May 15, 2014 at 10:06AM
"'Autonomous and voluntary behavior.' These words strike fear in the hearts of technologists." #readingToday

Smart does not have to mean controlled by humans. "Autonomous and voluntary behaviour." These words, hewn from the discussion about avoiding conflicting interests, strike fear in the hearts of technologists . "Control and determinism " are the words they want to hear — those over-sold consorts of certainty. Yet, paradoxically, these freedoms are quite possibly the magic cure for uncertainty. Loosening our grip to get a better grasp is a theme of this chapter, and the idea is as important as it is counter-intuitive. The idea is hardly a new one . In fact, from a dynamical perspective.

In Search of Certainty, Mark Burgess, 2013