“Hello. Would you like to be friends?” This question may seem innocent coming from a new roommate; but what if it came from your computer or your car? From Hebrew golems to Ex Machina; people have been both fascinated and terrified of animating the inanimate. Are we ready for technology to become sentient? What if we prefer the virtual world to the real one? Are the fears of Bill Gates and Stephen Hawking justified; or should we look to the hopeful solutions of Larry Page? This course will explore early fascinations with AI and where the future might be headed. Readings will include contemporary science fiction readings like Mindscan and Existence. Students will be expected to lead discussions related to weekly topics and present a project on modern AI.
Prerequisites
Be in the Honors Program