Heart of the machine : our future in a world of artificial emotional intelligence

For Readers of Ray Kurzweil and Michio Kaku, a New Look at the Cutting Edge of Artificial Intelligence Imagine a robotic stuffed animal that can read and respond to a child’s emotional state, a commercial that can recognize and change based on a customer’s facial expression, or a company that can actually create feelings as though a person were experiencing them naturally. Heart of the Machine explores the next giant step in the relationship between humans and technology: the ability of computers to recognize, respond to, and even replicate emotions. Computers have long been integral to our lives, and their advances continue at an exponential rate. Many believe that artificial intelligence equal or superior to human intelligence will happen in the not-too-distance future; some even think machine consciousness will follow. Futurist Richard Yonck argues that emotion, the first, most basic, and most natural form of communication, is at the heart of how we will soon work with and use computers. Instilling emotions into computers is the next leap in our centuries-old obsession with creating machines that replicate humans. But for every benefit this progress may bring to our lives, there is a possible pitfall. Emotion recognition could lead to advanced surveillance, and the same technology that can manipulate our feelings could become a method of mass control. And, as shown in movies like Her and Ex Machina , our society already holds a deep-seated anxiety about what might happen if machines could actually feel and break free from our control. Heart of the Machine is an exploration of the new and inevitable ways in which mankind and technology will interact. The paperback edition has a new foreword by Rana el Kaliouby, PhD, a pioneer in artificial emotional intelligence, as well as the cofounder and CEO of Affectiva, the acclaimed AI startup spun off from the MIT Media Lab. Futurist Richard Yonck Argues That Instilling Emotions, The First, Most Basic, And Most Natural Form Of Communication, Into Computers Is The Next Leap In Our Centuries-old Obsession With Creating Machines That Replicate Humans. But For Every Benefit This Progress May Bring To Our Lives, There Is A Possible Pitfall. Emotion Recognition Could Lead To Advanced Surveillance, And The Same Technology That Can Manipulate Our Feelings Could Become A Method Of Mass Control. And, As Shown In Movies Like Her And Ex Machina, Our Society Already Holds A Deep-seated Anxiety About What Might Happen If Machines Could Actually Feel And Break Free From Our Control. Heart Of The Machine Is An Exploration Of The New And Inevitable Ways In Which Mankind And Technology Will Interact.--amazon.com. A Futurist View -- The Road To Affective Computing. The Dawn Of Emotional Machines ; How Emotion Bootstrapped The First Technological Revolution ; Building The Future ; Tell Us How You Feel ; Launching The Emotion Economy ; Kismet And The Robots -- The Rise Of Emotional Machines. The Uncanny Valley Of The Dolls ; Learning Affectively ; Marching Into A Minefield ; Sentimental Fools ; Who Will Really Care? ; Mixing It Up -- The Future Of Artificial Emotional Intelligence. The Love Machines ; Ai In The Family ; Feelgood, Inc. ; Window In The Dark : Ais In Fiction ; For Better And For Worse ; Will Ais Dream Of Electric Sheep? Richard Yonck. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. “A fascinating, and sometimes disturbing” examination of our relationship with artificial intelligence in the tradition of Ray Kurzweil and Michio Kaku (Martin Ford, New York Times–bestselling author of Rise of the Robots). Imagine a robotic stuffed animal that can respond to a child’s emotional state, a commercial that can change based on a customer’s facial expression, or even a company that can create feelings as though a person were experiencing them naturally. Heart of the Machine explores the next giant step in the relationship between humans and technology: computers that can recognize, respond to, and even replicate emotions. Futurist Richard Yonck argues that emotions—the first, most basic, and most natural form of communication—are how we will soon work with and use computers. And that instilling emotions into computers is the next leap in our centuries-old obsession with creating machines that replicate humans. But with every step forward, there are pitfalls. Technology that can manipulate our feelings could open. Doors to unprecedented levels of mass control. And there is still our deep-seated anxiety about what might happen if machines could actually feel—only to break free from our control. A fascinating exploration of the evolving relationship between mankind and technology, Heart of the Machine is “a compelling and thorough history of the interaction between our emotional lives and our technology” (Ray Kurzweil).