BKWCSCD.RVW 940519 The MIT Press 55 Hayward Street Cambridge, MA 02142-1399 USA Robert V. Prior, Editor - Computer Science prior@mitvma.mit.edu Maureen Curtin, Int'l Promo. - curtin@mit.edu "What Computers Still Can't Do", Dreyfus, 1992, 0-262-54067-3, U$13.95 There are two kinds of classics. In one, an important idea is held up, explained and illuminated from all sides. This exposure is both pleasurable and thought-provoking; so much so, that even an opponent of the central thesis still enjoys the work and may be inspired by it. The second type of classic takes an important idea and beats it to death. This is what Dreyfus did with his original work, which is basically unchanged here. One suspects that his work would not have produced such animosity had he not taken the tactic of a direct attack on all of the major artificial intelligence work of the time. (And of the time since: the introductions to the various reprintings continue attacks on each succeeding generation of AI.) After a while, even the most sympathetic reader starts to respond, "So it's limited. So it doesn't work yet. So what?" That, however, only applies to the introductions, and part one. Parts two and three move completely out of the technical realm and into the philosophical. The second part looks at the philosophical beliefs of the devotees of AI. "Belief" is the correct term. As Dreyfus points out at the beginning of part three, committed workers in the field of artificial intelligence seem to have, consciously or unconsciously, an almost religious assumption that man, and the brain, is a calculating device of some kind. Dreyfus points out that these beliefs are unfounded, in the sense of not being based upon clearly demonstrable evidence or principles. However, as one moves into the last part of the book, it becomes evident that Dreyfus is *not* presenting a critique of artificial reason or intelligence. He is primarily attacking "cognitive simulation". Part three presents an alternative view, not of computing or AI, but of cognition. Unfortunately, this part of the book, while somewhat interesting, is not as compelling as the negative parts. The central thesis of the book, that there are limits to computing and that we tend to hold unquestioned beliefs about computing power, is still an important one. The failure, however, to update the book in terms of current beliefs and aspirations, robs the work of some impact. copyright Robert M. Slade, 1994 BKWCSCD.RVW 940519 ====================== DECUS Canada Communications, Desktop, Education and Security group newsletters Editor and/or reviewer ROBERTS@decus.ca, RSlade@sfu.ca, Rob Slade at 1:153/733 Author "Robert Slade's Guide to Computer Viruses" (Oct. '94) Springer-Verlag