Back Transdisciplinarity and the Unity of Knowledge: Beyond the Science and Religion Dialogue


Skip Navigation Links
Home
Agenda
Featured Speakers
Paper Presenters
Public Events
Information
Contact
Registration


Sign up for Conference
2009 Updates.




   

Ted Metzler
The Machine in the Ghost?


Abstract

In the roughly fifty years since the first appearance of artificially intelligent electronic computers and robotic systems, much has been written concerning the possibility of such artifacts eventually attaining consciousness, and perhaps even moral parity with human persons – i.e., the prospect of an emerging “ghost in the machine.”  The notably more recent concern that is addressed in this paper involves a corresponding possibility that human interaction with such devices may produce subtle psychological internalization of our own technological creations that progressively alters human self-understanding – i.e., what some might describe as growth of a “ machine in the ghost.”  

We shall, in fact, argue that our interaction with a fairly recent generation of life-like humanoid and android personal robots plausibly can generate new understandings of the human person that bear profound implications for some concepts associated with the world’s religions.  This paper initially reviews pertinent science and technology of the subject class of robots, as well as evidence of its potential for altering human self-understanding.  From an interfaith perspective, we then shall identify some representative religious concepts that promise to be strongly interactive with such evolving understandings of the human person.  Finally, we shall present recommendations for research and public policy dialogue to serve intelligent engagement of the foregoing kinds of anticipated changes.

Biography

Ted Metzler’s B.A. degree in mathematics was followed by an M.S. in computer science and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in philosophy.  The uniting motivation in this educational path was his fascination with relations between some venerable religious understandings of the human person and the kinds of alternatives being suggested increasingly by artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics.  Appropriately, most of Ted’s work experience in computer application software development has involved AI applications.  In the year 2000, responding to the sense of a personal calling to help improve dialogue between the communities of religion and science (particularly, in the area of AI), he returned to school and earned an M.A. in theology.  Ted currently is Director of the Darrell W. Hughes Program for Religion and Science Dialogue at Oklahoma City University.     



 

1616 Walnut Street, Suite 1112, Philadelphia, PA 19103 USA  |  Voice: + 1 484.592.0304 Fax: +1 484.592.0313   |   Email  |  Privacy Policy