Scientist and entrepreneur Jobst Landgrebe and philosopher Barry Smith published a book last month that directly challenges the claim AI is becoming capable of human type thought and will run our world whether we like it or not. Here’s what critics are saying about Why Machines will Never Rule the World: Artificial Intelligence without Fear (Routledge, 2022)

It’s a highly impressive piece of work that makes a new and vital contribution to the literature on AI and AGI. The rigor and depth with which the authors make their case is compelling, and the range of disciplinary and scientific knowledge they draw upon is particularly remarkable and truly novel.

– Shannon Vallor, Baillie Gifford Chair, Edinburgh Futures Institute, The University of Edinburgh

The alluring nightmare in which machines take over running the planet and humans are reduced to drudges is not just far off or improbable: the authors argue that it is mathematically impossible. While drawing on a remarkable array of disciplines for their evidence, the argument of Landgrebe and Smith is in essence simple. Compulsory reading for those who fear the worst, but also for those inadvertently trying to bring it about.

– Peter M. Simons, Professor, Department of Philosophy, Trinity College Dublin

University of Miami philosophy prof Berit Brogaard reminds us that a year ago Elon Musk was telling us that AI will surpass us in five years. Ray Kurzweil has been saying similar things for what seems like decades …

A key factor they note is that where computers must be explicit and specific, most human language is not like that and doesn’t need to be. In fact, it’s more informative if it isn’t …

From the Abstract at Taylor and Francis:

In supporting their claim, the authors, Jobst Landgrebe and Barry Smith, marshal evidence from mathematics, physics, computer science, philosophy, linguistics, and biology, setting up their book around three central questions: What are the essential marks of human intelligence? What is it that researchers try to do when they attempt to achieve “artificial intelligence” (AI)? And why, after more than 50 years, are our most common interactions with AI, for example with our bank’s computers, still so unsatisfactory?

They see a bright future for computers but not at the expense of humanity.

Drs. Landgrebe and Smith will be speaking at the National Association of Scholars’ Restoring the Sciences webinar series, with J. Scott Turner, author Purpose and Desire (2017) moderating.