computers+vs.+humans+(roni+sue)

 Overview
In 1963 "at the dawn of the modern computer era", the United States government funded Stanford University to develop the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and the Augmentation Research Center, designed to create a machine that could think for itself and to design a computer that would augment human intelligence, respectively. Scientists originally thought that it would take ten years to develop a thinking machine. These two laboratories and the schools of thought behind them are the driving forces in developing new technology.

Now, the idea of building a thinking machine is becoming a reality. Last week ina match off between the I.B.M computing system, Watson, and the two best Jeopardy players, Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter, the computing system won, s[|hown here as a]"milestone in the development of artificial intelligence".

"Watson... is powered by 10 racks of IBM POWER 750 servers running Linux, and uses 1 terabytes of RAM, 2,880 processor cores and can operate at 80 teraflops." (whatever that means!) And it's the size of 10 refrigerators!

I'm scared of this machine, but it can provide many opportunities that will enrich the lives of many living on this planet. For example, I.B.M officials envision Watson as becoming a Dr. Watson with the ability to read all of the health-care texts in the world and to access all resources from anywhere on earth.

The New York Times looks at the philosophical, sociological, and economic consequences of Watson. With machines' ability to understand language, they are able to infiltrate sectors of the economy that were previously closed off. It is possible that computer systems replace experts and the well-paying jobs that come with education. However, some economists argue that short term jobs will be replaced by computers, but over the long run the economy will rebound as it did in the shift from agrarian society to an industrial society.

The shift towards the computer society has already begun with the heavy use of personal computers and smartphones, referred to as a [|"cyborg quality".]Wether we are aware or not, we are involved in something larger than ourselves.

sources: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/science/15essay.html?_r=1&emc=eta1 http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/01/ibm-watson-jeopardy/#

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