Narrowing My Focus

Specifying The Need-To-Knows

In this blog entry, I will identify what questions of the list I generated in my previous post will be most useful to me as I develop my argument for this project.

ClkerFreeVectorImages "Narrows-Warnings-Roadsigns-Signs" 2012 via pixabay.com.
Public Domain CC0 License.

I selected the following three questions to focus on as I develop my argument:


Who are the specific people/groups speaking out against artificial intelligence research?

I think that I should try to ask this question initially, because from what I know on the controversy, there are famous researchers in favor of developing AI, but I am not aware of what groups are opposing that development and research. From what I've heard on the issue, there are people who are fearful of and are opposing AI advancements, but I simply do not know who they are. Hopefully, in finding out what specific people are against AI in this controversy, I can discover what their fears and reasoning are so that I may better address, or at least reference them, to show that I understand the controversy and can construct my argument around that knowledge.

Are the people involved in this public argument over artificial intelligence considering the artistic potential of the technology?


The primary focus of my public argument will be about art factoring into the discussion and debate over artificial intelligence, so I think it will be vital to find out if this topic has been discussed elsewhere or if it's a fairly unknown/ignored viewpoint on the controversy. If I find that this idea has been discussed, that will largely influence how I design my argument, because I will likely do best by referencing and replying to those discussions. However, if I find my topic hasn't been covered in this debate, I will have to frame it as though it is a profound and completely new way of looking at and analyzing the controversy over AI and the public's feelings towards the technology.

When do researchers and developers believe AI technology will be "ready," or in other words, in a form that fits our currently imagined standards for the technology?

I think that, although this question could be answered with a simple time frame, it will serve to make me aware of how near in the future AI will be realized, and knowing that, I can construct my argument with that timeline in mind (I plan to discuss both first production and everyday prevalence). I may encounter conflicting estimates and definitions of "ready" as I research however, and have to consider these differences as I seek an answer to this question.