VAST 20002 Computers and Society

1
VAST 200-02 Computers and Society

• Lecture 17 - A Look at True Names
• Spring 2004

Prof. John NestorECE DepartmentLafayette
CollegeEaston, Pennsylvania 18042nestorj_at_lafayet
te.edu
2
Announcements

• Reading
• True Names, True Names, pp. 239-252, Intro pp.
  15-23
• Are we Spritual Machines? Intro, Ch. 1, 2, 5
• Term Paper Assignment 2
• Final draft due Friday, April 23 (due to
  confusion, accepted w/o penalty until April 30)
• 5-minute presentations Starting April 30
• Final Writing Assignment (3-4 pages)
• Detailed Assignment on Friday
• First draft due Friday, April 30
• Final draft due Wednesday, May 12 (can submit by
  email)

3
Looking Ahead True Names

• Originally published in 1981 by Vernor Vinge
  (also known for the term Information
  Singularity)
• The Setting USA, Approximately 2014
• Northern California
• The Other Plane - Role-Playing Game Virtual
  World representation of the worldwide
  Information Infrastructure (the term cyberspace
  was not invented yet)
• Providence, Rhode Island

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Looking Ahead True Names

• What is the predicted state of technology?
• High-speed network connects computers worldwide
• High speed optical links to home
• Computer Interface using EEG Portals
• Portal use with Virtual World (the Other Plane)
• Magic and spells as a new metaphor for
  programming
• Communities of hackers (Vandals) who inhabit
  the virtual world (the Coven)
• Use of cryptography to protect identity (true
  name)
• Personality simulators in the Other Plane

Q Which of these did Vinge get right? What did
he miss?
5
Looking Ahead True Names

• What is the predicted state of government?
• Department of Welfare police more feared than
  the FBI
• Government heavily dependent on information
  infrastructure, but not quite in control
• Government opposition by Vandal hactivism
• License required to use computer systems and
  networks
• National defense using orbital laser cannons

Q Which of these did Vinge get right? What did
he miss?
6
Looking Ahead True Names

• Characters
• Protagonist Roger Pollack aka Mr. Slippery
• Government Agents Virginia et. al.
• Inhabitants of the Other Plane
• Alan
• Robin Hood
• DON.MAC
• The Slimey Limey
• Wiley J. Bastard
• Erythrina aka Debby Charteris
• The Mailman

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Looking Ahead True Names

• The Plot
• Government Agents arrest Roger Pollack (Mr.
  Slippery) and force him to investigate The
  Mailman
• Roger visits the Other Plane and the Coven as Mr.
  Slippery
• DON.MAC and Wiley J. Bastard attempt to recruit
  Mr. Sippery and Erythina to work for the Mailman
  they escape
• Using extra resources, Slip and Ery search for
  the Mailman and achieve superhuman intelligence
  and capabilities
• Battle in earnest Mailman, Slilp and Ery fight
  on the Other Plane and with orbital lasers
• Mailman unmasked as a self-aware AI program and
  dismantled (or is it?)
• Roger Pollack visits Erythrina in the Real World

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Looking Ahead True Names

• More discussion questions
• How plausible is it that Mr. Slippery and
  Erythina can achieve superhuman capabilites by
  taking control of net resources?
• How plausible is the Mailman as a self-aware
  computer program?
• How does the scenario of True Names compare to
  the scenario of The Matrix?

9
Machine Intelligence at the Movies

• More films
• 2001, A Space Odyssey - Computer HAL 9000
  controls a spaceship traveling to Jupiter, goes
  berserk
• Colussus, the Forbin Project - US and Russian
  defense computers network take over world with
  nuclear blackmail
• Ghost in the Machine - Personality of
  psychopathic killer is accidentally downloaded
  into a computer
• TRON - Game designer accidentally downloaded into
  computer system, battles evil Master Control
  Program
• Terminator - battle between machines and humanity
• Artificial Intellligence - Family adopts
  intelligent robot

10
Coming Up

• Artificial Intelligence
• Visions of the Future of AI Kurzweil vs. Critics