Reading Assignment #2
Read the following essays by Nicholas Negroponte related to the topic of
intelligent agents:
- Less is More:
Digital Butlers
- Interface
Agents as Digital Butlers
- 000 000 111 -
Double Agents
Consider for discussion the following questions, plus any others that
occur to you.
- What is he talking about when he uses the term intelligent agent?
What do you think of the idea of having an interface which will actually know
you and your environment? Thumbs up or thumbs down? Why?
- What are some specific ways in which an intelligent agent such as that described
by Negroponte might assist you in your daily life? Be creative!
- What are some specific ways in which more limited forms of intelligent agent are assisting you in your daily life now?
- Since no such agent could possibly be programmed to know all about
you and your habits and preferences, it will have to learn them. How
do you suppose this might be accomplished? What other things can a computer
learn? Is this possible at all, as you define the term? What are the dangers
of this idea? (You might be interested to know that Deep Blue, the computer
which recently defeated international chess champion Garry Kasparov, learned
much of its chess skill.)
- Negroponte asserts that intelligence rather than "look and feel"
is the key to a successful interface. Do you agree? Does this represent any
change in your thinking?
- How do you suppose we are likely to communicate with comprehensive intelligent agents
when they become a reality?
- How would you feel about having a computer that could "recognize" you when
you sit down to work at it? Or pay attention to what you're doing? How could
this be accomplished? Would this be a good or bad thing? What are the pros
and cons?
- How do you feel about the prospect of communicating with a machine verbally
-- talking to it and having it talk back to you, perhaps even making small
talk at times? Do the benefits outweigh the negatives, the sense of unease?
What do you think is the opinion of society in general?
- The last essay raises a fairly significant concern about widespread use
of intelligent agents. Did you think at all about security issues when you
read the first two essays? In what ways could an intelligent agent become
a "double agent"?
Briefly answer the questions in a word document and be prepared to
discuss the reading material in class