1. The Matrix is just a movie, right? I mean, is it actually possible for machines to become so
intelligent and self-aware that they take over the human race? According to Brooks in “Our
Machine Masters”, it is. However, they won’t try to kill us like in the movie. But, he does explain
how they will be able to evolve enough to create cognitive skills that will allow them to think on
their own. This both scares me and intrigues me. The future may hold wonderful technologies
that allow us to do things we were never able to do before. In the article he explains how we will
eventually become so reliant on the lifeless and analytical machines that we may become one
ourselves. Is this the future we want? Humans were made to be imperfect creatures who have
their own opinions, ideas and emotions, and if that is taken away, we are merely a walking
calculator with a brain and a beating heart.
2. David Brooks remarks in his article “Our Machine Masters” (NY Times) his concern with the
future implications of advanced Artificial Intelligence. Brooks’s fear of a sci-fi robotic takeover
may be a bit far-fetched for modern technology, but the social and economic effects of Artificial
Intelligence are inevitable. There is the potential for an information monopoly, as well as the
ability for business and political entities to affect the opinions of a wide variety of people. While
Brooks’s may not have to worry about Terminator coming around any day soon, he is right when
he says that AI will change the way we live.
3. In an article, “Our Machine Masters”, the author David Brooks explains the rapidly growing
presence of data collection based technology that can predict what a consumer wants by their
Internet activity and discusses possible paths that the future of artificial intelligence could go.
While I see the future of Artificial Intelligence as one of convenience and accessibility, Brooks
predicts that large companies, whom already dominate 75% of page views in the U.S., will
manage their advertisement through large-scale data-mining resources and become even more
powerful. With that many people visiting a few elite websites like Google, Facebook, Twitter,
Yahoo, etc., they can process this information and know exactly what people want to buy, read,
or watch. With this information they can suggest goods, services, or entertainment to people
based on what the popular demand is.
4. David Brooks argues that artificial intelligence can lead mankind to an either humanistic or
utilitarian society because machines are starting to replace humans with tasks that require
intelligence. Big companies, such as AI, are gaining more networking and power, which in return
are changing what it means to be human. However, technology is in fact making us less social
and is causing mankind to become disconnected with the world.
5. In the New York Times article “Our Machine Masters”, written by David Brooks, expresses great
concern in the Future of technology within society. Brooks argues that while he likes Pandora to
help him find the music he likes, he’s concerned because we’re growing to a new level of
technology and he does not want society to end up being shaped by machines.
6. The topic of “Our Machine Masters” by David Brooks is about the advancement of technology. He
states that technology is getting to be quite dangerous, and instead of helping us it might end up,
controlling us to the point where humans start loosing their identity. Brooks is expressing how
we are relying too much on technology, that we are basically giving it control of our lives, and its
getting to a point where its becoming dangerous. David Brook’s purpose for writing this article
is to caution others and hopefully create awareness of an issue that might become a serious
threat to society very soon. His tone is very cautionary, and his audience is anyone that uses
technology on a daily basis.
7. Its no secret that technology has become a regular part of life for most people in todays modern
word. Voice operated machines, and apps that allow us to have endless knowledge at our finger
tips, are only some of the ways humans have been seemingly engulfed inside their technological
devices. David Brooks addresses the potential problems that this artificial intelligence will bring
upon humanity as we continue to depend on it for everyday tasks in his article, “Our Machine
Masters.” (2014) He argues that electronics are diminishing what it means to be human by
minimizing the individuality we all have as people, and as a species. Many of us are controlled by
our machines already; by relying on them to wake us up in the morning, to give us directions,
and to even do our homework, the convince of using our devices is a constant habit. This habit
may have already turned into an addiction for some, and the long term effects of this could be
devastating. I find it easy to assume that a life without technology would prove many hardships
for the newer generations of todays world.
8. Ever since the Terminator movie series there has been the impending question: Will artificial
intelligence ever take over the world? Admit it you’ve thought about it, at least on a humorous
level. As technology becomes increasingly innovative this question is become more than just a
thought. We already have programs that are able to understand our likes and interests, and we
no longer need to think for ourselves due to our devices ability to do it for us; therefore, it’s only
a matter of time before our computers develop cognitive or even emotional functionality. Can we
and should we let technology get to the point where they become their own independent beings?
I think yes, because once we, the human race, have developed technology to a point where
“robots” are endangering our sense individuality, we will naturally resist and stop those
programs.
9. Machines, electronics, and artificial intelligence have all become a part of our everyday life. Year
after year, producers are releasing new and improved models of our old technologies and they’re
improving at an astonishing pace. I remember, about ten years ago, playing with my dad’s cell
phone. It was a silver flip phone with a blue and black screen that could only be used for calling
and basic texting. Today, I own an iPhone which is practically a mini touch-screen computer in
the palm of your hand. Within just ten years technology has improved incredibly fast and it just
keeps growing. Today’s society has to start thinking about this growth in technology and its
effects on humanity; if people are not careful then the world could end up being a very sterile
environment where machines have replaced many human characteristics and obligations.
10. Humans have always looked to the future pondering what would be the next big technology for
the future. Throughout my life, this future technology was always a robot or computer that could
think for themselves and preform many of the tasks humans do in their every day life. There
have been countless movies on this future containing these new technologies, some showing
great futures and others like I-Robot not so great futures; however these super computers are
not an idea on the future anymore being very close to a reality the present world.
11. The age of artificial Intelligence is definitely upon us. Humans have developed technology that
can predict our moves in an online chess match and what we will search for in our google search
bar based on the first couple of letters, upon other things. This has proved to be an amazing
benefit to most of us in our daily lives but David Brooks in his article, “Our Machine Masters”
warns that there are serious implications to our increased dependence on artificial intelligence
due to the sociological and philosophical changes it can create within us. While I agree that we
are rapidly becoming more dependent on artificial technology, I disagree that this technology
can take over to the point that our psyches are changed.