Machines That Will Think and Feel
For those who don&#x27;t recognize the name, the author, David Gelernter, was one of biggest AI theorists during the PC era. He published a 1991 book <i>Mirror Worlds</i> which basically suggested the now uncontroversial idea that &quot;software is eating the world&quot;. At that time software was just for accounting and video games so no one paid attention.<p>However a math PhD and former Berkeley professor named Ted Kaczynski was one of the few people to take those ideas seriously. He thought the idea of computers controlling everything was terrifying, thought we were already too absorbed in technology and that as a group we need to make an intentional move away from otherwise innocuous-seeming technological advancements.<p>He tried to publicized these ideas by mailing live bombs to Gelernter and other researchers, and was nicknamed the &quot;Unabomber&quot; (UNiversity BOMber). The public decided he was looney and we like our Windows 95 just fine and we&#x27;re mostly OK with slowly becoming cyborgs.<p>Interesting to see Gelernter tapping the brakes.