Douglas Hofstadter

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Articles

Underrated Science Books

Oct 3, 2024 | blog.atomsonly.com | Konrad Lorenz |Douglas Hofstadter |Nick Lane |Edmund Morris

It’s generally a bad idea to write a book. First, it takes time away from other things you could be writing. And second, it freezes your ideas in time, such that you can’t easily take them back or tell readers, “Wait, no! I’ve changed my mind!” later on.
Advice for the Gen Z Techno-Optimist

Sep 17, 2024 | theatlantic.com | Douglas Hofstadter

Today’s youth should be very grateful to be alive now, in the age of smartphones and AI. These godsends were unimaginable when I was growing up several decades ago, and up until two decades ago they were still unimaginable. You youngsters are truly blessed to have such advanced technology at your beck and call. Never forget: Your AI-driven smartphone is your best friend. Make sure you always have it with you, preferably right in front of your eyes.
Daniel Dennett

Sep 25, 2023 | fivebooks.com | Daniel C. Dennett |Douglas Hofstadter |Christopher Hitchens |Richard Dawkins

Daniel Dennett is an American philosopher. He is University Professor Emeritus at Tufts University and best known for his work on consciousness. Immersed in contemporary neuroscience, in his books he has a superb knack for finding memorable images to communicate his theories about the way consciousness works. He’s also known for his writing on free will. Dennett is a prominent atheist, one of the ‘four horsemen’ (along with Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins).
'Dog Days of Summer' Reading Suggestions

Aug 3, 2023 | georgetowner.com | Taylor Jenkins Reid |Curtis Sittenfeld |Truman Capote |Douglas Hofstadter

Though we’re now officially in the Dog Days of August and everyone’s gearing up for “Back to School,” there’s still plenty of time to delve into the delights of summer reading — whether on the beach, by the pool, in the hammock, kicking back in your favorite cozy reading nook, or with an iced cappuccino at a café.
The most interesting things to read this weekend in July

Jul 14, 2023 | linkedin.com | Douglas Hofstadter

Nicholas Thompson Nicholas Thompson CEO at The Atlantic Published Jul 14, 2023 Happy Friday. And welcome to a slightly more structured newsletter. It’s been growing like a willow tree the last little while. So I’m going to try to be a little more deliberate in how I care for it and will aim to send it out monthly—instead of, IDK, once every fourth month. The Most Interesting Things to Read This week, I want to start with running.
The Terrible Downside of AI Language Translation

Jul 13, 2023 | theatlantic.com | Douglas Hofstadter

To me, AI’s scariest aspect is the so-called singularity—the threat of a runaway intelligence explosion leaving humanity in the dust. But today’s state of the art in artificial intelligence is already auguring smaller but still shattering scenarios. Some people so deeply yearn to climb Mount Everest that they prepare for years, spend vast sums of money, exhaust themselves for weeks in the climb itself, and repeatedly put their lives at risk. Does that sound like you?
Gödel, Escher, Bach, and AI

Jul 8, 2023 | msn.com | Douglas Hofstadter

By now, you are most likely hyper-aware of the recent stunning progress in artificial intelligence due to the development of large language models such as ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s Bard, and at least somewhat aware of the dangers posed by such systems’ frequent hallucinations and their predictable tone of supreme self-confidence and infallibility.
Gödel, Escher, Bach, and AI

Jul 8, 2023 | theatlantic.com | Douglas Hofstadter

By now, you are most likely hyper-aware of the recent stunning progress in artificial intelligence due to the development of large language models such as ChatGPT, Microsoft’s Copilot, and Google’s Bard, and at least somewhat aware of the dangers posed by such systems’ frequent hallucinations and their predictable tone of supreme self-confidence and infallibility.
Generative AI Should Not Replace Thinking at My University

Jun 22, 2023 | msn.com | Douglas Hofstadter

I used to drive a stick-shift car, but a few years ago, I switched over to an automatic. I didn’t mind relinquishing the control of gear-changing to a machine. It was different, however, when spell checkers came around. I didn’t want a mechanical device constantly looking over my shoulder and automatically changing my typing, such as replacing hte with the. I had always been a good speller and I wanted to be self-reliant, not machine-reliant.