The Question of the Computer
I couldn't help but be a little freaked out by the computer in The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Mike, and all of his alternate personalities, Michelle, Adam, Simon, etc. I had an underlying fear throughout the book that, like Hal in 2001, Mike would turn against the characters and sabatoge their efforts. In retrospect, I was glad that he did not, but it got me to start thinking more deeply about the question of humanity and artificial intelligence.
Ok, Mike. Mike, according to Manny, is "alive". He enjoys jokes, tells stories, is a good neighbor, participates in revolutions. Basically, he appears to be a fully sentient creature with impossibly fast processing and an incredible ability to multitask. But there is a whole other level. Although he calls Manny his "first and best friend" and expresses emotions, I never quite overcame the impression that there was something else going on, something that made him not quite alive. I don't know if it is my own human prejudice for flesh and blood, but I never felt that I connected to Mike in the way I connected to others. There was something frightening in the ability of any creature to play that huge a role, have that large an impact. It reminded me a bit of the Matrix. Secondly, there was the issue of a sense of humor. Mike's obsession with learning about jokes initially seems to make him human. Like anyone encountering a new culture, he wants to learn more about it, and humor is an important element of culture. However, when Mike says things like, he has already assessed the funniness of a joke, it reminds one that all Mike's actions are based on a conscious (is that possible?) evaluation of immense data. Unlike a human, Mike never acts spontaneously; even when he reacts immediately, his actions are based on careful analysis of all available data, an immense amount.
Speaking of Mike has reminded me of other AI creatures, Data, Hal, Bicentennial Man, to name a few. Over and over, the question of what makes something truly alive surfaces. Can any creature incapable of irrational thought truly be alive? Is irrationaliy and unreasonableness, spontaneity and emotional outburst what defines life? In Desk Set, Spencer Tracy assures Katherine Hepburn that Emorac (the electronic brain, think HUGE computer) can make a mistake, but only if the human element makes a mistake. Although Mike is infinitely faster and more advanced than Emorac, the same principle applies. His mistakes (if he made any) are based on human shortcomings. Can he really be alive? Or is it mistakes that bring us to life?
posted by lennearb @ 3:02 AM
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