definitions of the conscious aspect of the human mind (Kurzweil 1998, 60). Even determinations of exactly when a human being becomes conscious are problematic. The author asserts that even a synthesis of these schools of thought is left wanting. Despite such complexities, Kurzweil (1998) argues that ôconsciousö machines will be developed, ones whose ôfeelingsö and ôthoughts...