Bicentennial Man Blog Prompts

“How will we know that AI has been achieved? The answer is simply that the "machines will convince us that they are conscious, that they have their own agenda worthy of our respect. We will come to believe that they are conscious much as we believe that of each other. They will embody human qualities and will claim to be human. And we'll believe them" (Kurzweil 63).”

This quote from Kurtzweil is one view of how humans will react to AI that wants to be more. In the film Bicentennial Man, these issues are also explored. Write a minimum 6- paragraph reaction using your notes and the questions that reflects your attitudes towards Artificial Intelligence.

1) Write up your response questions in paragraph form. Be sure to use examples from the movie and answer in a reflective manner showing thought.

2) Do you believe that AI is going to happen. Explain why or why not.

3) Will AI be an overall good thing or bad thing? What is the worst case and best case scenario as you see it?

4) What was your felling about the movie Bicentennial Man? Was it realistic? Did it stimulate thought about the issues? Is it a valuable use of class time?