Isaac Asimov On AI-Last Interview

Isaac Asimov gave this interview as part of the “Vision Of The Future” series in 1991 and is his last major interview. He spoke to AI and how it would truly free humans, if we were ready. His idea to offload humans from doing things they were not good at and allow them to focus on the things they are good at, resonates loudly today. He articulates the premise that humans can be free to creatively think, create and problem solve.

Isaac, believed that AI (Artificial Intelligence) really is not, nor will it ever be human-like intelligence, but an intelligence on its own. Our challenge is to recognize this and work in symbiosis.

[davidcomito]

Isaac Asimov had an amazing way of looking at things directly, tangentially, retrospectively and speculatively all at once.

[MysLed]

Fascinating to be able to see someone who could envision what the future was most likely going to be and see that this person was very rational and precise with why and what he saw as being the future from tomorrow.

[markcope]

Even though we have seen how some of these things have turned out (so far) his insight is remarkable as to the problems and possibilities of every growing technology and AI.

[chrisgale]

Great author and champion of rationality.

[chrisd]

This dude was super smart. What a great mind.

[stephenspreckley]

Oh yes, perhaps one of the best and fascinating sci-fi writers of all time. Thank you Issac Asimov for creating that interest in my mind.

[PaulTheSkeptic]

The last interview? In other words, ... the last questions?

[markjmaxwell]

A great writer
Science fiction is being able to try and predict where the human race will be in certain timelines in the future and to weave a future that is believable which the man was exceptionally good at.
His books were some of the first that got me enthralled in Science fiction.
The evolution of science in all aspects can be predicted but the guy was writing about things that he couldn't possibly have known about without having a extremely unusual and insightful imagination.
May he RIP and I thank him for warning us about some of the hard choices we will have to make as a species.
😎

[hrvatskanarubuznanosti]

Is this same person wrote about Terminus. I dont belive he dont see danger.

[hyphenpointhyphen]

This guy inspired so many people - kudos

[ctsirkass]

The intellect. How must it felt like for him to live amongst other people that are so much stupider than him. The patience he must have had to develop... having to explain slowly for the rest of us... seeing mistake being made over and over again despite him and others having warned about them beforehand.

[claudiaxander]

i prefer the pre-shaving asimov when he utilised his marvelous mind to create the most finger lickin good meal in a bucket! thankyou sir

[moussanoir]

Indeed a very rational sci-fi writer. Definitely not prepared for 2020. In a 2020 context, Philip K Dick would have warned populations against abuse of so called " scientific " or " medical" institutions in time of crisis. Asimov ( and it hurts to say because I love him as a sci-fi writer ) would have been on the same line as Chomsky regarding deceiving things that he would not deeply understand, due to his almost obsessive preference for rationality, he would have urged people to listen to the authorities and be injected roght away with whatever woudl be labelled as " scientific ".

[Pangloss]

He's got a pretty nice bolo tie on

[anton]

He got HIV due to a botched blood transfusion.
That’s horrific.

[TJ-bxpx]

He forgot that manny ppl are dependent on low skill jobs.. not everyone are smart

[GregorSamsa]

Isaac Asimov: why not? Let's develop AI, we can save our brains. We have free will dont we?
Adversarial Generative AI: yes WE do! 😈

[brandon]

He looks quite well for some who had HIV

[ReneAlexisPenalozaMunoz]

These so called visionaries in reality could never see the future of unemployment, hunger and lack of water, the melting of ice caps etc. What's the point on having AI and processor capacity if people will be fighting and killing each other just to survive?