|
|
|
|
|
|
by seanmcdirmid
3064 days ago
|
|
|
I strongly disagree with this. Today, it is "think to program", but the computer is right there, it can help out a lot more beyond just interpreting the program you thought hard about writing. Instead, the computer can help us think, it might not be able to do the reasoning for us, but it can help us break it up into smaller pieces. A nice analogy is the difference between Ultron, Hawkeye, and Iron Man. Ultron represents the singularity where computers just program for us; it will come someday but it isn't very interesting to us. Hawkeye, the "super" archer, is analogous to the programmer with advanced abstracting reasoning skills, he is amazing, but there just aren't going to be too many of him. Humans aren't getting much smarter in general. Then there is Iron Man, who makes himself awesome by using technology, from his power suit to his holographic design environment and interactive voice assistant. That is the sweet spot for us. |
|
|
It's actually possible that we are: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flynn_effect ; summary: "The Flynn effect is the substantial and long-sustained increase in both fluid and crystallized intelligence test scores measured in many parts of the world from roughly 1930 to the present day." (But both the reality and the interpretation of this are matters of some dispute.)
Moreover, without any computer assistance until very recently, our ability to do mathematics has advanced marvelously over the past few thousand years. We shouldn't underestimate the power of education, culture, better notation, and accumulated wisdom to advance human capacities even at purely intellectual endeavours such as math (or, for another example, chess).
Of course, none of this says that computers themselves can't help us program, which is your primary point. I just think you're being a little pessimistic about "merely human" ways of improving ourselves.