Pamela McCordick: Literature, Mythology, and the History of AI

The Roots of Artificial Intelligence

Pamela McCordick, author of Machines Who Think, highlights that the birth of artificial intelligence was not purely a product of math and computer science, but was profoundly rooted in myth and legend.

• The Ancient Wish: AI is described as the expression of an ancient desire to "forge the gods," connecting modern technology to humanity’s centuries-old fascination with automatons and creating life.
• Founding Figures: McCordick spent significant time with the pioneers of the 1956 Dartmouth Workshop, including John McCarthy, Marvin Minsky, Allen Newell, and Herbert Simon.

Philosophical and Cultural Perspectives

McCordick distinguishes between two historical viewpoints that have shaped our relationship with AI:

• The Hellenic View: A welcoming attitude toward robots as useful assistants.
• The Hebraic View: A cautionary, often fearful stance rooted in the prohibition against creating "graven images," seeing the act of creation as potentially blasphemous.

"We have good reason to fear it, because it can get out of hand. But blasphemy is not one of them."

The Evolution of the Field and AI Winters

McCordick reflects on the perception of "AI Winters," arguing that they are often a commerce-driven phenomenon rather than a scientific failure. She emphasizes that scientific research at its core often continues despite financial or academic skepticism.

Complexity and Emergence

Her experiences at the Santa Fe Institute provided a new lens through which to view intelligence, particularly through the study of complex adaptive systems. She draws parallels between artistic projects like Harold Cohen's Aaron and the broader scientific inquiry into emergent behaviors.

Feminism and the Future of AI

A pivotal takeaway from the conversation is the intersection of AI and gender. McCordick reflects on her subconscious motivation for studying AI:

• She sought to contest the narrow, historically gendered view that "intelligence" primarily resided in the male cranium.
• By externalizing intelligence into machines, she hoped to broaden the definition of what it means to be intelligent, independent of biological or gendered constraints.